Starting this year, all retirement plans are required to be ammended within 12 months of their plan year-end. What is required to fulfill this obligation? Is the current vendor responsible for initiating the process?

Does the sponsor of a self-insured group health program (the sponsor carries stop-loss) have to provide notice to plan participants (or others, such as state departments of insurance) prior to, or in conjunction with, the complete termination of the program? Thanks in advance

I have a top-heavy plan. Participant is now working one day a week only. Can she paid out now?

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Can a qualified retirement plan accept 414(h)(2) Pick-Up contributions and interest as in incoming rollover contribution?

We had a question arise as to what needed to be done with a profit sharing plan that has not been funded in three years. What are the penalties, if any, and what are the employers options.

Mainly what I'm looking for is some terminology and where it might be found.

I'm not sure exactly all the particulars of the situation, like I mentioned above I'm just looking for some general terminology.

[This message has been edited by Theresa (edited 01-05-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Theresa (edited 01-06-2000).]

Is IRC 105 discrimination testing required for all self-funded group health plans?

An employee decides to retire at age 65. His wife goes on Cobra. Does she get 18 months due to termination of employment or 36 months due to employee's entitlement to Medicare?

State retirement plan allows for purchase of service through payroll deduction on a pre-tax basis. The election to participate is irrevocable when made. Retirement system says that these contributions together with contributions to a 403(B) cannot exceed $30,000 annually. If this is being done on a pre-tax basis I thought thatit would be a 414(h) contribution and that it does not impact the 403(B) contribution this way. Can someone give me some ideas on this. If it is true can you explain and if not any code cites, plrs, etc. on this.

Is anyone having any Y2K related problems. We are waiting to hear back from Corbel why reconciliation is reconciling as of 1900-01-03. Are we the only ones?

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If a cross tested discretionary plan with a 1 year service requirement also has a K provision with immediate eligibility, does a terminee with 499 hours who deferred need to be included in the Average Benefits Test (if needed as part of a(4)). Said another way, who must be included, anyone satisfying the eligibilty requirements for any aggregated plan?

Question 1

If you contribute $2,000 worth of appreciated stock to a Roth IRA, do you avoid the capital gain on that stock if you leave it in the Roth for the required period?

Question 2

Can you make unlimited contribtutions to a contributory Roth if you are willing to pay a one time 6% excise tax on the excess over the $2,000 annual limit?

We anticipate making some money from stock market this year but won't know how much until the end of the year. Just calculating the salaries, we won't exceed the $150K limit but if we do make as much as we did from stock market in 1999, we will have an AGI between $150K and $160K. Does that mean we shouldn't contribute until we need what our real AGI is until the end of the year? Or can I contribute the $2K now and withdraw the extra contribution if our AGI does exceed $150K by the end of the year? Will there be penalty doing so? Please advise. Thanks.

What criteria must a NQ Plan meet in order to be required to file this form? Is this form sort of the "5500 of NQ Plans"? Why must(??) some of my NQ plans file this form, but not all of my NQ plans?

Any info on this form (other than the Instructions for Form 1041 and all the Schedules, as published by the IRS...I've read it) would be appreciated. Thanks!

Can anyone provide information or protocal for instances when holidays do not fall on normally scheduled work days? Ex. our company provides Xmas Eve Day and Xmas Day as observed paid holidays. However, the interpretation cause some arguments. One VP saying that we should only provided Xmas Eve off and the other saying it should make no difference which days the holiday fall on we should provide employees with 2 days off in addition to the weekend (4 day weekend.) Please help. Also, is there any place to find out the Sat holiday/Friday off, Sunday holiday/Monday off rational or tradition? Thank you.

10 year averaging and roth rollovers

The theme of an upcoming speech I am giving is Dispelling Myths About DB Plans. One of the myths is that they cost more to administer than 401(k) plans but I don't have any hard facts. Can someone refer me to any good surveys. I want to try to get a handle on both fees paid to outside vendors and internal costs. I am also looking for average deferral and matching rates in 401(k) plans and average investment allocations.

I'm looking for feedback from other consultants or IRA custodians about how you are presenting PLRs 199951053 & 199915063 with clients.

Basically, these PLRs allow a non-spouse IRA bene who was properly named as of an IRA owner's RBD date to use a joint RMD calculation after the death of the IRA owner even if the IRA owner had elected a single life calculation.

Currently, we are still telling clients that 2 PLRs don't make a rule and that they should stick with the consequences of the IRA owner's elected method or seek tax advice or their own PLR if they'd like to use a jt calc. Is any other firm taking a different approach? At what point do you think a series of PLRs becomes a rule that can be generally relied upon?

I always thought that they were the same thing by different names but now I am wondering based on some messages that I have read.

Your thoughts will be appreciated.

I just got a call this morning from an individual from the IRS. He was obviously speaking only in his individual capacity and not as a representative of the IRS as a whole. (Insert all standard disclaimers here. ) However, he was able to tell me that the language in Announcement 2000-1 stating that no W-2 reporting is required for a plan which meets either the requirements of, or the exceptions to (e.g., the exception for bona fide severance plans), I.R.C. § 457(b) was not intended to create any negative inference concerning plans which fail the 457(b) tests and therefore are described in 457(f). Thus, it appears that TAM 199903032 remains the position of the IRS with respect to plans described in 457(f).

Anybody know the current status of HHS' work on the regulations for the "administrative simplification" provisions of the Act?