Several colleagues and I found ourselves skeptical with the results of the 2010 403(b) Plan Survey from the PSCA.
Continue Reading “And the survey says”… Check your paradigm!
403(b)
The 403(b) Church Plan Labyrinth
By Robert Toth on
Posted in 403(b)
Roger Siske, dear friend, mentor and traveling companion had taught me much about the art of travel, about enjoying myself well while on the road for what seems at times like far too many hours. One of the places to which we had traveled several times together was San Francisco, home of the two labyrinths…
Advisors Guide to Helping 403(b) Clients Manage Their ERISA Challenges
By Robert Toth on
Posted in 403(b)
Sheri Fitts, marketing Guru of The Standard, and I put on a webcast which detailed the steps an advisor can take in assisting their clients in winding their way through the maze of ERISA issues that 403(b) plans need to deal with. This webcast includes some thoughts on moving a plan from non-ERISA status…
The Rubber Finally Hits the Road: The AICPA 403(b) FAQ Confirms Our Fears
By Robert Toth on
Posted in 403(b)
The independent auditor is really at the heart of the growing storm in the 403(b) world. For all the problems and challenges caused by the tax regulations, they really pale when compared to what has to happen on the ERISA Title 1 side of things as employers and the market attempt to transform to an…
Gems, Quirks, and Quirky Gems in the DOL’s Third 403(b) FAB
By Robert Toth on
Posted in 403(b)
The DOL issued its highly anticipated 403(b) Frequently Asked Questions as part of a Field Assistance Bulletin, FAB 2010-01. The seriousness in which the DOL is taking these 403(b) issues is reflected in the fact that it was issued as a FAB, and not merely the sort of informal guidance offered by a simple…
EPCRS Issues Arising from 403(b) “Disqualification”
By Robert Toth on
Posted in 403(b)
In a lunch conversation with Kathy Elliott , (a CPA specializing in 403(b) audits) at the annual meeting of the TE/GE Councils in Baltimore (which, by the way was pulled off fantastically by Warren Widmayer (and a few others), in the face of a snowstorm of historic dimensions), we went into more detail on my blog…
The K-12 403(b) Non-ERISA Fiduciary Question: The Growing Turner/Toth Consensus
By Robert Toth on
Posted in 403(b)
Co-authored by Richard Turner
One of my personal highlights of the just finished NTSAA Annual meeting in Palm Springs (the first under the joint auspices of ASPPA and NTSAA, which has all the looks of a marvelous arrangement for the 403(b) market), was a conversation with Richard Turner, my old friend and VALIC’s top 403(b) …
The Curious Matter of 403(b) Plan Disqualifiction
By Robert Toth on
Posted in 403(b)
"Plan disqualification" is a well understood and managed feature of the 401(a) landscape, complete with great history, a long line of guidance and rulings, and a well developed set of correction programs. We all know what happens when a 401(a) rule is violated, its affect on plan qualification, and (ususally) what to do about it.…
The 403(b) Prohibited Transaction
By Robert Toth on
Posted in 403(b)
I had posted in an earlier blog some of the technical differences between 401(k) plans and 403(b) plans. One of the more striking differences I did NOT mention was that of the Prohibited Transaction.
Assume a successful insurance agent sits on the Board of a mid-sized tax exempt organization with 250 employees, a Board which…
The Trouble with 403(b) Cash; the 403(b) SAR; and Other 403(b) Stocking Stuffers
By Robert Toth on
Posted in 403(b)
403(b) devotees often speak of the continuing, and significant, number of technical differences between 403(b) and 401(k) plans. The following lists a few of the differences not given a lot of attention, a sort of holiday stocking stuffer:
Handling 403(b) cash. Handling cash is much more challenging under a 403(b) plan than under…