April 2017 Newsletter

• Common Participant Communications Acceptable via
  Electronic Delivery
• Acceptable Methods of E-Delivery and their Requirements
• Participant Consent
• The Benefits of Electronic Delivery
  • Accessibility
  • Financial and Environmental Benefits
  • Security and Recordkeeping
• Conclusion

In this issue:

• Introduction
• Do you have copies of all the plan documents and records?
• Are you properly insured as a plan sponsor?
• Do you timely distribute required documents, notices and educational retirement fund materials to your employees?
• Are you depositing 401(k) deferrals and loan repayments by the required deadlines?
• Are you enrolling and covering the right employees?
• Are you monitoring the plan’s fees?
• Do you have an investment plicy statement (IPS)?
• When was the last time you reviewed your employee retirement plan to see if it still fits your current needs?
• Conclusion

February 2017 Newsletter

• Introduction
• Uncashed Checks are Plan Assets
• What Should Plan Sponsors Do?
• Searching for Missing Participants
  •     Required Steps
  •     Reasonable Additional Steps
• What are the Options if the Participant Cannot be Found?
  •     Return Funds to the Plan
  •     Forfeit the Account Balance
  •     Roll Over Assets to an IRA
  •     Withholding 100% of the Participant’s Account Balance is not an Option
• Preventive Action Tips
• Conclusion

In This Issue

• Introduction
• Rollover vs. Cash Distribution
• Mandatory Federal Tax Withholding
• 10% Premature Distribution Penalty
• Retirement and Termination
• Disability Benefits
• Death Benefits
• Required Minimum Distributions
• Hardship Distributions
• IRS Special Tax Notice and Reporting
• Summary
• 2017 IRS Annual Limits

In This Issue

• Introduction
• Background
• Loan Requirements
  • Plan Document
  • Loan Policy
  • Maximum and Minimum Amounts
  • Number of Loans
  • Interest Rate
  • Amortization
  • Other Repayment Terms
  • Documentation
• Conclusion

In This Issue:

• Introduction
• Background
• Activities Considered Investment Advice
• Advice Provider Relationship
• Activities not Considered Investment Advice
  • Providing an Investment Platform for
    Directed Investment
  • Selection and Monitoring
    Assistance for Plan Fiduciaries
  • Investment Education
  • Advice Provided by Employees
  • General Communications
• Best Interest Contract (BIC) Exemption
• What Plan Sponsors Need to Know

In This Issue:

• Introduction
• How is the Form 5500 Data Utilized?
• Which plans are considered “small”?
• Which plans need an accountant’s audit?
• What is the due date for filing the Form 5500?
• What’s new on the 2015 Form 5500?
• What information was the IRS attempting to collect?
• Is this information readily available?
• Why wouldn’t the preparer want to show his or her
  information on the filing?
• What are some questions that are significant to
  filers?
• Employer Contributions
• Making Benefit Payments When Due
• Timely Deposit of Participant Contributions
• What information must be reported to the plan
  participants?
• Conclusion

In This Issue:

• Introduction
• Minimum Age and Service Requirements
• Entry Date
• Effect of a Short Service Requirement
• Excluding Classes of Employees
• Excluding Part-Time Employees with a Fail Safe Provision
• Service Requirements for Employer Contributions
• Impact on ADP and ACP Tests
• Making Excluded Participants Whole
• Conclusion

In This Issue:

• Introduction
• Overview
• Pre-Participation Compensation
• Bonuses, Commissions and Overtime
• Taxable Fringe Benefits
• Reimbursements and Allowances
• Post-Severance Compensation
• Self-Employed Individuals
• Employees vs. Independent Contractors
• Conclusion
• IRS and Social Security Annual Limits

In This Issue:

• Introduction
• Lease or Purchase
•    Defined Benefit (DB) Plan
•    Defined Contribution (DC) Plan
• The Car Lot
• Compact or Full Size?
• One-Car Garage
• Eligibility
• Employee Deferrals
• Matching Contributions
• Profit Sharing Contributions
• Vesting
• Loans and In-Service Withdrawals
• Plan Documents
• Annual Compliance Testing
• Government Reporting
• Conclusion