‘Tis the Season
It’s the time of year when Plan Sponsors scramble to deliver the myriad notices required to be given to their participants. Even with the help of service providers, the sheer number of notices can be overwhelming.
2019 Cost of Living Adjustments
Every Fall, the coming year’s Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) are released by the Internal Revenue Service. The benefit increases counteract the effects of inflation and keep up with the “cost of living”. Below are the limits for 2019.
Helping Hands
One of the most prevalent and difficult challenges for many twenty somethings these days is the repayment of their, often substantial, student loan debt. Statistics show that the average college graduate with a bachelor’s degree left school in 2016 with $28,446 in student loan debt.
Hardships Get a Little Easier
Earlier this year, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 was passed by Congress and signed into law. While this law made several changes that impact retirement plans, one provision changing the rules around hardship distributions is particularly notable.
A New Era for Socially Responsible Investing and Fiduciary Obligations
Socially responsible investing (SRI) is a rapidly growing trend in markets around the world. This sustainable, responsible, impact investing model affords companies the opportunity to ensure that their investments align with their mission and values and also facilitate the global movement towards an environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive economy. SRI models involve ESG (environmental, social and governance) integration, investment screening, shareholder advocacy, sustainably themed investments and impact investing.
Why Should my 401(k) Plan Use a Calendar Plan Year?
Defined contribution plans generally follow calendar years, which prevents compliance and administration complications that arise from an off-calendar plan year. Off-calendar plan years are typically structured to follow the fiscal year, with the rationale that the profit sharing contributions would be tied to fiscal year performance. This logic is somewhat flawed, since you are effectively giving the same profit sharing contribution at whatever point you decide to make the contribution, but you are increasing the administrative costs and risk of errors (administration or compliance) in running the off-calendar plan year.
Bundled vs. Unbundled 401k Plans and the RPG Co-Bundled 401k Model
The age-old debate of using a bundled vs unbundled model for a 401k plan has troubled plan sponsors for years. Try a Google search for “Bundled vs. Unbundled 401k“. Every provider and 401k resource seems to list the pros and cons of each model and then either promote their strategy or leave the plan sponsor with all the pros and cons, still wondering which service model is best for their 401k plan.
The Integrity of a 401k Plan Provider
The Department of Labor (DOL) fiduciary rule, delayed from the original April 10, 2017 deadline, expands the ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) definition of “investment advice fiduciary” so that every financial professional working with retirement plans would be held accountable as a fiduciary of the plan.
ERISA Fidelity Bond vs. Fiduciary Liability Insurance
I am a small business owner sponsoring a 401k retirement plan. Are my personal assets at risk? What kind of coverage can I get with Fiduciary Liability Insurance and how does it differ from the required ERISA Fidelity Bond?