The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration recently posted new guidance on Missing Participants including: Missing Participants – Best Practices for Pension Plans; Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2021-01, Temporary Enforcement Policy Regarding the Participation of Terminating Defined Contribution Plans in the PBGC Missing Participants Program; and Compliance Assistance Release No. Read More
The Consolidated Appropriations Act – 2021, was approved by the House and Senate late Dec. 21 but still must be signed by the President to become law. The legislation includes an extension of retirement-based disaster relief, CARES Act clarifications for money purchase pension plans, another round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, and provisions which
The Internal Revenue Service announced cost‑of‑living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2021 in Notice 2020-79. Key employee contribution limits remain unchanged The limit on contributions by employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan remains unchanged at $19,500. Read
In response to the unprecedented public health emergency caused by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and the related social distancing that has been implemented, this notice provides temporary relief from the physical presence requirement in Treasury Regulations § 1.401(a)-21(d)(6) for participant elections required to be witnessed by a plan representative or a notary public,
As expected, the Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a final rule for a new, additional safe harbor for employee benefit plan administrators to use electronic media, as a default, to furnish information to participants and beneficiaries of plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Read More
As expected, the effective dates of seven private company auditing standards, including SAS No. 136, Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Financial Statements of Employee Benefit Plans Subject to ERISA , were delayed for one year as the result of a vote by the AICPA Auditing Standards Board (ASB). Read More