Safe harbor 401(k) plans are among the most popular types of 401(k) plans used by small businesses. These plans help owners maximize the annual contributions made to their accounts because they automatically pass ADP/ACP and other top-heavy nondiscrimination tests. However, to achieve the Safe Harbor status, the plan must meet certain contributions and participant disclosure requirements. Let's talk a little more about the rules that Safe Harbor plans bring with them. If, as

Currently, the law allows employers to design their retirement plans to exclude part-time employees who work less than 1,000 hours per year from plan participation. Under the SECURE Act, Congress elected to reduce eligibility standards to expand retirement plan coverage. Beginning in 2021, 401(k) plans are required to provide dual eligibility coverage—meaning that employees who have worked at least 500 hours per year for at least three consecutive plan years are eligible for

When a business owner decides to start up a 401(k) or some other type of retirement plan, the inevitable question is "who will take care of the planning and administration?" That's a fair question, but Plan Sponsors will be glad to learn that there are firms dedicated to plan administration. Let's take a few moments to explore everything you ever needed to know about Third Party Administrators (TPA). What is a TPA and what do they do? A Third Party Administrator is a company

Every so often, all qualified retirement plans must be updated to reflect legislative or regulatory changes. Some of these updates are made through plan amendments, while others require plan documents to be rewritten—known as "restating" the plan. The deadlines for adopting such updates are usually dependent on the type of plan and plan documents. For example, defined contribution plans (such as a 401(k)) are generally restated every six years. Amendments may still be require

By now, you have heard a lot about the retirement account legislation changes that came with the passing of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act in December 2019. We are focusing on just one of those changes in this article: the increased required minimum distribution (RMD) age for all retirement accounts. Before the SECURE Act, someone with money in a traditional IRA or employer-sponsored retirement plan was required to begin taking withdraw

One of the most popular 401(k) Plans, Safe Harbor is great for owners and employees alike. The Safe Harbor plan design allows business owners to provide retirement benefits to their employees while simultaneously ensuring they can save at the maximum rate allowed by the IRS. While Safe Harbor plans offer many benefits, there are strict rules that must be followed and some potential drawbacks that must be considered. In this post, we will provide you with information that may