Newsletters and Bulletins
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.
The Retirement Income Gap
Many American workers participate in company retirement plans, methodically contributing to their accounts over time to fund for life after work. Beyond benefiting from employer-funded plans, retirees commonly draw from additional savings tucked away in IRAs or after-tax savings accounts as well. Add Social Security payments to the mix and it should be a recipe for a secure retirement, right? While many retirees thoroughly plan for their retirement, the rising cost of living and unforeseen expenses can mean the retirement income may fall short of anticipated needs. The difference between your retirement income and actual expenses is known as your Retirement Income Gap.
An Annual 401(k) Audit is NOT an IRS/DOL Plan Audit
With the reporting deadline for employee benefit plans rapidly approaching, it is important to be familiar with the 401(k) audit compliance rules and to know the difference between an annual 401(k) audit performed by a CPA firm and an IRS or DOL 401(k) plan audit.
The Benefits of a Non-Producing TPA
As a financial advisor, you will need to decide which TPA (third-party administrator) to partner with, when managing your client’s 401(k) plan. As you are determining which provider to use, it is important to understand the distinct roles within the plan and how your partnership decisions could impact your client’s experience.
RPG Consultants (Recordkeeper & TPA) Demonstrates Operational Integrity & Service Provider Excellence
RPG Consultants was founded on principles of accuracy, integrity, and exceptional client service. We are also committed to continual improvement. Our dedication to doing what is best for you, our clients, prompted us to engage CEFEX, the Centre for Fiduciary Excellence, LLC to audit our processes.
HSA vs 401(k)
If your company has decided to offer a high deductible health plan, don’t worry, you are not alone. Recent studies show that an increasing number of employers have elected to offer high deductible health plans (HDHP) either to completely replace or be offered in conjunction with a more traditional Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)plan or Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan. When sponsoring an HDHP, employers typically offer their employees the ability to contribute to a Health Savings Account (HSA) to help offset the increased deductible associated with the HDHP. In 2015, 24 percent of all workers were enrolled in a HDHP with an HSA savings option. This is a dramatic rise since 2009 when just 8 percent were covered under such plans.
Who is an Employee?
Maintaining a retirement plan for your employees is no easy task. At various points during the year, employers and HR departments field participant questions, help with enrollments, deliver notices and statements, and participate in the distribution process. However, an additional responsibility, and one of the most important, is the collection of data that is used for compliance testing and government reporting. Though all these duties are important, one task drastically affects the outcome of your compliance testing; accurate reporting of all employee information to your third-party administrator. Sound onerous? Not really.
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 & Hardship Withdrawal Changes
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on February 9, 2018. This piece of legislation included changes to rules of hardship withdrawals that are set to go into effect for plan years beginning after December 31, 2018.
Navigating Distributions
The first quarter of the calendar year typically sees an uptick in the number of retirement plan distributions and participant loans. This year may be even busier than most, given the relief announced by the IRS for victims of the recent hurricanes and wildfires. Whatever the reason, participant distributions present a complex set of rules for Plan Sponsors to navigate.
iWork: The Next-Gen Workforce
Millennials. You may have noticed them around the office. You might think of them as the lazy, flighty, entitled generation born between the early 80’s and 00’s that say “totes” when they agree with you. Like any group of misplaced stereotypes, not all is as it appears when it comes to the younger contingent and, since they are taking over as the largest sector of the workforce, you may want to take a second look at them as adults, assets, and major contributors to your company’s retirement plan.
Leveraging Retirement Goals & Business Objectives in a 401(k) Plan
Financial advisors and retirement plan consultants work together with business owners and plan sponsors to develop qualified retirement plans that address the specific objectives of the owners and key executives. The retirement plan consultant may conduct an annual projected contribution analysis for an existing plan to determine if the defined contribution plan design (401k and/or profit sharing type) allows for contributions that would benefit the owners/partners on a tax deductible favorable basis.
Fiduciary – The New “F” Word
There has been a large amount of upheaval in the retirement world as of late and it centers around the “F” word. And by “f” word, I mean “fiduciary.” The New Fiduciary Rule means that many professionals in the finance world that weren’t previously considered fiduciaries will now have to take on that title. So, why is that such a bad thing? Well, it’s not per se, but the implications of how this may change the way the retirement financial business and its institutions function may have many cursing its name for a myriad of reasons. But before we get too bent out of shape, let’s break it down and see what we’re truly looking at.
