ASPPA

Embrace of the Fiduciary Rule and the Spirit Behind it

By ASPPA 3/13/2017

Not all of the reaction to the Department of Labor’s (DOL) fiduciary rule has been negative, or even grudging, acceptance. Every class had at least one kid who not only did their homework but also turned it in before the deadline — and it turns out that proclivity is alive and well in the boardroom... READ MORE

Embrace of the Fiduciary Rule and the Spirit Behind it

By ASPPA 3/13/2017

ASPPA Eastern Regional Conference to Cover New Hardship Distribution Guidance

By ASPPA 3/10/2017

Although hardship distributions have been a popular feature in 401(k) plans for more than 30 years, they remain a continuing source of aggravation for plan administrators. One thorny problem is what documentation must be received and maintained to justify making a hardship distribution. This topic... READ MORE

ASPPA Women Business Leadership Forum: The Best and the Brightest

By ASPPA 3/6/2017

June 5-8, 2017, the ASPPA Women Business Leadership Forum (WBLF) will be held in Denver, CO at the Brown Palace Hotel. This conference is a gathering of some of the best, brightest and most innovative women business owners and managers in the compliance consulting and retirement plan service... READ MORE

ASPPA Women Business Leadership Forum: The Best and the Brightest

By ASPPA 3/6/2017

Juicne 5-8, 2017, the ASPPA Women Business Leadership Forum (WBLF) will be held in Denver, CO at the Brown Palace Hotel. This conference is a gathering of some of the best, brightest and most innovative women business owners and managers in the compliance consulting and retirement plan service... READ MORE

Acosta Nominated for Secretary of Labor

By ASPPA 2/16/2017

President Trump’s new nominee to serve as Secretary of Labor is Alexander Acosta. Trump announced the nomination at a Feb. 16 press conference. Acosta has served as the dean of the Florida International University Law School since 2009. He has also served as:* a member of the National Labor... READ MORE

Oregon Treasury Proposal Puts 401(k) Plans at Risk

By ASPPA 2/10/2017

The Oregon State Treasury has put forth a proposal in support of its state-run plan for private sector workers who don’t have a plan at work — that could affect private sector 401(k) plans. The proposal is intended to implement recent changes in state law that will require Oregon employers that don... READ MORE

3 Ways to Get an Automatic Enrollment Plan Out of its Rut

By ASPPA 2/8/2017

Inertia is a powerful force in nature, and in human behavior. Even the most proactive and engaged plan designs (and plan designers) can, over time, slide from being in a groove to being in a rut.Here are three ways to reinvigorate automatic plan designs.1. Auto-enroll all Eligible ParticipantsOver... READ MORE

What’s Coming Up: ASPPA Webcasts and Events

By ASPPA 1/31/2017

ASPPA is always providing information and insights that will be valuable to its members! Following is a summary of upcoming webcasts and events.Live WebcastsASPPA Webcast: Taking the Perspiration Out of CompensationWednesday, Feb. 15, 20172:00 - 3:40 p.m. ETSpeaker: Robert M. Kaplan, CFP, CPC, QPA... READ MORE

After Jan. 13 Edition, ASPPA Connect Back Jan. 18

By ASPPA 1/12/2017

ASPPA’s offices will be closed on Monday, Jan. 16 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Consequently, after the Jan. 13 edition, ASPPA Connect will next appear on Jan. 18.To mark the day, the “I Have a Dream” speech Dr. King delivered in Washington in 1963 is available here. READ MORE

What Does it Cost to Provide DC Benefits?

By ASPPA 1/10/2017

A report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) finds a number of factors influencing the cost of providing those benefits beyond wages.According to “Defined contribution retirement plans: Who has them and what do they cost?,” the BLS reports that in March 2016, the overall employer cost for... READ MORE

Level Fee Fiduciary — Past and Future

By ASPPA 1/4/2017

The label “Level Fee Fiduciary” has been used for many years with one meaning, but the Best Interest Contract (BIC) Exemption has used it for a different purpose and, depending on your reading, a different definition, writes Fred Reish.The Traditional DefinitionIn a recent blog post, Reish notes... READ MORE

Happy New Year!

By ASPPA 12/30/2016

ASPPA Connect will not appear on Monday, Jan. 2 as the ASPPA office will be closed that day. We’ll be back on Wednesday, Jan. 4. We wish you happy new year, and offer some little-known facts concerning New Year's Day.The ancient Greeks began representing the new year with a baby around 600 B.C.... READ MORE

What’s Coming Up: ASPPA Webcasts and Events

By ASPPA 12/28/2016

ASPPA is always providing information and insights that will be valuable to its members! Following is a summary of upcoming webcasts and events.Live WebcastsASPPA Webcast: Advanced Testing: 410(b) Coverage Testing of Combo Plans, ESOPs, and 403(b) Plans Wednesday, Jan. 11, 20172:00 - 3:40 p.m.... READ MORE

New Law ‘Cures’ Issues for Small Biz HRAs

By ASPPA 12/28/2016

A new law now allows small employers to provide a stand-alone employer-paid health reimbursement account (HRA) plan to employees without incurring a tax penalty.The new law allows a small employer (with fewer than 50 employees) to avoid a tax penalty when providing a standalone employer-paid HRA... READ MORE

What’s Coming Up: ASPPA Webcasts and Events

By ASPPA 12/8/2016

ASPPA is always providing information and insights that will be valuable to its members! Following is a summary of upcoming webcasts and events.Live WebcastsACOPA Webcast: Floor Offset Plans: Are They Worth the Effort?Tuesday, Dec. 13, 20162:00 p.m.-3:40 p.m. ETSpeaker: Tom Finnegan, FSPA, MSPA,... READ MORE

DOL Issues FAQs on Retirement Benefits in the Wake of Louisiana Floods

By ASPPA 9/16/2016

The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) on Sept. 12 issued frequently asked questions concerning aspects of administering employee benefits after the disruptions caused by the flooding in most of the southern half of Louisiana in August 2016. The matters the FAQs... READ MORE

White House Touts DOL State Retirement Plan Rule

By ASPPA 8/29/2016

The White House in a fact sheet it issued on Aug. 25 announced and expressed support for the Department of Labor’s (DOL) final rule on states creating retirement plans. But sentiment is not universally positive.The impetus for the final rule was President Obama’s July 13, 2015 call on the DOL for... READ MORE

PBGC Provides Info on Obtaining a Pension Benefit Estimate

By ASPPA 8/23/2016

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has issued information on how to obtain a pension benefit estimate from the agency. If one plans to start drawing a PBGC benefit within the next four months, one must ask for an estimate of the benefit amount before applying for the pension. The PBGC... READ MORE

A Fiduciary ‘Idiot Light’

By ASPPA 6/10/2016

Among the assorted “idiot lights” that adorn my current car dashboard is one that alerts me to low tire pressure.It’s come in handy on precisely two occasions — one when a nail had punctured my tire (though I had already discerned that I had a problem from the sound of the flat tire nanoseconds... READ MORE

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