In the administration of employee benefit plans (EBPs) occasional errors are inevitable. While proactivity, responsiveness and a robust internal control environment help to mitigate the negative effects of these errors, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) allows certain errors to be corrected through its Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program (VFCP). Don’t miss: What is a 401(k) …
If you have ever been curious about rollovers for an employee benefit plan, then you have come to the right place. The following provides a simple overview of rollovers. A rollover often refers to the transfer of money from one retirement plan to another without the burden of tax or penalties. Tax and or penalties …
The IRS has recently issued Notice 2020-51 to help bring more clarity on how the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) impacts Required Minimum Distributions (“RMDs”) and those individuals who have taken RMDs in 2020. Congress passed the CARES Act on March 27, 2020 as a fiscal response to the COVID-19 pandemic. …
When the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA of 2018) was signed into law in February of 2018, sweeping changes to the process of obtaining hardship distributions accompanied it. These changes were not required to take effect until January 1, 2020. Don’t miss: Changes to hardship distribution rules While the BBA of 2018 initiated these …
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic uncertainty, employers are faced with decisions that could have significant impacts on their 401k retirement plans. A serious decision that employers face is a potential employee reduction. It is important to consider the impact this decision can have on the retirement plan. A reduction …
In response to the impact of COVID-19 Congress placed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act or the “CARES Act”. What does this 883-page law mean for retirement plans and their participants? The CARES Act includes provisions that expand the availability of retirement funds to those who have been impacted by COVID-19. …
For many employers, finding lost 401k plan participants can seem an impossible task. Nevertheless, employers are required to take all reasonable actions to locate a missing participant. Employers have a fiduciary obligation under ERISA to locate or “make a reasonable effort” to find a missing participant of a terminated defined contribution plan. Failing to do …
One type of distribution your 401(k) may allow for is a hardship distribution, and while the criteria can vary from plan to plan, most are generally similar. A hardship distribution is used to satisfy the immediate and heavy financial need of the participant, the participant’s spouse or the participant’s non-spouse, non-dependent beneficiary. Common examples of …
When employee benefit plan participants find themselves in tough financial positions, they often look for ways to relieve their financial burden. One of the options is taking out a loan from your 401(k) plan. However, is this a good idea? The answer – it depends on the situation. For most people, the idea of taking …
Many 401(k) plans permit participants to borrow from the plan and it’s becoming a more and more common practice. The plan document must specify if loans are permitted. The majority of those loans are repaid according to the terms of the loan agreement. However, there are instances when a participant defaults – and then it’s …