Employee Benefits / Employment Law / HR
Showing 1–16 of 653 results
-
COMPLIANCE ALERT
June / July 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 133
Abstract: This feature lists a few key tax reporting deadlines for June and July.
-
ERISA violation civil penalty maximums updated for inflation
June / July 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 377
Abstract: Civil penalties for running afoul of ERISA can be substantial, assuming the violations cannot be addressed by other means. This brief article discusses the latest inflation-adjusted maximum amounts for penalties assessed after January 15, 2021, whose associated violations occurred after November 2, 2015.
-
Is your plan’s matching contribution formula delivering results?
June / July 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 639
Abstract: Offering matching contributions under a 401(k) plan can serve two purposes: 1) provide a valuable benefit to employees and 2) encourage plan participants to play a meaningful role in preparing for their own retirements. The trick is to do both in a way that’s affordable both to the employer and employees. This article discusses how plan sponsors may perform that balancing act.
-
Sign your plan document, warns the IRS
June / July 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 575
Abstract: When the IRS audits a retirement plan, it expects the sponsor to produce a plan document and amendments that have been signed by the relevant fiduciaries. Except under extraordinary circumstances, an unsigned plan document won’t suffice. This article highlights a recent IRS “advice memorandum” issued by its general counsel’s office out of concern that sponsors might misinterpret a Tax Court ruling in which the IRS was told it could accept some unsigned documentation, reversing a decision by the IRS to disqualify a plan whose sponsor failed to produce a signed plan document during an audit.
-
ESG investment considerations – DOL releases pecuniary criteria for 401(k) plan fund selection
June / July 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 949
Abstract: Interest in “socially responsible” investment funds for retirement plans isn’t new. However, plan sponsors need to be mindful of the shifting regulatory landscape for funds that factor in the environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) practices of potential investments. This article reviews the U.S. Department of Labor’s recently issued final regulations regarding investment decisions by plan sponsors. A short sidebar looks at the growth of ESG funds.
-
COMPLIANCE ALERT
April / May 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 114
Abstract: This feature lists a few key tax reporting deadlines for April and May.
-
Consolidated Appropriations Act provides hardship relief
April / May 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 403
Abstract: It has been several months since Congress enacted the Consolidated Appropriations Act with its embedded retirement plan provisions. This brief article highlights some of its provisions and the approaching deadlines that affect plan sponsors’ ability to take advantage of the law’s relief measures.
-
IRS compliance checklist – Keep your plan running smoothly and legally
April / May 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 642
Abstract: Some IRS compliance requirements for plan sponsors may be more familiar than others. Because knowledge of even the most basic rules tends to vary, the IRS offers a 401(k) plan checklist of the top dozen compliance tasks. This article summarizes the IRS checklist with helpful advice on each point.
-
Do higher default deferral rates affect opt-out rates?
April / May 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 665
Abstract: Some plan sponsors worry about nudging plan participants into a more aggressive retirement savings posture. Research suggests they might not need to be concerned about massive dis-enrollment if they boost the default deferral rate for auto-enrolled participants. This article looks at a couple of studies breaking down the auto-enrollment and auto-escalation numbers.
-
IRS scrutinizing 401(k) plan loan administration
April / May 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 824
Abstract: Although its enforcement priorities are subject to change, the IRS gives plan sponsors a heads up about its intention to focus on areas it considers particularly prone to ERISA noncompliance. One such declared “strategic priority” for 2021 is the administration of plan loans. This article looks at what this may mean for plan sponsors, and a brief sidebar covers IRS self-correction programs.
-
COMPLIANCE ALERT
February / March 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 146
Abstract: This feature lists a few key tax reporting deadlines for February through April.
-
2020 vs. 2021 retirement plan limits
February / March 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 114
Abstract: This chart contains updated retirement plan limits for 2021.
-
Watch employee turnover rate to avoid partial termination
February / March 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 524
Abstract: If an employer lays off more than 20% of its plan participants over the course of a plan year — an unfortunate necessity for many employers during the COVID-19 pandemic — the IRS might deem that the company’s retirement plan has undergone a “partial termination.” If so, that would trigger the immediate vesting of all employer contributions made to the plan on behalf of the laid-off participants, even if they hadn’t satisfied regular vesting requirements. This article examines IRS guidance on the topic and reviews how the Consolidated Appropriations Act helps sponsors who had to lay off many plan participants during the COVID-19 crisis avoid the risk of having their retirement plan deemed to have experienced a partial termination.
-
Is your cybersecurity policy up to the task?
February / March 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 702
Abstract: Every qualified retirement plan should have a robust cybersecurity policy. The ever-growing magnitude of the threat from cyberattacks, and associated liability for plan fiduciaries, requires a systematic approach to managing this exposure. This article reviews legal considerations under ERISA and sets out some steps plan sponsors should consider in protecting their plans from cyberattacks.
-
Taking a fresh look – Active vs. passive plan investment options
February / March 2021
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1002
Abstract: Prudence dictates that qualified plan sponsors periodically re-examine important policies of their retirement plans. One area to consider is the balance of actively managed funds vs. passively managed (index-based) fund options for the plan’s participants. This article discusses the difference between the approaches, and what plan sponsors should consider when balancing their retirement plans’ fund options. A short sidebar covers legal considerations in the investment selection process.
-
COMPLIANCE ALERT
Year End 2020
Newsletter: Employee Benefits Update
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 196
Abstract: This feature lists a few key year-end tax reporting deadlines for December and early February.