Year: 2017
Delinquent 401(k) and 403(b) Deposits: Same Prohibited Transaction, But Only ONE is Subject to Penalties
December 07, 2017
With the October 15th deadline in the past and a majority of Form 5500s having been filed, many plan sponsors, auditors, and third-party administrators have breathed a sigh of relief.
Is Keeping Former Employees in Your Plan a Good Idea?
November 06, 2017
Our recent blog “So You Are Changing Jobs…Are You Forgetting Something?” urged people to consider a rollover of their retirement accounts when joining a new employer plan
IRS Announces Increases in Benefit and Contribution Dollar Limits
October 20, 2017
As required by IRC Section 415, the IRS has announced cost-of-living adjustments that should be noted for retirement planning purposes.
Changing Jobs? Are You Forgetting Something?
October 05, 2017
We live in an ever-changing world. Some areas which will most likely change many times during your lifetime include your car, job, the place where you live, your hobbies, your relationships with others, and even the organizations you associate with.
Improving Audit Quality Through Enhanced Financial Reporting
September 26, 2017
In response to the DOL’s findings regarding ERISA plan audit deficiency rate, the AICPA has embarked on an initiative to improve audit quality
401(k) Contribution Limits: A Walk Down Memory Lane
September 12, 2017
Internal Revenue Code Section 401(k) was added to the tax law as part of President Jimmy Carter’s Revenue Act of 1978.
Proposed Statement of Auditing Standards: Redesigning the Audit Reporting Model for ERISA Plan Financial Statements
August 28, 2017
The Auditing Standards Board created a special task force in 2015 to consider a proposal to improve the quality of employee benefit plan audits by strengthening the EBP auditors’ report.
Hardship Distributions: Source Documents vs. Documentation of Self-Certification by Participants
August 11, 2017
“The buck stops here” is a phrase that was popularized by U.S. President Harry S. Truman, who kept a sign with that phrase on his desk in the Oval Office.
Plan Adviser Magazine: Avoidance Strategies
July 13, 2017
I had the honor of being selected as a resource for an article “Avoidance Strategies: How advisers can help sponsors steer clear of common plan errors” in the May/June issue of Plan Adviser magazine,
Self-Audits
June 28, 2017
Let’s face it, humans make mistakes. John Wooden said “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything.” In my blog titled “Internal Controls in a Retirement Plan,” I pointed out the importance of controls at the plan sponsor and its service providers to help prevent mistakes in plan administration, help prevent fraud within the plan…