Confirming marital status when a participant dies is an important part of a plan administrator’s responsibilities, but it takes legwork and personalized attention. Here are some tactics we have used with great success.
Here’s how to create a SECURE Act plan of action
Given the SECURE Act’s broad scope and nuanced provisions, how should plan sponsors prioritize their responsibilities under the new law? Here’s a systematic approach for developing a SECURE Act plan of action.
Preventive maintenance is key to retirement plan health
Periodic checkups can keep plans running smoothly and help plan sponsors identify issues early, before those become difficult and expensive to correct. Such audits come in two varieties—transactional audits and operational audits.
A background on retirement plan cyber crimes and how to mitigate them
The onus of safeguarding plan participants from fraud does not fall solely on the recordkeeper. Both DC plan sponsors and recordkeepers need to agree on fraud-resistant processes that are clearly documented, rigorously implemented and consistently followed. Here are a few tips.
Retirement readiness starts at work
Every year, 3.8 million people in the U.S. reach retirement age. How can plan sponsors help workers get ready? Offering a retirement readiness program that considers employees’ emotional, financial and healthcare needs can go a long way toward helping them prepare.
Keeping up with all the players in outsourced benefits administration
The benefits outsourcing market is evolving rapidly, making it hard for plan sponsors to know what to look for — and who to consider — when preparing RFPs for the outsourcing of defined benefit, defined contribution, health and welfare and nonqualified benefits. Here are some tips.
Where plan sponsors and recordkeepers stand on multi-factor authentication
We surveyed plan sponsors and 401(k) recordkeepers to determine how they are using multi-factor authentication (MFA) as a tactic for mitigating defined-contribution plan fraud and protecting sensitive participant and plan information. Here’s what we found.
How to walk the line with pension overpayments
SBA principals Mary Shah and Mindy Zatto discuss ways to recoup pension overpayments that satisfy regulators and do not place burden on retirees, as well as how to prevent overpayments from happening.
Finding the right voluntary benefits broker may be trickier than clients realize
When selecting a provider for voluntary benefits, small to midsize companies often turn to the same broker that serves their medical or retirement plan needs. But medical and retirement benefits brokers may lack the knowledge or impartiality required to deliver optimal service in the voluntary benefits space. An unbiased third party that neither sells insurance products nor receives commissions when its clients select insurance products can help with the broker search.
Is your nonqualified plan causing you anxiety? Here’s what to do
Nonqualified retirement plans are less common — and more frequently misunderstood — than their qualified plan counterparts. This article highlights common nonqualified plan challenges that HR managers and benefits coordinators may encounter.