"I have never run into this situation where the business has a June FYE and the plan has a calendar PYE. Is this common? Allowed? A nightmare to administer? Thoughts? recommendations?"

"I have a client that has not yet adopted the self-certification for Hardship Distributions. I have a situation where it doesn't distinctly fall under a Hardship per the IRS Safe Harbors, but it's obvious there is a financial need. The participant needs to move to a new rental with their parents, who are terminally ill. So it's not the purchase of a primary residence and it's not for the medical bills, but they are moving/renting in order to get treatment and care for them. Is this a situation where we can still approve the Hardship?"

"As per 1.436-1(d)(4) a plan that was frozen plan prior to 9/1/2005 is not subject to the AFTAP Restrictions including that it can pay lump sums. If the AFTAP calculations are above 100%, however, there were no actual AFTAP certifications done. Is there any basis for the SB to show the AFTAP as being above 100% and it will be based on the signing of the SB (since there are no AFTAP restrictions) or must the SB show the AFTAP as 60% ? As why file with 60% and possibly draw attention of the electronic system, if there are really no AFTAP restrictions for this plan anyway?"

"I have a prospective client who asked me to review their plan. The QACA match formula is 200% up to 5% of pay. Current TPA (bundled provider) is not capping. Everyone is getting 200% of deferrals. One person is receiving a 10% match. How would you fix this since the match exceeds 6%? And they aren't complying with the plan doc?"

"Actuaries, for situations in which you must integrate or at least align your work with others' work -- or doing your work depends on information from another professional's work -- what can other professionals do to help, or at least not interfere with, your work? My law school courses for LLM and MST students include lessons on how professionals of all stripes should be respectful of another's profession, and should do one's own work in ways that support another professional's work. I hope to fill out an explanation of how lawyers, accountants, and other professionals can work in ways that help an actuary do her work. This can be about an actuary's work for health, disability, and other welfare benefit plans; pension and other retirement plans; or pricing any kind of insurance. What could someone else do to make your work as an actuary a little easier? And for a BenefitsLink neighbor who is not an actuary, what work steps improve your working relationship with an actuary?"

"We have a two member LLC husband, wife. She does not share in the profits. We keep getting different answers on what they can as members contribute to the company 401K. Best I can come up with is the wife would be limited to her guaranteed payments and her elective deferral and the husband would have his elective deferrals and limited by his compensation which should be the profit. So for him it would be up to $76,500. Any assistance with this would be appreciated."