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October 7, 2003 - 13,400 subscribers
Today's sponsor: Thompson Publishing Group, Inc.

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Troubleshooting Problems in Qualified Domestic Relations Orders

Audio Conference, Wednesday, October 22, 2003 * 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. ET

Being able to anticipate problems – and knowing how to resolve them –
are the keys to efficient QDRO administration. To learn or understand
better how to spot and resolve problems in QDRO administration,
please join Thompson Publishing Group and veteran QDRO specialists
Joseph Adams and Judy Mester of Deloitte & Touche LLP for this
interactive audio conference.

(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
401(k) Matches Cut in Bad Times Are Slow to Be Restored
Excerpt: "Despite better times, [the Charles Schwab Corp.] has not restored its employees' match, and seems in no hurry to do so." (Workforce.com; one-time registration required)

What Companies Contribute to 401(k) Plans
Excerpt: "Charts of company contributions, broken down by company size and by industry." (Workforce.com; one-time registration required)

Advisers Urge Caution on Solo(k) Plans
Excerpt: "Self-employed workers long saddled with limited savings options are being wooed by banks touting new 'solo(k)' plans to compete with traditional 401(k) accounts. But financial advisers caution they are not for everyone." (Los Angeles Daily News via Cape Cod Times)

A 401(k) Just for You
Excerpt: "Self-employed? Here's how to park big savings in a personal retirement plan." (TIME magazine)

Retirement in the Year 2024
Excerpt: "[Mike Clowes, editorial director of Pensions & Investments and InvestmentNews,] ponders the fate of the pension and 401(k) system, offering a glimpse into what retirement will be like in the decades to come." (Workforce.com; one-time registration required)

Weighted Average Interest Rate Update (PDF)
1 page. Excerpt: "The following rates were determined for the plan years beginning in the month shown below.... October 2003 ... 5.29" (Internal Revenue Service)

Pension Financing in Europe (PDF)
6 pages. Excerpt: "Pension plan financial performance is now a board-level issue in 92% of major European companies, according to this survey." (Towers Perrin)

Another Case Analyzing 'Partial Termination'
Matz v. Household Int'l Tax Reduction Inv. Plan (N.D. Ill. 2003). Excerpt: "Stay tuned. It's a safe bet that this decision will not be the last word in the Matz saga. Clearly, this is an area crying out for further guidance from the IRS. And we hope that any such guidance would give due consideration to the impracticality and burden, for most plan administrators, of evaluating each voluntary resignation to determine whether there was a constructive discharge." (EBIA)

Ohio University Employee Ownership Advocate Wins $100,000 Grant
Excerpt: "[John] Logue has been helping employees learn how to buy companies since 1986, as director of the Ohio Employee Ownership Center at Kent State University. Now, he's getting national recognition and a bundle of cash to help his mission. The Ford Foundation today awarded Logue's program $100,000 as one of 17 national winners of the Leadership for a Changing World awards." ([Akron, OH] Beacon Journal via NewsAlert.com)

U. of California Pension Trustees Bow to Court, Disclose Venture Capital Investment Results
Excerpt: "The University of California has released limited financial performance data for more than two dozen private equity firms after losing a court battle to keep it confidential, shedding further light on a previously shrouded area of its fund management activities." (Reuters via Forbes.com)

Public Teachers Union Is Livid About Florida Public Retirement Fund's Investment in School Mgt. Firm
Excerpt: "Late last month, New York City-based money management firm Liberty Partners announced it was investing the money from Florida's $92 billion state pension fund in Edison Schools Inc., a controversial company specializing in private management of public schools.... Coleman Stipanovich, executive director of the Florida Board of Administration, dismisses the opposition as based on political and social agendas." (Orlando Business Journal via bizjournals.com; one-time registration required)

Roth IRA Assets Could Block Medicaid Money
Excerpt: "[B]eware, says Westbury elder lawyer Vincent J. Russo, for Roth IRAs that are attractive when you're young and working could become 'a Medicaid trap' in later years. Specifically, ownership of a Roth IRA could disqualify an applicant for long-term care under Medicaid." (Saul Friedman on Newsday.com)

Roth IRA: To Convert or Not?
Excerpt: "[I]f you qualify -- and can afford the taxes -- you probably should convert for all the reasons we mentioned in 'Which IRA Is Right for You?.' The worksheet below will walk you through the raw numbers. And the discussion will explain the other issues you need to consider." (SmartMoney University)

Overview: FASB Proposes to Expand Pension Plan Disclosure Duties
Excerpt: "Among the new disclosures proposed for annual corporate financial statements are: the percentage share of total plan assets held in major asset categories (e.g., the percentage held in stocks, in bonds, and in real estate, respectively); target allocation percentages for such plan assets; expected long-term rate of return on the assets; ..." (Thompson Publishing Group)

When Is An Accountant An Investment Fiduciary?
Excerpt: "At the risk of oversimplifying a complex subject, an investment fiduciary generally is defined as a person who has the responsibility for managing someone else's assets. If one accepts the premise that a large majority of accountants provide investment advice, then when might an accountant be considered an investment fiduciary?" (Donald B. Trone on 401kHelpCenter.com)

Written Retirement Plan Essential for Business Partners
Excerpt: "There is nothing quite like the business relationship between partners.... But do you ever discuss what will happen to your business when you or your partner decides to retire?" ([Louisville KY] Business First via bizjournals.com; one-time registration required)

How Can I Use Enrollment Meetings to Help Participants Understand the Benefits of their Plan?
Excerpt: "We recommend changing the focus of the enrollment meetings from plan communication to retirement planning education. Market these meetings to employees as their opportunity to 'enroll in a financially secure future.' Enrollment meetings should address four key areas: ..." (Financial Finesse via Workindex.com)


Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General

Overview: Golden Parachute Rules Applied To Payments Under Post-Change-in-Control Agreement
Excerpt: "The Tax Court has held that lump-sum payments to corporate executives under agreements entered into after a change in control of their employer were nondeductible golden parachute payments to the extent that total payments to each executive exceeded reasonable compensation for him. (Square D Company, (2003) 121 TC No. 11)" (RIA Tax News)

Sen. Nickles (R-Okla.) Announces Retirement
Excerpt: "Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla., who carved out a solidly conservative record across four terms in the Senate, announced Tuesday that he will retire rather than seek re-election next year." (Washington Post)


Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Post a Help Wanted Ad

Pension Administrator
for Pension Resources, Inc.
in PA

Pension Analyst (Retirement Plans)
for Mutual of Omaha
in NE

ERISA Attorney
for O'Neil, Cannon & Hollman, S.C.
in WI

Actuarial Assistant
for New York Life Investment Management LLC
in MA

Retirement Software Solutions Sales Rep
for Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc.
in IL

Defined Contribution Plan Administrator
for Iron Administration, LLC located in North Suburban Chicago, IL
in IL

Group Health Insurance Sales/Account Management
for Great-West Healthcare
in GA, NC, NJ, NY, OH, TX, WA
Newly Posted Webcasts
(Post Yours!)

Open Enrollment 2004: Compliance Issues for Cafeteria Plans and ERISA Health & Welfare Plans
on October 28, 2003
presented by Employee Benefits Institute of America, LLC (EBIA)
Newly Posted Conferences
(Post Yours!)

WorldatWork Certification Course B3, HealthCare and Insurance Plans, Design and Management
in KY
October 20, 2003
Greater Cincinnati Compensation and Benefits Association


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