Dave Baker

Lots of surveys are listed here: http://www.benefitslink.com/index/surveys/index.shtml

White flag flying -- I think you're right

Yow. That's too long. See this thread of messages (click on the address), where this issue was discussed before: http://www.benefitslink.com/boards/index.p...=ST&f=20&t=4663 Basically an employer never can wait longer than the 15th business day of the month after the month in which the contributions are taken from employees' paychecks.

Is this a 401(k) plan, and are you asking about the moneys deducted from your paychecks as your pre-tax contributions to the plan?

Does your monitor seem to give you headaches? Are you using Windows? I've seen a lot of folks who are working on monitors that "flicker," causing eyestrain and headaches, especially when the monitor is in a room that's illuminated by flourescent lights. Often a quick and easy solution is to change the "refresh rate," which is a setting in the "Display" program that's part of the "Control Panel" in Windows. On my Windows 98, you'd click Start -> Settings -> Control Panels -> Display (double click) -> Settings (a tab) -> click Advanced button -> look for an Adapter tab -> look for a Refresh Rate setting. Try setting the Refresh Rate to the highest value in that list -- 85 Hz or 75 Hz, for example. And try "Optimal" and "Adapter Default." Windows 98 lets you preview how the monitor will look under the new setting, so you can go back to the current setting easily if the new setting is no better or causes the monitor to act strangely. Sometimes the difference is truly amazing. While visiting my accountant's office I made the change for their receptionist, who now thinks I walk on water

[Reprinted below is a story posted anonymously on the Web.] Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5 year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?" Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her. You see, after all, understanding and attitude are everything.

[Reprinted below is a story posted anonymously on the Web.] In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

[Reprinted below is a story posted anonymously on the Web.] In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

[Reprinted below is a story posted anonymously on the Web.] One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others." Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

[Reprinted below is a story posted anonymously on the Web.] During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello'." "I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

Perfectly OK to add such a provision -- the following excerpt is from the preamble to the final and temporary regulations regarding the increase of the maximum involuntary cash-out amount from $3,500 to $5,000 issued in 1998 -- it describes regulations issued earlier, and seems to nail down your concern: Section 1.411(d)-4, paragraph (B)(2)(v) of Q&A-2 provides that a plan may be amended to provide for the involuntary distribution of an employee's benefit to the extent such distribution is permitted under sections 411(a)(11) and 417(e). In accordance with that provision, a plan may be amended for plan years beginning on or after August 6, 1997, to permit the involuntary distribution of an accrued benefit using a cash-out limit of $5,000, with respect to benefits accrued before the amendment was adopted and effective. Such an amendment is permitted even if the plan, prior to amendment, did not permit involuntary distributions (as well as if the plan permitted involuntary distributions if the present value of the participant's benefit did not exceed the prior cash-out limit of $3,500). Such an amendment will not violate the anti-cutback rules of section 411(d)(6). [Emphasis added.]

Quite a bit of information here: http://www.benefitslink.com/links/20000220...20-004399.shtml

You checked for it at the following site? http://www.soa.org/library/stats/seb.htm

More on this subject at http://www.benefitslink.com/boards/index.p...=ST&f=13&t=7612

It did go through: http://www.benefitslink.com/boards/index.p...=ST&f=13&t=6046 Section 506 of <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:H.R.1180.ENR:">P.L. 106-170</a>: SEC. 506. EMPLOYER-PROVIDED EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE. (a) IN GENERAL- Subsection (d) of section 127 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to termination) is amended by striking 'May 31, 2000' and inserting 'December 31, 2001'. (B) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to courses beginning after May 31, 2000.

Franklin v. First Union Corporation, in the Eastern District of Virginia, I believe -- not sure whether the opinion is online.

From : <blockquote>Medical care expenses include amounts paid for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, and for treatments affecting any part or function of the body. The expenses must be primarily to alleviate or prevent a physical or mental defect or illness. Expenses for solely cosmetic reasons generally are not expenses for medical care. Also, expenses that are merely beneficial to one's general health (for example, vacations) are not expenses for medical care. [Emphasis added.]</blockquote> I think that unless something qualifies as a "medical expense," it can't be reimbursed under a cafeteria plan's medical expense reimbursement account - see http://benefitslink.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=6621

Not me, but is the info at the following Web page helpful in making the calculations? http://www.benefitslink.com/cgi-bin/qa.cgi...ced_plan_design

See also: http://benefitslink.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=2478 http://benefitslink.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=6989 http://benefitslink.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=6942

See also http://benefitslink.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=4970 http://benefitslink.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=7240 http://benefitslink.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=4733 http://benefitslink.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=1785 http://benefitslink.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=3821 http://benefitslink.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=5031

To continue this discussion, please use this thread instead: http://www.benefitslink.com/boards/index.p...=ST&f=20&t=7366

If contributions from the church are involved (in addition to voluntary salary reduction-type contributions from paychecks), there should be a "plan document" that includes a definition of "compensation." Do you have one?

From IRS Publication 571: You must receive all, or at least a certain minimum, of your interest accruing after 1986 in the TSA plan by April 1 of the calendar year following the later of the calendar year in which you become age 70 1/2 or the calendar year in which you retire. Check with your employer, plan administrator, or provider to find out whether this rule also applies to pre-1987 accruals. If not, a minimum amount of these accruals must begin to be distributed no later than the end of the calendar year in which you reach age 75. For each year thereafter, the minimum distribution must be made by the last day of the year. If you do not receive the required minimum distribution, you are subject to a nondeductible 50% excise tax on the difference between the required minimum distribution and the amount actually distributed. For more information on minimum distribution requirements and the additional tax that applies if too little is distributed each year, see Publication 575. Some information (but not a great deal) about the calculation of minimum distributions is contained in Publication 575 ... see http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/prod/forms_pubs...pubs/p57507.htm Best bet is to have an accountant or attorney take responsibility for making the calculations for you, unless you enjoy really getting your hands dirty on this sort of thing. Also, the "big picture" is that you're supposed to follow the terms of your particular custodial account (which has been reviewed by the IRS or at least has been designed by Fidelity to fall under the rules set out in section 403(B) of the Internal Revenue Code, including the minimum distribution requirement). Those terms might be quite specific, or they could be fairly liberal and merely refer you to the statute and regulations for the various ways that the minimum distribution requirement can be met.

Proposed regs: http://www.benefitslink.com/taxregs/1.401a...-proposed.shtml

How much stock do you own in the incorporated business?