I continue to read that church plans are exempt under ERISA. Is the church plan status changed when the employer makes contributions? I understand that churches have the option of ERISA/non-ERISA choices.

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How often do you see this combination: a non-ERISA deferral-only 403(b) (so no 5500s required), and a non-IRS "prototype" SEP for the employer contributions (so no 5500s required)? Just curious.

Participant has a minor child with a disability who qualifies for SSI payments. Participant has a small balance in a 401(k) that needs to be distributed so that resources are below the threshold for SSI eligibility. Participant is only 35, so finding a distributable event is difficult. Has anyone had this situation? The only potential distributable event we've found is a hardship when there is a qualifying medical expense, or perhaps amending the plan to facts-and-circumstances and determining this situation to be a hardship even though it would not fit a safe harbor.

Participant is telling me that she didn't receive an ink/sealed version of the QDRO. She emailed me a PDF file that clearly says "ELECTRONICALLY FILED" at the top of the page. What's a plan administrator to do? Usually a paper certified copy is sent by the clerk to a participant.