A Defined Contribution plan is a retirement plan in which employees contribute a fixed amount or percentage of their compensation to an individual account under the plan. Contributions are invested on the employee’s behalf and they will ultimately receive the balance in their accounts upon retirement. Examples of defined contribution plans include 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, employee stock ownership plans, and profit-sharing plans. For-profit companies can offer a 401(k) plan to help their employees save for their future by giving them the opportunity to defer pre-tax or after-tax dollars via payroll deduction into their account and select from a diversified investment menu. 403(b) plans provide retirement benefits for employees of public school districts, hospital groups, or 501(c)(3) organizations in these non-profit business sectors. An employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) is an employee benefit plan that gives workers ownership interest in the company; this interest takes the form of shares of stock. Profit-sharing plans are a way for a company to share profits with its workers and align the financial well-being of workers with the company’s success. 457 plans cover retirement benefits for state and local government employees and some non-profit businesses. There are benefits to Employers for sponsoring retirement plans; research applicable defined contribution articles on the Watkins Ross blog. Our Watkins Ross retirement team has the experience and knowledge to help you design a plan to meet your business goals; connect with us here to learn more.
The SECURE Act was signed into law on December 20, 2019. Your plan will require an amendment prior to the end of your 2022 plan year. Below are provisions that you will be able to elect in the plan amendment: Qualified Birth or Adoption Distribution (“QBAD”): A...
If your plan requires employees to work 1,000 hours in a 12-month period to become eligible, you’ll soon need to start watching hours more closely. Having this 1,000-hour rule generally excludes those employees who work part-time, seasonal or temporary. ...
Why does my 401(k) retirement plan need an audit? The 401(k) plan audit is mandated by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and is intended to make sure a plan is being run correctly. The audit seeks to; (1) review 401(k)...
IRS has recently announced that employers with pre-approved defined contribution plans (401(k), profit sharing and money purchase) will need to have their plan documents rewritten within the next two years. The deadline to do so is July 31, 2022. IRS goes through this...
If adopted by the plan, this applies to all qualified employees still working as well as qualified furloughed employees and those on a temporary leave of absence. Loan payments due between March 27, 2020 and December 31, 2020 may be delayed for 1 year and extends the...
On June 29, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) issued Notice 2020-52 that provides temporarily relief to plan sponsors that amend their safe harbor Section 401(k) or 401(m) plans (“Safe Harbor Plans”) mid-year to reduce or suspend employer safe harbor...
If your plan elected any of the CARES Act provisions to allow for coronavirus-related distributions or the expanded loan provisions, there has been a change to who may be considered a “qualified individual”. Participants defined as a qualified individual include:...
The 2020 Cost-Of-Living Adjustments affecting employee benefit plans include the annual limits for Social Security Taxable Wage Base.
The 2019 IRS Operational Compliance List has been posted! This guide helps plan sponsors understand the compliance changes effective in the upcoming year.
Are you meeting the initial required minimum distributions of your contribution plan? Learn more about what conditions need to be met with Watkins Ross!