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Retirement Plans

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  • Meeting Your Fiduciary Responsibilities – To meet their responsibilities as plan sponsors, employers need to understand some basic rules, specifically the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). ERISA sets standards of conduct for those who manage an employee benefit plan and its assets (called fiduciaries). This publication provides an overview of the basic fiduciary responsibilities applicable to retirement plans under the law.
  • Understanding Retirement Plan Fees And Expenses – This booklet will help retirement plan sponsors better understand and evaluate their plan's fees and expenses. While the focus is on fees and expenses involved with 401(k) plans, many of the principles discussed in the booklet also will have application to all types of retirement plans.
  • Selecting An Auditor For Your Employee Benefit Plan – Federal law requires employee benefit plans with 100 or more participants to have an audit as part of their obligation to file the Form 5500. This booklet will assist plan administrators in selecting an auditor and reviewing the audit work and report
  • Selecting And Monitoring Pension Consultants – Tips For Plan Fiduciaries – ERISA requires that fiduciaries of employee benefit plans administer and manage their plans prudently and in the interest of the plan's participants and beneficiaries. In carrying out these responsibilities, plan fiduciaries often rely heavily on pension consultants and other professionals for help. Findings included in a report by the SEC released in May 2005, however, raise serious questions concerning whether some pension consultants are fully disclosing potential conflicts of interest that may affect the objectivity of the advice they are providing to their pension plan clients
  • Tips For Selecting And Monitoring Service Providers For Your Employee Benefit Plan – Business owners are responsible for ensuring that their 401(k) plans comply with Federal law and rely on other professionals to assist them with their plan duties. Selecting a service provider is one of the most important responsibilities of a plan sponsor
  • Target Date Retirement Funds - Tips for ERISA Plan Fiduciaries - Target date retirement funds (also called target date funds or TDFs) have become an increasingly popular investment option in 401(k) plans and similar employee-directed retirement plans. EBSA prepared the following general guidance to assist plan fiduciaries in selecting and monitoring TDFs and other investment options in 401(k) and similar participant-directed individual account plans.
  • Reporting And Disclosure Guide For Employee Benefit Plans – A quick reference tool for certain basic reporting and disclosure requirements under ERISA.
  • 401(k) Plans for Small Businesses – This booklet highlights some of a 401(k) plan's advantages, some of the options and responsibilities of an employer operating a 401(k), and the differences among the types of 401(k) plans.