Surprise! A QDRO Can Apply to a Welfare Benefit Plan

Most plan administrators are familiar with a qualified domestic relations order or “QDRO,” which is used to split retirement plan benefits between a plan participant and an alternate payee, such as an ex-spouse or minor child.  Even an experienced plan administrator may not be aware that a QDRO can also apply to a welfare benefit …

The Social Security No Match Letter Conundrum for Employers: What to do in Sixty Days?

More than 570,000 No Match letters  (NML) have been sent by the Social Security Administration (SSA) starting in late March of 2019 with instructions for the Employer to review the name and social security number (SSN) provided on the W-2 form (Wage and Tax Statement) and to provide any necessary corrections to the SSA with …

Debunking SPD Myths, Part 5: Yes, There Are Reporting Requirements for “Top Hat” Plans

It is well known by employers that nonqualified deferred compensation (“NQDC”) plans that are established to provide unfunded deferred compensation benefits to a select group of management or highly compensated employees (referred to as “top hat plans,” as in the top hat, for example, worn by the “Monopoly Man”) are not subject to the typical …

IRS Expands Self-Correction Procedures for Retirement Plans

Certain qualified retirement plan errors are now easier to fix under the new expanded IRS self-correction procedures. On April 19, 2019, the IRS released the revised Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (“EPCRS”) under Revenue Procedure 2019-19. EPCRS allows employers of all sizes to identify and correct retirement plan errors under the Self-Correction Program (“SCP”), Voluntary …