Top 5 Blog Posts
Rewind with us as we reminisce about 2017 and look back at our top-performing blog posts of all time! With 2018 approaching, we’re reviewing the information you found most useful in previous years and adding the finishing touch to our game plan for the retirement topics we’ll tackle in 2018.
Straw, Stick and Brick House TPAs
As a service provider and expert in retirement plan compliance and consultation, we’ve seen our fair share of poor plan designs and compliance work on plans we take over. While there are dozens of reasons a plan may go awry, we find that many times the fault does not lie with the plan sponsor directly, but with the service provider the plan sponsor engages to assist him with his administrative duties. In times of trouble, these mismanaged plans are blown away by avoidable fees and penalties due to lack of diligence and experience on the service provider’s part. Unfortunately, most small business owners don’t know enough about retirement plans to know what they don’t know and what they are not receiving.
The Perfect Concoction for a Successful 401(k) Plan
How do you make your 401(k) plan stand out to potential employees, boost retirement savings for participants, and how do you keep your 401(k) plan provisions competitive when compared to those of these large employers? The top plans in Brightscope’s 2016 list of the top 30 401(k) plans had a few retirement plan ingredients they focused on, which you can include in your own plan!
Is It Time to Sail Into a Safe Harbor 401(k) Plan?
The Safe Harbor 401(k) plan is an increasingly popular choice among plan sponsors. A Safe Harbor 401(k) plan is not a separate plan from the traditional 401(k), rather it is an optional provision that can be added to the 401(k) plan document. Electing to be a Safe Harbor 401(k) plan is simple, and a traditional 401(k) plan can easily be amended to allow for Safe Harbor contributions. Learn more about the Safe Harbor 401(k) plans in this article, and then you can decide if it is time for your company to make the switch.
What is a Forfeiture Account?
When an employee leaves a company and has an unvested portion of money in the company’s defined contribution retirement plan (such as a 401(k) plan), the employee forfeits those funds which he or she is not fully vested in, thereby creating a “Forfeiture”. The nonvested funds (“Forfeitures”) are collected in what’s known as a forfeiture account. Learn more about Forfeiture accounts in this article, and give us a call if you’d like additional information.
Understanding Highly Compensated Employees
Highly Compensated Employees (HCEs) must be identified every plan year in order to perform the required non-discrimination testing. Non-discrimination testing was put in place to ensure all employees benefit from the company retirement plan. This concept of ‘fairness’ is intended for the greater good of all of those in the plan, however, sometimes this testing can lead to unfair results for the HCEs; like lower contribution limits or mandatory withdrawals on portions of their account balances.
Wishing you a wonderful and successful 2018!
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Ready to find out more?
The TriStar team is ready to help you begin your journey on the road to retirement. We will help you navigate the route for a smooth ride to and through retirement.