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...
Paul Fennell
Cost of Living Adjustments for 2023
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...
Save or Toss? Proper Plan Record Storage a Must!
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...
Deadline for CARES Act and SECURE Act Amendments Extended
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...
New IRS Pre-Examination Compliance Program Announced
In June 2022, the IRS began piloting a pre-examination retirement plan compliance program. This is beneficial to plan sponsors because it provides an opportunity for plan sponsors to correct mistakes at a reduced cost and possibly avoid a full IRS examination. Anytime...
Q&A Corner
Q: I didn’t file my 12/31/21 plan year end Form 5500 by 7/31/22, now what? A: Contact your Form 5500 preparer! First, confirm whether or not an extension applies. This would occur with a Form 5558 filed before 7/31, or possibly a special extension or automatic...
Form 5500 Insights
Every year, most employers file a Form 5500 for each qualified plan that they sponsor. The purpose of the Form 5500 is to provide required information to the Department of Labor (DOL), but it can also provide valuable insight to the plan sponsor. The Form 5500 has...
Timing of Deposits 401(k)/403(b) Deferrals and Loan Repayments
One of the questions asked by your TPA during the annual census collection may be whether your participant contributions and loan payments were transmitted within the Department of Labor (DOL) safe harbor time frame. It’s an important question because both the DOL and...
New Information on Participant Statements: Lifetime Income Illustrations
If you sponsor a defined contribution retirement plan, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019 now requires additional information be provided to your plan participants on their quarterly account statements. Along with their...
Navigating the Labyrinth of Required Minimum Distributions
Since the passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, taxpayers have been required to withdraw previously untaxed dollars from their qualified plan and IRA accounts. These withdrawals are called Required Minimum Distributions or RMDs. Historically, those at and over the...
New Plan Tax Credits
When we talk about new retirement plans, we usually focus on the savings advantages they grant to business owners or the big-picture advantages of helping employees achieve ongoing financial wellness. Tax credits granted to plan sponsors are another important, but...
Paying Fees from Plan Assets
COVID-19 is obviously causing financial stress and, when it comes to your clients’ qualified retirement plans, they may be looking for ways to reduce expenses. In this talk, we’ll detail the three options they have to use plan assets to pay some plan expenses as long...