Seyfarth Synopsis: On August 3, the IRS issued Notice 2022-33, extending the deadlines for amending retirement plans and individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”) for changes under the (i) Setting Every Community Up For Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (the “SECURE Act”); (ii) Bipartisan American Miners Act of 2019 (the “Miners Act”); and (iii) Section 2203 of
Coffee Talk With Benefits Episode 6: Cybersecurity Practices for Employee Benefit Plans
Cybersecurity has become an integral concern for employers and employee benefit plans alike. With an increase in DOL cybersecurity audits, plan fiduciaries are looking to strengthen their cybersecurity practices more than ever before. What specific risks are plans facing? Who is responsible for keeping plans safe, and what legal duties do they have? What steps
Coffee Talk With Benefits Episode 5: Cryptocurrency Investments in Retirement Plans
Retirement plan investment in cryptocurrencies has been a hot topic of discussion in recent months. The Department of Labor’s reaction to Super Bowl commercials with celebrities touting crypto-investments, followed by Fidelity’s announcement that it would make cryptocurrency available for plan investment in the near future, has sparked some hot debate. In this episode of Coffee
Coffee Talk With Benefits Episode 4: Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs): Do’s and Don’ts
Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs) are an essential mechanism for employers to use when informing employees and participants of benefits offered under their plans. What kind of information is required to be included in an SPD? Should you consider including information that’s not required? Who drafts them? How are SPDs distributed, and how often? Grab your
Coffee Talk With Benefits Episode 3: Employee Benefit Impact of Restrictions on Abortion, Contraceptive and Prenatal Services
Should the recently leaked SCOTUS draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade become law this summer, trigger laws across the Country will go into effect, illegalizing abortion in a significant number of states. Other states are exploring implementing new restrictions on abortion, contraceptive and prenatal services. Many clients have already asked us about what options they
Coffee Talk With Benefits Episode 2: Benefit Plan Beneficiary Designation Issues
Navigating the appropriate handling of a deceased participant’s plan benefit is an all too common concern for retirement administrators. What’s the big deal? Seems like it should be simple enough — just pay the beneficiary — but in practice it can be a major headache. How do plan administrators ultimately decide who the proper beneficiary
Introducing Coffee Talk With Benefits Podcast: Episode 1 – The Impact of Disability on Retirement Plan Participation
We are excited to announce the rollout of Coffee Talk With Benefits, a podcast brought to you by our Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Department. Each episode will provide brief and lively discussions of questions, issues, and concerns that our EB clients and colleagues encounter on a daily basis or wrestle with from time-to-time.
How to SECURE Your Safe Harbor Plan
Seyfarth Synopsis: The IRS issued Notice 2020-86, which provides guidance on the rules that apply to safe harbor plans that were changed by the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (the “SECURE Act”). The guidance covers the increase in automatic contributions permitted under a qualified automatic contribution arrangement (or “QACA”) safe
Want to Put More Away in Your 401(k)? Qualified Plan Limits Generally Remain Constant in 2021
Seyfarth Synopsis: Many of the limitations that apply to tax-qualified plans, including 401(k) and 403(b) plans, are subject to cost-of-living increases. The IRS just announced the 2021 limits. The annual employee salary deferral contribution limits are not changing, but there are a few adjustments for 2021 that employers maintaining tax-qualified retirement plans will need to
I’m Ready for My Close-Up, Mr. DeMille; the IRS Now Permits Remote Witnessing of Participant Elections
Seyfarth Synopsis: In response to immediate requests from participants for tax-favored coronavirus-related distributions (“CV Distributions”) and loans, as described in more detail in our prior post, and participants who want to begin pension benefits, the IRS has issued Notice 2020-42, which provides temporary relief from the physical presence requirement for any participant election that