• If a plan audit is required in connection with the Form 5500, make arrangements with an independent accountant/auditor for the audit to be completed before the Form 5500 due date (calendar-year plans).
• Audit first quarter payroll and plan deposit dates to ensure compliance with the Department of Labor’s rules regarding timely deposit of participant contributions and loan
• Verify that employees who became eligible for the plan between January 1 and March 31 received and returned an enrollment Follow up for forms that were not returned.

Saving for retirement can challenge the best of us. For one group of employees, the challenge seems particularly daunting. Your mid-career colleagues, those between 36 and 56 years of age, may sometimes feel the odds are stacked against them. They are squeezed by their own debt, financial obligations to children who are not yet grown, and often, financial demands of aging parents. How, they may wonder, will they ever be able to retire?

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Wow, he made it. Over the past 14 years I have talked about him, written many articles about him and wondered whether he would actually make it to his 100th birthday.

He is an inspiration to me; I have often reflected on his life, especially in times of my own self-doubt, not always because of his advice but because his life is a feel-good story. Everyone loves a rags-to-riches story – self-made wealth which came from hard work, perseverance, trial and error, and an element of risk-taking.

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Find areas in your budget that you may be able to live without.

Here are 10 quick and easy ideas for generating an extra $250 a month that can be used to pay down debt or redirect to your retirement savings:

Must have…..or nice to have?

Investment literacy is an important way to stay on top of your retirement plan. Bone up on 12 key investment principles that you need to stay informed by viewing a quick slide show from AARP.  https://tinyurl.com/y6a34d49

Healthcare takes a bigger share of Social Security benefits as you age. Many people expect that they will be able to live on less income in retirement. Some expenses clearly will fall for some (such as mortgage payments and commuting costs), but others may rise, and potentially increase over time (such as healthcare).

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Retirement planning is not all about investment growth and asset allocation. Cash is an often overlooked, yet essential way to stabilize your income, improve your ability to handle unanticipated expenses, and to become financially flexible.

Here’s a short, practical guide for setting up a robust cash management strategy using three types of cash “buckets”: (more…)