The SECURE Act - Top 10 Key Provisions to Provide Retirement Savings Benefits for Employees and Employers Open Multiple Employer Plans / Pooled Employer Plans – The SECURE Act allows unrelated small employers to band together in “open” 401(k) multiple-employer plans (MEPs; also referred to as pooled employer plans (PEPs)). This reduces the costs and [...]
New Contribution Limits for 401(k) Plans, Traditional and Roth IRA, and Pension Plans The IRS has announced cost of living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2020. For company retirement plans, the most recognized highlight is the 401(k) contribution limit increase to $19,500 for the new year. [...]
With longer life spans come extended healthcare needs — and significantly more dollars required to pay for them It’s more likely today that you’ll live longer than your grandparents did. The flip side is that you may spend far more on doctors’ bills and treatment for chronic illnesses than previous generations. With healthcare costs continuing [...]
Behavioral finance strategies improve the odds Generally speaking, we don’t encourage being shifty. But applying a few innovative moves in your 401(k) plan could result in increased retirement savings for your employees. That’s because, when it comes to money, subconscious perceptions can torpedo a plan participant’s success. Applying behavioral finance principles may help employees overcome [...]
Q: We keep hearing about participant lawsuits against 401(k) plans, and strive to do our best to avoid situations that could lead to one. Part of that is using prudent processes in the plan. We have asked our advisor and done some searching on our own, but haven’t been able to define what processes are [...]
There are lots of advantages to an HSA. But you should keep these three potential pitfalls in mind before you decide to open an account: Contributing when you are no longer eligible – In 2020, you can participate in an HSA if you have a high-deductible health insurance policy with an annual deductible of $1,400 [...]
Q: Our 401(k) plan is relatively small. Do we need to be concerned about fiduciary issues and lawsuits? It seems like there are bigger fish to fry! A: If your plan does not hold much money in assets, you are correct that ERISA enforcement agencies have bigger fish to fry. However, that does not mean [...]
401k Results improve with thoughtful use of auto features The assumption when plan sponsors began to include auto features in their 401(k) plans was that participation rates and deferral amounts would increase — but no one knew for sure. As time has passed, it appears the assumption was good: auto-enrollment and auto-increases have had very [...]
Q: We know that emotion plays a role in money, and therefore retirement. What are some ways we can help employees offset less-than-rational emotion and thus make better decisions about their retirements? A: Behavioral economics have been the subject of much discussion in recent years, as you know. Money is a deeply personal subject for [...]
Q: In reviewing employment data at our company, we were surprised to find the average time our employees stay with us to be about 6 years. Considering that many employees who leave us take a lump sum distribution from their 401(k) accounts, it made us wonder what we can do help more transient employees prepare [...]
