We're looking to inform plan participants of the benefits of using Mutual Funds (diversified) vs. individual stocks to help avoid the Enron situation - at least as much as can be controlled.

Has anyone seen a communication piece that can be purchased from a publisher - newkirk / communi-k - that targets the benefits of Mutual Funds?

PS - I've check both of the mentioned publishers with no positive results.

Thanks.

We have a small group of employees who live out of state who are enrolled in a POS and will only receive the out-of-network benefits since the plan is not in their area. We would like to reimburse employees for the deductible since they do not have the opportunity to use in-network providers. Is there a way to reimburse them without the reimbursement being taxed?

What reports must the trustee receive for assets held in self directed brokerage accounts. How much detail about the investments must be provided? I'm assuming it is all even though the Sch H reporting requirements have changed.

We have a client whose employees are part of a PEO. The PEO maintains a 401(k) plan and the employees participate in that plan. The owners of the company have their own 401(k) and a cross-tested plan (which covers all employees). The question we have been asked is can the owners have the PEO employees participate in the owners' 401(k) plan instead of the PEO 401(k) plan without severing the PEO relationship. If yes, the PEO employees would have access to a larger number of funds then currently offered by the PEO's plan. What issues do we need to be concerned with?

I think an amended 5500 orginally sent to the IRS is to be filed with the IRS, not the DOL, but when I stop and think about it I am not that certain! Can some one confirm what my "short term" memory can't seem to grasp?

Thanks

ED:confused:

Question here guys.

Is there anyway to have a direct deposit of a pay check go in to a Roth. Like say 5% of your earnings get direectly deposited in the Roth.

If so how would i do this?

Brett

Also : How do you guys feel about Charles Schwab?

I have readily seen info on max contribution increases for Roth IRA,401-K plans,Education IRA, etc., but nothing on increase in income limitations for Roth IRA. I see that Edu IRA MAGI phase-outs will increase from 150-160K for Married Filing Jointly to 190-220K. Do Roth IRA income limits increase as well in 2002?

Assume multiple primary bene's (A & b) where an IRA owner dies before RBD.

1. Under the old regs could the bene's make separate MRD elections?

Example, "Bene A" chooses 5 year rule while "Bene B" chooses life expectancy method.

My understanding is that as long as separate accounting is used they could make separate elections. Agree?

2. Is this different under the new regs?

A DRO is received for a participant in a 457(B) deferred compensation plan. The order stipulates that the alternate payee receive 50% of the participant's account balance as of 3/30/99. The plan was converted from another recordkeeper on 7/1/00. The prior recordkeeper will not provide the current recordkeeper with the account balance as of 3/30/99. In addition to that, the account balance at the time of conversion was $250,000. Today it is valued at $85,000. The participant has not taken any distributions. Also, the action for divorce commenced on 3/30/99 and was settled on 10/24/01.

How do we determine the amount due the alternate payee? Do we split the account based on the current account balance? Is there any regulatory guidance on how to split accounts when there has been a decline in the market value?

Does anyone know of a website where one can view the various actuarial tables used in cross-testing, such as UP84 8%?

I have a client who has had a fully insured welfare plan since the early 1980s and it has always had over 100 participants. It turns out that no 5500s were ever filed.

They are very conservative and they'd like to file the delinquent 5500s under the DFVC, but how many years must they file under DFVC. The initial DFVC guidance in 1995 indicated that DFVC was for filings after 1/1/88. Does that mean we need to go back to 1988 and no further, or something less?

If a participant receives a lump sum distribution that includes employer securities and rolls the distribution over to an IRA, I assume they loss the ability to withdraw the securities from the IRA at a later time and postpone any tax on the net unrealized appreciation. Is my understanding correct? If not, can anyone give me a citation for some authoratative guidance.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

I'm looking for some guidance on whether there are any restrictions on buying stocks on margin,

- within a profit-sharing plan?

- within a 401(k) plan?

- within an IRA?

Specific reasoning and/or cites would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hello all,

I am seeking guidance on setting up a profit sharing plan. The Corporation was formed at the end of 2001 and I am the CEO / sole employee. I do have people working for me but 2 are part time (20 hours a week) and one works right around 1500 hours a year (estimated future work time as in the past the hours averaged 20-30 a week). These persons are employed by a leasing company that I contract with.

How can I set things up to exclude the leased employee(s)? I am happy to be creative and just wish to provide for my retirement.

I do have an extremely aggressive plan through the leasing company where I match 25-50% of leased employee contributions. So its not like I'm real cheap.

Can I make it so that I have immediate 100% vesting and have 2 year eligibility for others but am grandfathered in?

I have a brain freeze from all this stuff. Any guidance and or commentary is greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance

Regards

employer has a profit sharing plan. Would like to add a 401k. Is it possible to eliminate the p/s portion by rolling over the balances into the 401k and have this feature only? comments anyone?

Has anyone found a survey that brokedown the most propular employer contribution formula/rates by plan size? I thought I have seen this before, but can not seem to find it. I have a client asking what a typical match formula and profit sharing contribution would be for a plan their size. Any help is appreciated.

JimJ

Would a significant reduction in hours constitute a legitimate change in status?

What is significant?

Would a shift change constitute a legitimate change in status(even if hours are the same)?

If so, what are legitimate shift changes?

Woudl soemone changing from 9-5 to say 7-3 be a legitimate change in status so the ee could reduce dependent care deduction?

I know that if a child goes to school in the fall thereby decreasing the hours needed for daycare that the DOL has kindly accpted this as a legitimate change so ee can reduce their daycare deduction. Please correct me if I am wrong here

Much thanks!

Does anyone have experience with calculating withdrawal liability from a union national pension fund?

Or if there are any resources that could help me?

I am a recruiter trying to develop a wider HR background and get into an HR position which will allow for growth. (I have done well in recruiting, but really enjoy the other aspects of HR and would like to educate myself in order to further my career)

Does anyone have good suggestions on overview books that can give me the basics of the various benefits plans, issues, etc. I plan to go back to school at some point, but right now I need to work on this on my own.

Thanks for your advice! If anyone hears of a recruiting job where I could get my feet wet in these other areas, I would greatly appreciate it (Triad area, NC)

"Earnings" on excess deferrals are required to be taxed in the year of distribution. When the principal amount is taxable in the prior year, and the earnings are negative (losses), how can you report negative earnings on a separate 1099-R? It seems the only solution is to report the net distribution (principal + losses) together on one 1099-R taxable in the prior year.