A “gotcha” can happen to small plans – those exempt from filing a Form 5500 for a certain year. To qualify, a plan must be both (a) entitled to use… read more →
Trends are a fact of life any more, and the pace of change continues to accelerate. Whether fashion, music, or technology, being a trend setter seems to bring rewards. On… read more →
For some pension plans, the cost of compliance just got more expensive. Background In 1974, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation was created as a quasi-public organization as part of ERISA.… read more →
The IRS means business on plan compliance. Each year we take over the administration of a handful of retirement plans with significant compliance issues. Here is a sampling from just… read more →
The Principal Financial Well-Being Index for the third quarter of 2013 contains some interesting information about small to medium businesses. It was conducted nationwide during the first three weeks of… read more →
High taxation was identified this year in the 2013 Lloyd’s Risk Index as the top risk by North American business executives. Greater than cyber-risk. Greater than the lack of customers… read more →
A common misconception is that defined benefit plans have become obsolete. Consider a statement from my fellow actuary, Mike Clark (Contingencies, Sep/Oct 2012, p. 42): “It’s been said that the… read more →
We still hear concern from employers and advisors concerning fully insured (412(e)) retirement plans. For a while, there was speculation that the IRS would take an active role in such… read more →
A common question among employers considering a 412(e) plan involves interest rates. Considering the stock market resurgence over the last few years, the low rate of return on fixed annuity… read more →