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
BNA’s “Insurance Guarantees In Defined Contribution Plans” Published
BNA’s Tax Management Advisory Board published memorandum as an “Advisory Board Analysis” last week, “Income Guarantees in Defined Contribution Plans.” It speaks in some detail of the technical issues confronting the provisions of annuities through a defined contribution plan.
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The Beer Napkin Annuity: An Answer to “Pension Envy”?
Well, technically, we didn’t write this idea on the beer napkin, but the thought occurred to us to do so as David John and I were sitting in a restaurant at Union Station quaffing one or two. The beer napkin was too wet to write on, but here’s the idea as best I remember it.
The Rubber Finally Hits the Road: The AICPA 403(b) FAQ Confirms Our Fears
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
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”
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
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 Annuity RFI: A Rare, Inter-Agency Treat
EBSA and the IRS issued their long promised Request For Information on annuities-or, should I say, as promised by the EBSA. We had not expected this particular piece to be a joint effort. It shows that Phyllis’s and Mark’s agenda is getting policy effectively done, not engaging in damning bureaucratic turf warfare. Hmm. With this
The Curious Matter of 403(b) Plan Disqualifiction
"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.
CORRECTION BLOG: Annuity PLR Reference Incorrect!
My everlasting thanks to Andrea-Ben Yousef of BNA. We were exploring annuities, and some confusion from my blog of January 6th, 2009. We discovered that I posted the incorrect PLR number and link on that blog, where I discussed the importance of a new PLR to DC annuitization. The link I had incorrectly provided was