Natalie Harris

Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning

Spring will arrive soon, promising new growth and a fresh beginning. It could also be the perfect time to do some spring cleaning for your plan. Let’s look at some areas that you might consider reviewing to ensure your retirement plan is operating efficiently.

Document your processes and procedures to make certain that plan tasks can be handled in case of any absences during an enrollment or pay period. Having a backup in place can prevent errors and delays that could lead to penalties.

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Cybersecurity & ERISA Compliance: Protecting Your Plan

Cybersecurity & ERISA Compliance: Protecting Your Plan

Cybersecurity has become a necessary consideration in many aspects of life, and your retirement plan is no exception. For plan sponsors, understanding your responsibilities—as well as those of the third party administrators (TPAs) and recordkeepers that you work with—is a fundamental part of ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) compliance and the fulfillment of your fiduciary responsibilities.

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The Plan Document: Why Understanding it Matters

The Plan Document: Why Understanding it Matters

An employer-sponsored retirement plan is an extremely valuable benefit a company can offer its employees. At the heart of this benefit is the plan document—the official rulebook that explains exactly how the plan works. For plan sponsors, understanding this document isn’t just helpful; it’s essential.

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Understanding RMDs: What Plan Sponsors Need to Know

Understanding RMDs: What Plan Sponsors Need to Know

As a plan sponsor, it’s critical to understand the rules surrounding Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) because they directly impact compliance, participant education and operational processes. RMDs are mandatory withdrawals from qualified retirement accounts, and failure to handle them correctly can lead to penalties for participants and fiduciary risks for your plan.

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Upcoming Compliance Deadlines for Calendar-Year Plans

Upcoming Compliance Deadlines for Calendar-Year Plans

IRS Form 1099-R Copy A – Deadline to submit Form 1099-R Copy A to the IRS for participants and beneficiaries who received a distribution or a deemed distribution during the prior plan year. This deadline applies to scannable paper filings. For electronic filings, the due date is March 31, 2026.

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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...

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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...

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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....

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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...

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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...

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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...

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