• Conduct a review of second 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 April 1 and June 30 received and returned an enrollment Follow up for forms that were not returned.
• Ensure that the plan’s Form 5500 is submitted by July 31, unless an extension of time to file applies (calendar-year plans).

When most of us think about retirement, the most challenging question we face is, ‘How long do you plan for retirement’? The most typical answer is 20 to 25 years. If standard retirement age is 65 years old, then planning for 20 to 25 years would fall within mortality data on island for most men and women.

However, what happens if you are the exception? What happens if you have good family genes and live a long time?

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Employees sometimes get so stressed trying to understand the funds that they give up and “just pick one.” Here are suggestions on how you can simplify the offerings and help your employees understand those that are available.

The first suggestion is to work with your plan’s advisor to develop an IPS, or Investment Policy Statement. It will (more…)

The way that people are financing their first home purchase is changing. More than 26% of mortgage borrowers who used FHA-insured loans received help from a relative to make the down payment, according to 2018 FHA data reported by the Wall Street Journal. That number is up from 22% in 2011.

Rising home prices and interest rates made it difficult for buyers to save enough for down payments — not to mention generally higher debt loads from college loans.7 Further adding to borrower stress is the fact that the gap between owning and renting continues to widen, according to Freddie Mac.8

Tax diversity among the benefits

As employers continue looking for ways to help employees retire securely, the Roth account has become a regular plan feature. In the five years starting in 2014, in fact, inclusion of a Roth account feature had increased 18.1%, so that by 2018, 72.7% of 401(k) and 403(b) plans included one. In the largest plans, those with more than $200 million in assets, nearly 8 in 10 plans now include a Roth feature.4

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If you’ve ever read the fine print on your annual Social Security statement, you’ll see it written in black and white: “Social Security benefits are not intended to be your only source of income when you retire.” But here’s the real clincher: “The law governing benefit amounts may change because, by 2034, the payroll taxes collected will only be enough to pay about 79% of scheduled benefits.”

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• Begin planning an internal audit of participant loans granted during the first six months of the Check for delinquent payments and verify that repayment terms and amounts borrowed do not violate legal limits.
• Confirm that Form 5500, and plan audit if required, will be completed prior to the filing deadline or that an extension of time to file will be necessary (calendar-year plans).
• Review plan operations to determine if any qualification failures or operational violations occurred during the first half of the calendar year. If a failure or violation is found, consider using an Internal Revenue Service or Department of Labor self-correction program to resolve itConsult your plan’s financial, legal or tax advisor regarding these and other items that may apply to your plan.

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