Defined Contribution plans: Form 5500 news!Effective for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, the determination of a large or small plan will be based on the number of participants with an account balance as of the beginning of the year, rather than the number of participants eligible for the plan.This is welcome news for plans that required an accountant’s audit as a large plan because there were more than 100 eligible participants but not all of those participants had balanc...

As part of the enrollment process, participants are asked to elect a beneficiary. However, this step is often not completed or kept up to date as time goes on, which can make death distributions more complicated than they need to be. When a participant names a beneficiary, it helps to ensure their account balance will be distributed to the person intended. However, updating the designation is also very important as life events occur.When a plan includes automatic enrollment provisions, it does h...

As a plan sponsor, do you feel your employees have a clear understanding of the company’s retirement plan?Do most utilize it as a tool to save for retirement—and, if not, do they understand the benefit that they are missing? According to the 2022 PLANSPONSOR Participant Survey, 115 of 774 (14.9%) respondents opted not to participate in a workplace defined contribution plan for various reasons. 18.3% of those that declined to participate said it was because they need to better underst...

Within 18 months: Effectiveness of notice provided for eligible rollover distributions: A 402(f) notice, often referred to as a Special Tax Notice, must be provided to the recipient of a distribution that is eligible for rollover. The notice must contain required language regarding rollover options and the tax implications that may apply. The Government Accountability Office must issue a report to Congress on the effectiveness of these notices.No later than two (2) years after the date of e...

When Plan Sponsors are asked to provide company and employee census information for a recent plan year, the details being collected affect the contributions that must be calculated and funded as well as which compliance tests the plan must satisfy. The same questions are asked year after year because changes in the company affect the plan a great deal. Information collected may include:Employee census: Details about all employees on payroll must be provided, whether they are full time, part...

In 2019, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act increased the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) age for retirement plan participants from age 70 1/2 to 72. Additionally, it introduced opportunities for Long Term Part Time (LTPT) employees to make deferral contributions to retirement plans in situations where they have not yet met the plan’s eligibility requirements. An updated version of the SECURE Act—the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022—was signed by P...

Save even more for retirement in 2023 due to record breaking increases in limits. On October 21, 2022, the IRS announced the Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) affecting the dollar limitations for retirement plans for 2023. Retirement plan limits increased well over the 2022 limits, the largest increase in over 45 years. COLA increases are intended to allow participant contributions and benefits to keep up with the “cost of living” from year to year. Here are the highlights from the ...

As the year comes to a close, you may wonder what plan records must be kept and what items can be tossed. Historical plan records may need to be produced for many reasons: an IRS audit, a DOL investigation or simply questions from participants about their benefits or accounts to name a few.The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) takes the position that plan records should be kept until all benefits have been paid from the plan and the audit period for the final plan year has passed. This additional a...

Each year, a great deal of attention is paid to the upcoming year end work: census gathering, compliance testing, 5500s, oh my! But the year-end also brings with it a host of items that may need attention before the year closes. Below are a few action items that may need to be considered. Changes were made for the current plan year or upcoming plan year that required an amendment. Example: As of January 1, 2023, in-service distributions are available to participants at age 59 ½. Do you ...

The original due date of the CARES Act and SECURE Act amendments for qualified plans, other than governmental plans, was the last day of the first plan year beginning on or after January 1, 2022, which means December 31, 2022, for calendar year plans. This has been extended to December 31, 2025, regardless of plan year end. However, the deadline for governmental plans (414(d) plans, 403(b) plans maintained by public schools or 457(b) plans) is 90 days after the close of the third regular legisla...