Can anyone point to any surveys of retirement plans sponsored by private colleges and universities. Prevalance of DB plans. Contribution data for DC plans. Similar information.

Thanks for any suggestions.

DC Plan has J&S language and provides a few different forms of annuities as options. Right now we have to manually set up an excel template, unique for each client, to calculate the estimated annuity amounts for each option available. Obviously very time consuming. Is anyone aware of any software packages that will calculate this automatically (outside of Relius or some similar system)? What do other people do with this situation?

I am looking for inexpensive online courses for 401(k) training and/or certification. I was just given resonsiblity of administering and maintaining my companies 401(k) plan with limited knowledge of 401(k). My company will pay little or nothing for this so the cheaper but reputable the better.

Anyone who can help. Thank you.

Can an individual use an FSA to pay for their over the counter meds if they are participating in an FSA? Thanks!

I've tried to glean what I can from searches within this forum, but would appreciate a confirmation or rebuttal on the following. "401(k) and 403(b) plans apparently can co-exist in certain non-profit organizations but with only one employee deferral limit (14k for 2005). Other than the one deferral limit, is there any other aggregation between these two plans in any other area ? (e.g., does 415 limits only apply to the 401k plan since the 403(b) isn't a qualified plan) Presumably discrimination testing applies to each plan separately if at all for the 403(b). Thx.

Has anyone successfully imported a file from Hartford? I haven't been able to get it to work and think I'm not using the right file. If you have done it, what file from Hartford should I be using?

Here are the facts. A and B are employers and are members of a controlled group. Participant terminates with A to work for B. I know that this is not a "distributable event" and the participant is not able to take a distribution from the Plan. What the Participant would like to do, however, is move his money from Plan A to Plan B. Is there some way to do this?

Custodial 403(b)(7) plan, not TRUSTEED! The auditor is requesting a certification to allow a limited scope audit (similiar to trusteed qualified plans).

My understanding is that this is not only not applicable, but cannot be done.

Any suggestions or input (specifically regulations sitations)?

During its December open enrollment window, a plan requires employees to re-designate their beneficiaries and has clearly communicated (in mandatory employee meetings and written communications) that prior elections will not be carried forward.

The plan provides that the beneficiary must be designated in accordance with procedures set forth by the plan.

A significant number of employees did not update their beneficiaries.

Does anyone have any concern with paying benefits to the default beneficiary (spouse or estate) rather than a previously designated beneficiary?

Any past experiences would be helpful.

Can anyone confirm for me that I could prorate comp for a participant entering a Safe Harbor Plan on 07/01/04, for both the Nonelective safe harbor contribution and the profit sharing contribution.

My understanding is that I can prorate even though the plan is top heavy; however I need to be certain that between the Safe Harbor contribution and the Profit Sharing Contribution the participant receives a total of 3% in Employer

contributions based on the participants annual Compensation.

Thanks

I am sure this has been asked, but appreciate a comment. Have X-tested plan that is not top heavy. No SH requirement. Plan has last day and 1000 hrs. If a participant has < 1000 hrs and is employed, he still needs to get the min. gateway?

If yes, then what do you do about the document. We use Vol Sub. through Corbel

Thanks

I have a single employer that maintains a dollars times service defined benefit plan for their union employees per their collective bargaining agreement. The plan covers about 18 retirees, 25 vested deferreds and 12 active participants; it is only about 60% funded.

The union has now come to the company and asked for a 401(k) plan. They want to terminate the pension plan and start up a k plan.

The company does not have the money to fully fund the pension plan-about $500,000 would be needed, maybe more with the current low interest rates.

I know they always have the option to freeze the plan and continue to fund it until such time as it can be terminated in a standard termination, but would it also be possible to terminate now in a standard termination if the union agrees to accept reduced benefits? Would the retiree benefits have to be fully funded, and only the deferred vested and active benefits reduced?

I'm just not sure if there are more options for this type of plan since it is negotiated with the union.

We have an owner who would like to establish a profit sharing plan for his employees, but may not always want to contribute for the HCE's (Mainly himself and other family co-owners) Can he do this? Can he do this, but then later decide he does want to include the HCE's? Say..... years 1 and 2 are not so profitable and he only wants to contribute for the NHCE, but then year 3 is great and he wants to contribute for the HCE's too??

Thanks - Mike

I have a client who would like to establish a defined benefit plan to provide their maid (63 years old, retiring in five years) with an annual benefit between $15,000 and $20,000. I seem to remember seeing something that allows a householder to sponsor a plan for domestic help, but I haven't been able to find anything on point. Does anyone have any advice?

What year did they go from a four year look back to a one year look back for the top heavy test?

I have a x-tested plan, and the NHCE's need to receive 5% for the gateway, which in this circumstance, will pass all testing...however, there is also an Non-elective 3% Safe Harbor Contribution, can that 3% be used towards the 5% gateway??

Or do the NHCE's need to receive the 3% SH and an additional 5% Profit Sharing?

I believe that if you are passing your ADP test but failing the ACP by a slight

margin you can reclassify deferral contributions not needed by the ADP test as matching contributions in order to pass the test.

I also think that to do this you must pass the ADP test before and

after the move, and it is just a "paper" move.

My question is if the plan fails ADP but no refunds are required due to

reclassifying deferrals as catch-ups, does this mean that you can't use

deferrals to satisfy ACP?

Is there any IRS rule, or language in a plan document that states how to handle when a suspension period is about to end - meaning, if a participant was actively contributing prior to the dist., is it an automatic to start taking deductions again without notifying the participant?

I know that if participants want to stop participating, they must submit a form stating they want to cease contributing. For a hardship, no form was signed by the participant.

I know it's better to just notify the participant in advance, but does any law require this?

Thanks in advance!

Do we need to prepare the 1099R for the participant whose distribution includes his post tax contributions only and not any pre tax contributions?

I hope someone can help me. I opened a roth ira in 01. I am only 22. I contributed a total of $4000.00, this year I withdrew it early and recieved $3932.00. Am I going to get any penalties or taxes for this since I received less than I contributed?

Thanks for any help

Gemski