Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Law Changes to the SECURE Act and the CARES Act
The SECURE Act was recently passed effective 1-1-2020 and, since then, there has been a lot of communication regarding the passage of the CARES Act due to Covid19. Both of these acts affect how RMD’s are to be processed in 2020, 2021 and onward. The following is a...
Impacts of the SECURE Act on Defined Benefit Plans
The market drop of December 2018 seems like ages ago, considering recent market volatility, Coronavirus, and the missing March Madness. However, the December 2018 drop did result in lower AFTAPs for many calendar-year plans. Unless your plan’s AFTAP has been certified...
2020 Plan Limits Released
The 2020 Cost-Of-Living Adjustments affecting employee benefit plans include the annual limits for Social Security Taxable Wage Base.
Cash Balance Plans – Pitfalls of Using an Investment Rate of Return as the Plan’s Interest Crediting Rate
There are a number of potential issues a plan sponsor may face if they use the investment rate of return as the plan’s interest crediting rate.
GASB Discount Rate Calculation – A Proposal For A Different Approach
You are tasked with determining an appropriate discount rate for determining the Net OPEB liability under the Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement (GASB) Nos. 74/75 for a closed, underfunded retiree healthcare plan whose plan sponsor plans to make minimal...
Cash Balance Plan Considerations
The number of new Cash Balance Plans continues to rise each year. Here are a few cash balance plan considerations as a popular retirement plan vehicle.
Review Your Retirement Plan
Retirement Plan errors can be costly & time-consuming. Periodically review your retirement plan to avoid issues and ensure it’s operating in compliance.
2019 IRS Operational Compliance List
The 2019 IRS Operational Compliance List has been posted! This guide helps plan sponsors understand the compliance changes effective in the upcoming year.
Initial Required Minimum Distributions (Defined Contribution Plans)
Are you meeting the initial required minimum distributions of your contribution plan? Learn more about what conditions need to be met with Watkins Ross!
Reducing Pension Plan Risk – Updated to Reflect IRS Notice 2019-18
Reducing pension plan risk has become a prudent consideration, especially for those plans that have frozen benefits. De-risk your pension plan today!
Defined Benefit Plans’ Actuarial Equivalence Under Attack: Reasonable Becomes Unreasonable (Opinion)
Recent class action lawsuits are targeting the reasonability of actuarial equivalence factors used in defined benefit plans.