Geraldine Ferraro who died yesterday at age 75 was a political trailblazer. She was, of course, the first woman named to a major-party presidential ticket when Walter Mondale picked her to be his Democratic party running mate in 1984. But while the Mondale-Ferraro ticket lost 49 out of 50 states to the Republican ticket of President … Continue Reading
In November, 2008, we published a series of blog posts called, 403(b) Crunch Time Series. The purpose of which was to help 403(b) plan sponsors get ready for the January 1, 2009 deadline for new IRS 403(b) regulations. It was the first time in over 40 years that the IRS provided comprehensive guidance for 403(b) … Continue Reading
That’s Bob Walker on the cover of his new book, How Am I EVER Going to Retire? If you’re in the investment business and have had – or have – to pass the Series 6, 7, 63, 65, or 66, you may know who Bob is. He’s the owner of Pass The Test, Inc., the … Continue Reading
Last month, I participated in a seminar at the John Marshall Law School, “New Rules for Non-Traditional Retirement Plans”, as part of the Law School’s LLM Program in Employee Benefits. The seminar was led by attorney Bob Toth with whom I collaborated in our 403(b) Crunch Time Series. Bob is considered one of the leading experts on 403(b) plans, 457 plans, and … Continue Reading
Every year the Internal Revenue Service announces the cost-of-living adjustments applicable to qualified retirement plans for the following year. The limits will remain unchanged for the second consecutive year. Following are the key retirement plan limits for 2011 recently announced by the Internal Revenue Service: 401(k) and 403(b) Deferrals: $16,500 Catch-Up for Age 50 and … Continue Reading
On October 8 and 9, 2010, I participated in a seminar at the John Marshall Law School, "New Rules for Non-Traditional Retirement Plans", as part of the Law School’s LLM Program in Employee Benefits. The seminar was led by attorney Bob Toth with whom I collaborated in our 403(b) Crunch Time Series. Bob is considered one of the leading experts on … Continue Reading
Today I presented a “Lunch and Learn” about 403(b) and 457 retirement plan for the students at John Marshall Law School. It was a preview to the two day seminar on October 8 and 9, 2010 in which I will be participating. It’s called “New Rules for Non-Traditional Retirement Plans”, as part of the Law School’s LLM Program … Continue Reading
For a business owner choosing a retirement plan, it’s kinda like those compare and contrast essay questions on college exams. Except this time, it’s real life and a lot more complicated than the venn diagram pictured above. Fortunately, our friend Denise Appleby at her Appleby Retirement Dictionary has provided a handy and comprehensive chart comparing … Continue Reading
That’s a picture of the oldest message in a bottle. It spent 92 years 229 days at sea according to the Guinness Book of World Records. A bottom drift bottle, numbered 423B, was released at 60º 50’N 00º 38’W on 25 April 1914 and recovered by fisherman, Mark Anderson of Bixter, Shetland, UK, at 60º … Continue Reading
No disrespect intended to the attorneys for beginning this post with a cartoon from the creative mind of Terry Hart, a/k/a, Hartboy. Rather, it’s intended as an excellent visual metaphor for my takeaway from the recent article written by our friend (and attorney) Andy Williams on his Benefits Law Group of Chicago website. Andy writes … Continue Reading
Most annual retirement plan limits are indexed to inflation; and because of the decline in the Cost of Living Index in 2009, many of the limits remained unchanged for 2010. Following are the key retirement plan limits for 2010 as announced by the Internal Revenue Service. 401(k) and 403(b) Deferrals: $16,500. Catch-Up Limit (Age 50 … Continue Reading
On October 31 and November 1, I participated in a seminar at the John Marshall Law School, “New Rules for Non-Traditional Retirement Plans”, as part of the Law School’s LLM Program in Employee Benefits. The seminar was led by attorney Bob Toth with whom I collaborated in our 403(b) Crunch Time Series. Bob is considered one of the … Continue Reading
In a recent series of three Revenue Notices and four Notices the Treasury Department issued Retirement Savings & Initiatives to help Americans save for the future. The new Initiatives: Expand automatic enrollment in 401(k) and other retirement savings plans Create easier ways to save tax refunds Allow unused leave to be converted to 401(k) savings … Continue Reading
For today’s visual metaphor, I could have used artwork for Simple Minds’ 1984 hit, Don’t You (Forget About Me), from the soundtrack of Breakfast Club, the movie by the recently deceased John Hughes. Instead, I’m using a picture that caught my attention photographed by artist Jeannette Sheehy inspired by the song. In the context of … Continue Reading
Form 5500 isn’t just transforming disclosures as our friend and fellow blogger, Bob Toth, explained in his post 2009 Form 5500 Schedules A and C Will Create New Fiduciary Burdens For Plan Sponsors. The reporting road will be also be different, and there will be red flags along the way. Here’s why.… Continue Reading
That’s Bloc Party, a British indie rock block pictured above. And If it can be broken then it can be fixed is the opening line from Pioneers, one of the tracks on Silent Alarm, their 2005 debut album. The album was crafted by chief lyricist Kele Okereke to examine the feelings and hopes of young … Continue Reading
If you’ve been around retirement plans for any length time, you’ll know that the acronym QDRO (one of many in the benefit business) stands for Qualified Domestic Relations Order. It’s a court order that creates a right for an alternative payee to receive some or all of a participant’s benefits in a qualified retirement … Continue Reading
This is the fourth in our EGTRRA Restatement Series, the purpose of which is to help retirement plan sponsors handle the required amendment and restatement of their retirement plans. Last week, I discussed plan document choices. Today’s post is about the Summary Plan Description ("SPD") and its distribution requirements – electronically speaking. For many retirement … Continue Reading
It’s the age-old story: worker classification, or rather misclassification. I wrote about it this past February, Independent Contractor or Employee? Employee Classification Still A High Priority Enforcement Matter.That was about the IRS auditing employers to determine whether those "independent contractors" were actually employees with required tax withholdings and possible inclusion in benefit plans. I cover … Continue Reading
If you provide retirement plan services, here’s a "must read" blog post by our fellow blogger, Bob Toth, Of Counsel to Giller and Calhoun. Bob writes about The SEC’s and DOL’s Cross Agency Retirement Plan "Compliance Waltz". Bob’s post also includes a link to his article of the same name that appears in the May-June … Continue Reading
Every once in a while I’ll start to wander off into “Pensionspeak” when I’m talking to a client. And when I do, I’ll catch myself by remembering what one of our important business partners once told me when I started to get too technical. Or even technical at all depending on the audience. He told … Continue Reading
We welcome a new blog to the employee benefit blogging community. It’s the Business of Benefits, the focus of which is issues facing insurance companies, financial service providers, and plan sponsors. It’s being published by the law firm of Giller & Calhoun. The named partners are Evan Giller in New York City and Monica Dunn Calhoun, Denver. Bob Toth in Ft. Wayne, Indiana … Continue Reading
The new 403(b) compliance picture seems to be getting clearer. Much needed light was provided on the new regulations at the February 6, 2009 Tax-Exempt and Government Entities Joint Council Meeting in Baltimore attended by senior IRS officials and tax practitioners. Attorney Bob Toth, of counsel at Giller and Calhoun was at that meeting. Bob, … Continue Reading
With a new Administration and a new Congress about to take over, we’re going to start to see the think tanks and not-for-profit organizations issuing research and recommendations regarding public policy for retirement plans. One of those organizations is the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS), a not-for-profit organization whose stated mission is to “encourage the development of public … Continue Reading