Mandatory distributions blog posts


Apr
28
2016

Say What? The Arcane Lingo of Retirement Savings Portability

In virtually any area of specialty, a unique jargon evolves that is highly-specific to that field. To insiders using the lingo every day, it seems familiar and perfectly normal. To outside observers, it can feel like a foreign language -- with words, terms and acronyms that make no sense.

Apr
21
2016

Five Common Misconceptions About Automatic Rollovers

Automatic rollover programs allow plan sponsors to force out of their plan separated participants with balances less than $5,000 into a Safe Harbor IRA. These programs can be quite effective at helping sponsors resolve many of the problems associated with housing small-balance accounts in-plan, such as...

Oct
27
2015

401(k) Force Outs: Recycle v. Landfill

Every day, we are reminded that recycling is the responsible thing to do: from the recycling bins we walk by, to the paper we use, and the cans and bottles that we drink from. All of us would agree that conservation of our precious resources is critical, so we gladly pitch in and do our part.

Sep
29
2015

A Blueprint for Lifetime Participation in Plans

How many of us will be so fortunate as to participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan every day of our working careers? Or, for an even more uncommon scenario, how many of us will work for the same company for 30 or 40 years? Yet, as has been amply established by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), those who can raise their hands and respond yes to either of these questions routinely show up in the top decile of savers who are well-prepared for retirement and these participants provide a clear blueprint for retirement-saving success.

Sep
21
2015

Deadlines for Year-End Plan Terminations, Mandatory Distributions Fast Approaching

At Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH), the 4th quarter is the busiest time of the year, as many plan sponsors look to complete plan terminations and mandatory distributions before the end of the year. However, to follow appropriate communication timeframes, deadlines to initiate the necessary communications process needed to complete these year-end plan initiatives are fast approaching.

Sep
02
2015

One Solution to Three Costly Retirement-Saving Mistakes

In his September 2nd, 2015 MarketWatch article One Solution to Three Costly Retirement-Saving Mistakes, RCH's CEO Spencer Williams provides insight as to why a majority of Americans are not very confident in their retirement readiness. Three costly mistakes consistently plague retirement savers: 1) leaving 401(k) accounts behind when changing jobs, 2) prematurely cashing out and 3) not informing prior employers' retirement plan record-keepers about address changes.

Aug
11
2015

Automatically Moving Mandatory Distributions Forward

The mandatory distribution-to-Safe Harbor IRA plan feature as commonly utilized today was conceived in 2001 and launched in 2005 with good intentions, and for valid reasons. A mobile workforce, combined with a lack of retirement savings portability, had created a burgeoning problem for plan sponsors.

Jul
17
2015

Safe Harbor IRAs Are Not Always Safe

Plan sponsors can help themselves and their participants over the long term by rolling balances of $5,000 or less from inactive participants into safe harbor IRAs. However, for various reasons discussed below, many safe harbor IRAs do not live up to their name and could leave sponsors with unexpected fiduciary liability.

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