Although RMDs from separate IRAs can be aggregated and taken from one Traditional IRA, individuals cannot satisfy RMDs from qualified retirement plans by taking a Traditional IRA distribution. In addition, individuals cannot satisfy Traditional IRA RMDs by taking distributions from their qualified retirement plans.
Read MorePlan administrators and plan participants must limit the elective deferrals that are contributed to their qualified retirement plans each calendar year to the Internal Revenue Code Section (IRC Sec.) 402(g) limit. The limit includes elective deferrals (including both pretax and designated Roth deferrals) that participants can defer into their qualified retirement plans (in aggregate) for each taxable year.
Read MoreCan an employer establish a SEP or SIMPLE IRA for a minor child employee?
Short answer, yes.
Read MoreA plan administrator must take all necessary steps, as determined by the facts and circumstances of the participant’s situation, to determine if the participant is truly missing or nonresponsive.
Read MoreThe new RMD regulations are not without at least one limitation for spouse beneficiaries, in the form of the “hypothetical RMD.” This could affect a spouse beneficiary who inherits an IRA or qualified retirement plan account before the deceased’s RMDs are required to begin—generally age 73—and who elects the new 10-year beneficiary payout rule in order to delay the onset of required distributions.
Read MoreAutomatic enrollment features are attractive to employers that wish to increase the plan participation rate and encourage employees to begin saving for their own retirement. Automatic enrollment is designed to improve retirement preparedness and improve overall financial wellness.
Read MoreIt is not turning age 65 that makes people ineligible to contribute to HSAs, but rather enrollment in Medicare that prevents HSA owners from making further contributions. And while most people do enroll in Medicare when they turn 65, it is not necessarily required.
Read MoreThe ADP test measures or determines whether elective deferrals that are made in the plan are disproportionate between two groups of employees: the highly compensated employees (HCEs) and the non-highly compensated employees (NHCEs). This status is determined by such things as compensation and company ownership.
Read MoreEmployers may now offer an increased SIMPLE IRA plan elective deferral limit, even though plan documents do not reflect the new provision. In fact, it may be required for some companies to allow these increased limits now, depending upon the size of the company.
Read MoreThe IRS requires that all qualified retirement plans be established and supported by a formal written document that complies with the Internal Revenue Code. Employers may choose to use a pre-approved document offered by a document sponsor, like Ascensus.
Read MoreThe deadline to remove excess contributions and avoid the penalty—removed with the net income attributable (NIA)—is the IRA owner’s tax return due date, plus extensions.
Read MoreIf elected in the plan document, a plan sponsor can cash out a terminated participant’s account if the balance in the account does not exceed the threshold identified in the plan document, following appropriate notification to the terminated participant.
Read MoreFinancial organizations must offer federal withholding on all IRA distributions that may be subject to income tax.
Read MorePlan sponsors may generally correct eligible inadvertent failures under the EPCR’s Self-Correction Program. Exceptions to this rule include failures in which the plan or plan sponsor is under examination by the IRS or for failures that have been identified by the plan or plan sponsor but have not been corrected within a reasonable period of time after identification.
Read MoreThe very nature of IRAs can make them more susceptible to becoming dormant. For example, because IRAs are meant to provide income during retirement, some individuals may keep their IRAs open for years with little to no activity. Other individuals may forget that they have an IRA or may not know that they have one (e.g., IRA beneficiaries or missing plan participants).
Read MoreEmployers with qualified retirement plans cannot disproportionately favor highly compensated employees (HCEs). This basic principle may lead to a misconception that no issues would result from implementing changes that negatively affect only HCEs.
Read MoreThe SECURE Act of 2022—also known as SECURE 2.0—made many changes to tax-advantaged savings arrangements. Not all SECURE 2.0 provisions took effect immediately. One new provision that takes effect in 2024 is the option for certain assets in 529 higher education savings plans to be rolled over to Roth IRAs.
Read MoreOver the past five years Congress has passed extensive legislation to encourage more people to save for their retirement. One obstacle many people face in this endeavor is not meeting eligibility requirements to participate in an employer-sponsored 401(k) plan. This hurdle is now easier to overcome for people who have worked on a part-time basis for their long-term employer.
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