It is no secret that a corporate 401(k) plan provides many benefits to both employers and employees. But what is perhaps lesser known is that how that plan is designed has a huge impact on the resulting benefits. Business owners must identify the features and options they want to see in a plan before sitting down with an administrator. Owners should consider the needs of their employees when designing a plan. When owners include their employees’ wishes in their planning, they

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

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

Someone with discretionary authority over an organization’s 401(k) plan administration, is considered a “Fiduciary.” A fiduciary has many administrative responsibilities and must perform them with diligence and prudence. They are responsible for acting in the best interest of plan participants and beneficiaries, and as such, they are held to very strict standards of conduct. Failure to understand these responsibilities can lead to administrative errors which can result in per

Though it seems like it will never arrive, the end of the Coronavirus pandemic will come eventually, and the world will return to some sense of normalcy. Of course, right now everyone is rightly focused on their health and that of their families. But when the sun rises on that elusive day, we will need to keep on administering retirement plans. The pandemic has certainly had its impact on retirement savings: with the stock market dropping and 401(k) accounts taking a hit, 61

401(k) contributions result in tax advantages. As such, it is important that the 401(k) plan benefits all employees...