Have You Implemented the SECURE Act?

Time is running out.  Half of 2020 is over, and there are important portions of the SECURE Act that affect 401(k) sponsors . . . now!  Much of the SECURE Act took effect January 1, but many employers – overwhelmed as they reinvent business operations in response to COVID-19 – have been unable to focus on the ways the SECURE Act changes 401(k) plan management.  The checklist below presents the most essential SECURE Act provisions that sponsors need to know . . . now.

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A Checklist to Avoid Form 5500 Errors

They’ll be arriving soon:  IRS Forms 5500 to employers for review and signature, if they sponsor a 401k plan with a December 31 year-end. While Third Party Administrators (TPAs) prepare the form and often submit it on behalf of employers, it is the sponsors who are plan fiduciaries and responsible for accurate and timely filing of the Form 5500.

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Back to Basics During COVID-19

Getting back to the basics during difficult times can lay the groundwork for future success.  This holds true for employers grappling with the workforce consequences of COVID-19.

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COVID-19 Checklist for Plan Sponsors

As COVID-19 upends business operations, it is changing 401(k) plan management.  Plan sponsors face new responsibilities and urgent situations.  Below is a checklist of tasks and issues for consideration, with recommendations of service providers whose assistance employers may seek.

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Service Providers and the Coronavirus

Serious times make clear the value of 401(k) providers that offer the highest level of service.  Amidst the coronavirus, market volatility created by investors reacting to the now-named pandemic reminds plan sponsors how important is their plan’s financial advisor.

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Are You Well Served?

Employers sponsoring 401(k) plans depend on their service providers to help them offer a better retirement plan and operate their plan compliantly under ERISA.  To assist, we describe below the basic responsibilities of key plan providers as well as additional services employers may seek to enhance their participants’ experience and ease their plan operations.

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Avoiding Noncompliance “Traps” Under the SECURE Act

The recently passed SECURE Act offers provisions that benefit employers sponsoring 401(k) plans and their employees, all with the goal of helping more Americans enjoy financial security in retirement.  However, sponsors must be ever vigilant to avoid the “trap” of noncompliance, as the SECURE Act creates significantly stiffer penalties for failure to meet certain filing and notification requirements.

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2020 A Time to Focus on SECURE Act Incentives

Aptly named the SECURE Act, a law passed by Congress in the waning days of 2019 seeks to help Americans enjoy greater financial security in retirement.  The Act contains a wide-ranging set of provisions.  While some await the development of implementing regulation, others are immediately available for employers’ consideration and offer benefits for both their organizations and employees.

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What Morningstar’s New Investment Study Means for Employers