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SECURE Act Provisions for Long-Term Part-Time Employees

SECURE Act Provisions for Long-Term Part-Time Employees

Historically, 401(k) plans could exclude individuals who worked less than 1,000 hours in the plan year. However, in its effort to expand access to employer retirement plans, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act introduced the concept of a “long-term, part-time employee” (LTPT). The Act requires that starting in 2024, 401(k) plans permit LTPTs the opportunity to elect to make salary deferrals to a 401(k) plan.So, why talk about it now if not effe...
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2022 – An Ideal Time to Review Plan Design

2022 – An Ideal Time to Review Plan Design

Each year, those in the retirement community collect, analyze and calculate data to ensure plan compliance with the laws that govern qualified retirement plans. The calendar of deadlines repeats each year, challenging plan sponsors and service providers to focus on the current plan compliance along with the myriad of changes that have come into effect in the last few years. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic created many financial difficulties and workplace changes for millions of employees...
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Form 5500 Filing Extension for FEMA Designated Disaster Areas

Form 5500 Filing Extension for FEMA Designated Disaster Areas

On August 31st, 2021, the IRS issued guidance extending tax filing deadlines for Form 5500 in areas designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as qualifying for assistance due to Hurricane Ida and other recent natural disasters. This extension applies not only to Form 5500 filings but also to Form 8955-SSA.The list of FEMA-designated disaster areas due to Hurricane Ida and other natural disasters continues to grow. Plan Sponsors are eligible for this relief if their p...
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Participant Distribution Fraud in the “New Normal”

Participant Distribution Fraud in the “New Normal”

The Coronavirus pandemic, without a doubt, has changed the way we do business. It has also created some unanticipated vulnerabilities. For instance, since the start of the “new normal,” there has been an increase of cyberattacks on retirement plans and participant accounts through unauthorized distributions. How did this happen? In March of 2020, Congress passed the CARES Act legislation that increased access to retirement funds for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. At th...
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Save More for Retirement in 2022

Save More for Retirement in 2022

On November 4, 2021, the IRS announced the Cost of Living Adjustments affecting the dollar limitations for retirement plans for 2022. In October, the Social Security Administration announced a benefit increase of 5.9%, the largest increase in nearly 40 years. Following suit, many retirement plan limits have increased as well over the 2021 levels. Contribution and benefit increases are intended to allow participant contributions and benefits to keep up with the “cost of living” f...
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Looking to Maximize Savings? Cash Balance Could Be the Answer!

Looking to Maximize Savings? Cash Balance Could Be the Answer!

So, you established a 401(k) plan for your company and have been contributing consistently for years. The plan has likely afforded your company significant tax savings and has allowed you to attract and retain quality employees. While a 401(k) plan is a great savings vehicle, did you know there is a type of qualified retirement plan that will allow you to contribute significantly more than the maximum allowed in a stand-alone 401(k) profit sharing plan?We are all familiar with defined contr...
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Safe Harbor: A Cure For Your Testing Headaches

Safe Harbor: A Cure For Your Testing Headaches

A crucial requirement for 401(k) plans is that the plan must be designed so it does not unfairly favor highly compensated employees (HCEs) or key employees (such as owners) over non-highly compensated employees (NHCEs). To satisfy this requirement, the IRS requires that plans pass certain nondiscrimination tests each plan year. These tests analyze the rate at which HCE and key employees benefit from the plan in comparison to NHCEs. Failed tests can result in costly corrections, such as refu...
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Missing Participants: Ready or Not, Here I Come!

Missing Participants: Ready or Not, Here I Come!

Most plan sponsors can relate to the trials and tribulations of having missing participants in their retirement plan. At times, it may feel like you are on the losing end of an intense game of hide-and-seek. Your opponents, the missing participants, may not have intended to pick the best hiding spots, but in many cases, they have surely succeeded. Now you are tasked with tracking them down and upping your game to avoid this scenario in the future.So, what are missing participants, exactly? ...
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Department of Labor Issues Cybersecurity Guidance

Department of Labor Issues Cybersecurity Guidance

On April 14, 2021, the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued long-awaited guidance designed to protect participants from both internal and external cybersecurity threats. The guidance is far-reaching and is directed at plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, recordkeepers, and plan participants. This is the first time the DOL has issued guidance on cybersecurity for employee benefit plans and is a welcome step forward as it provides best practices and tips to help mit...
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Congratulations! It’s a Retirement Plan!

Congratulations! It’s a Retirement Plan!

So, you’ve sold your business and now you’re asking the question “What happens to the retirement plan?” You are not alone. In the world of mergers and acquisitions, it is not uncommon for retirement plans to be overlooked in the process. The options available depend upon the type of transaction taking place and the timing, that is — has the transaction already occurred, or is it set for a prospective date? The transaction that takes place is typically classifie...
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