The information reported on a census requests is crucial for your TPA to provide accurate annual testing. But, what do they need?
Census Request Overview
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Latest News
Retirement plans, post-employment health plan benefits, and self-insured business financial and liability reporting requirements continually evolve and change over time. Retirement and health plan regulatory parties must consequently update terms, conditions, and reporting obligations regularly. Keep your business up-to-date and compliant by connecting with the latest retirement and health plan news on the Watkins Ross blog. From 401(k) rules and pension benefit specifics to deferrals, distributions, and incurred liability considerations, Watkins Ross breaks down the latest news and important retirement and health plan updates so you can ensure your business provides the best possible benefits for your employees at the least amount of regulatory reporting risk. Interested in obtaining an expert look into your business’s current benefits and exploring how they fit within an ever-changing regulatory climate? Contact the Watkins Ross actuaries and retirement and health plan teams to obtain an in-depth assessment of your plan positioning, reporting liabilities, and cost-saving opportunities.
An ESOP Safari Adventure
Having attended the Great Lakes Regional ESOP Conference in October, I arrived back to work the following Monday a bit smarter. It was either because most of the break-out sessions had the word ‘fiduciary’ in the program title or because I discovered that putting your...
PBGC Premiums Will Increase Again in 2016, and Then…
The PBGC has announced the 2016 premium rates for defined benefit pension plans. The flat rate premium is $64 per participant for single employer defined benefit pension plans and $27 for multi-employer plans. We knew that the variable rate premium (per $1,000 of...
Do You Have the ESOP Factor?
Succession planning, exit strategy, sustainable business, retain passion, create liquidity, leave a legacy … if these words caught your attention, you may have the ‘ESOP Factor.’ What is an ESOP? An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is a qualified...
Get Your KSOP on by October 1, 2015
The typical Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is designed to reward those who stay with the company, providing an annual allocation of contributions. The typical 401(k) plan is designed to encourage employees to make salary deferral contributions. ...
Old Mortality Rates Survive Another Year
The IRS published the 2016 required mortality rates for purposes of minimum funding in defined benefit plans via Notice 2015-53. The 2016 rates will NOT be based on the newly published Society of Actuaries (SOA) RP2014 rates along with the improvement scale...
Lump Sums to Retirees: A Controversial De-risking Tactic Removed From the Table
On July 9, 2015 the IRS issued a Notice of its intent to disallow lump sum offerings to retirees who are already receiving monthly benefits from the plan. Current law prohibits payments to retirees that would increase later in the annuity payment period (with...
Push for Representatives and Senators to co-sponsor H.R.2096 and S.1212
There is overwhelming evidence that ESOP Companies are more productive, more profitable and more sustainable by providing locally controlled Jobs. The Pro-Private ESOP Company Tax Bill introduced in House and Senate would expand the availability of ESOPs in S...
What is an Actuary?
The Highly Ranked Profession that Almost No One Understands You know the scene. It happens at every party or barbecue you’ve ever attended. You meet someone new and chat for a while. Eventually the conversation runs dry so you turn to those tried and true small talk...
Watkins Ross Launches Green Initiative
As many of you know, we moved to our new location (200 Ottawa NW Suite 600) in late October 2014. It was a very exciting challenge and certainly a learning experience, since you never know how much you have until you have to move it! Watkins Ross is...