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Employee Benefit Plans

03.28.23

How will SECURE 2.0 Affect Your Retirement Plan Administration?

Late last year, the House and Senate approved the revision to the SECURE Act of 2019, and the President signed it into law on December 23, 2022. This revision had been in process for some time, and Secure 2.0 sought to bring changes and updates to the original SECURE Act, affecting qualified retirement plans and […]

02.01.23

Despite the Potential Benefits, the Roth 401(K) Remains Underutilized
Stephanie M. Zaleski-Braatz

For more than a decade, plan sponsors have been able to amend their 401(k) plans to include a post-tax deferral contribution called Roth, but only about 86 percent of plan sponsors have made it available to participants, according to the Plan Sponsor Council of America. Despite the potential benefits of a Roth, only a quarter […]

12.02.22

Avoid Employee Deferral Limit Excesses
James Pellino

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) determines how much 401(k) plan participants can defer into their plan accounts, but many plan participants sometimes fail to fully understand or keep these deferral limits top of mind. Participants exceed 401(k) deferral limits for a variety of reasons. While the filing deadline for on-time tax filers has passed for […]

11.17.22

The Great Regret Urges Plan Sponsors To Review Their Benefits Lineup
James Quaid

We have all heard of the “Great Resignation,” a term coined to describe the millions of employees that left their jobs since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Many employees who moved on to another job are having second thoughts about their decision — a new phenomenon that is being referred to as […]

09.13.22

Understanding Your 401(K) Plan Compliance Testing
Larry A. Ruff

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) requires plan sponsors of qualified retirement plans, such as a defined contribution plan or 401(k) plan, to act solely in the interests of participants and their beneficiaries. This means that the plan sponsor, as a fiduciary, must ensure that the plan itself does not discriminate in […]

09.01.22

M&A Could Be the Next Challenge for Plan Sponsors… Are You Ready?

Despite fears over the COVID-19 pandemic, companies took advantage of low-interest rates to create an unprecedented increase in mergers and acquisition (M&A) activity in 2021.  Company retirement plans and their participants are typically an afterthought when M&A activity is happening at such a rapid pace. It is important to focus on a few areas that […]

07.25.22

DOL Alert: Proposed Regulation on Environmental, Social and Governance Investing and Shareholder Rights

The Department of Labor (DOL) is preparing to finalize a proposed rule that changes the way environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are viewed in a plan sponsor’s investment process and proxy voting methods. The proposal, which was issued in October 2021, aims to help plan sponsors understand their responsibilities when investing in ESG strategies […]

06.10.22

Plan Sponsor Alert: Revisiting De-Risking Options
James Quaid

Thanks to better returns and an uptick in discount rates used to value plan liabilities, defined benefit plans’ funding statuses have improved to some of their highest levels since the Great Recession. Many plan sponsors are eager to preserve these gains and want to take risk off their balance sheet by implementing “de-risking strategies.” Because […]

05.11.22

Pooled Employer Plans — What Is New in 2022

Beginning January 1, 2021, pooled plan providers could start Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs), which Congress created to expand access to retirement benefits by allowing companies in unrelated industries to participate in a multiple employer plan (MEP).  Related Read: Pooled Employer Plans: A Look at How Small Employers Can Benefit The Story of Pooled Employer Plans, from […]

04.26.22

What the Great Resignation Means for 401(k) Accounts
Stephanie M. Zaleski-Braatz

United States workers are continuing to leave their jobs and employers are struggling with high levels of employee turnover. Another 4.4 million U.S. workers quit their jobs in February alone, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, the number of job openings in the U.S remains elevated at 11.3 million, as […]

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