Retirement Plans
Design & Implement
Our goal is to help you design a retirement plan that matches the unique needs of your organization. Many factors will play a role in the design and implementation of your plan. Over time, your plan is reviewed and compared to other plans to help ensure that your offerings remain up-to-date and aligned with your organization's needs.
Educate & Engage
Our goal is to pair your retirement plan with a wellness program that fosters positive employee engagement and satisfaction.
Thinking about and planning for retirement can have a major impact on employee well-being and can also be a major source of stress. We strive to align our communications with your organization's unique culture and demographics, as well as to deliver content that is both insightful and relevant.
When your employees feel appreciated and more in control of their financial future, they are more likely to remain productive and engaged at work.
Learn more about the importance of comprehensive retirement services.
Our Team
We serve as your quarterback and advocate. We work directly with you to help select the third party administrator and the record keeper that best aligns with the needs and culture of your organization. We will then coordinate all aspects of plan design and implementation with you, the TPA and the record keeper to help ensure your plan runs seamlessly. We will conduct annual reviews and benchmark the plan to ensure your plan remains up-to-date in both pricing and performance. Finally, we will work closely with your employees to help ensure that they understand, appreciate and utilize the retirement plan you offer - to the fullest.
The Record Keeper
As it's name suggests, the record keeper is essentially the bookkeeper and investment provider for the plan. Their main purpose is to keep track of the money. Record keepers are responsible for maintaining the accounting of plan contributions and what they have earned.
In addition to tracking individuals’ assets, record-keepers often provide other services, which include:
- Maintaining a web portal to check 401(k) balances and make transfers
- Printing and mailing account statements to employees
- Requesting trades and other transactions within participant accounts
- Producing enrollment and education materials
- Review operations to ensure compliance with various laws
- Update processes as regulations change
The TPA
A TPA is responsible for running many daily aspects of your retirement plan. The TPA you use is very important because they help you make sure that the plan stays qualified under the IRS code, and helps preserve the tax deferral status of the contributions set aside for the retirement of the plan participants. One reason many people don’t understand the role of a TPA is that many 401k providers have bundled TPA services in with their record keeper. Here are some examples of what the TPA does for your plan:
- Amendments and the restating of plan documents
- Assisting with the processing of distributions from the plan
- Preparing loan paperwork for plan participants
- Testing the retirement plan each year to check compliance with all IRS non-discrimination requirements as well as plan and participant contribution limits
- The allocation of employer contributions and forfeitures
- Calculating participant vested percentages
- Preparing annual reports as required by IRS, DOL, and other government entities.
What is the Plan Sponsor's fiduciary responsibility?
If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most complex and misunderstood parts of administering a retirement plan. And not every plan sponsor has the time and resources to stay on top of it all. Among your responsibilities as plan fiduciary is investment selection. In simplest terms, if you select investments for a plan or hire someone to do it for you, you have fiduciary responsibilities.
Two of the more common options are the 3(21) and 3(38) fiduciary roles. We can provide you access to these fiduciary functions through the trusted record keepers that we represent.
- 3(21) Fiduciary - non-discretionary fiduciary support; meaning, a 3rd party fiduciary will help you select the investment options and you approve them
- 3(38) Fiduciary - discretionary fiduciary support; meaning, funds are selected at the discretion of a 3rd party fiduciary.
Learn more about our 3(21) and 3(28) Fiduciary Services.
2021 Important Qualified Plan and IRA Numbers
**3(21) and 3(38 fiduciary services are offered through 3rd parties and included in your plan design at an additional cost. Your specific proposal will contain details**