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The Quintes Blog
Your employees deserve every opportunity to reach their goal of an ideal retirement – and the Quintes blog is part of our goal to inform both employers and employees of the options and choices available to make confident financial decisions for the future.
Although not legally required by ERISA, a retirement plan committee charter is a very important document for plan governance that may help fiduciaries avoid potential liabilities. Committee Charters are one effective way to “evidence” intent of prudent plan management. Having a charter is a “best practice” that all plan sponsors should seriously consider. Your committee Read More…
A recent comprehensive TIAA survey of financial wellness plan participant perceptions may be helpful to plan sponsors who have, or are considering implementing, a wellness plan for their employees. Employees’ definition of financial wellness varies considerably: “having the means to take care of your family and others” (53%), “not worrying about money or debts” (51%), Read More…
At what age can retirement plan distributions begin? When can a person begin to receive Social Security? As you get closer to your retirement date you may start to wonder about your eligibility for certain withdrawals and programs you are entitled to. Refer to this timeline to remember important dates as you get closer to Read More…
Both, ERISA and the IRS requires that DC plan loans reflect a “reasonable rate of interest”. DOL Reg Section 2550.408b-1 states that “a loan will be considered to bear a reasonable rate of interest if such loan provides the plan with a return commensurate with the interest rates charged by persons in the business of Read More…
Most companies and organizations’ human resources departments and C-suites are seeking efficiencies and risk mitigation for their entities. For those, and a myriad of other, reasons 3(38) fiduciary discretionary investment management services are getting a closer look by plan sponsors. In exploring these 3(38) services it is important to understand that when you hear “3(38)” Read More…
A recent IRS Issue Snapshot (link below) affirms that a participant loan is a legally enforceable agreement and terms of the loan agreement must comply with Internal Revenue Code (IRC Section 72(p)(2) and Treasury Regulation Section 1.72(p)-1). The terms of the loan agreement must be explicit in writing or deliverable electronically. A loan in default Read More…
With the season changing and life ever pulling us forward, you may want to take into account life changes that may affect your financial goals. Account for Changes in Your Personal Life Have there been any changes this past year with your family, personal, or financial life? If life changes have occurred, you may want Read More…
Retirement income products can serve an important purpose as a participant investment option for retirement plans. Surveys gauging participant interest in these options may be open to interpretation, especially when the survey is conducted by a retirement income vendor. A survey conducted by the well-known and respected JP Morgan gauged participant interest for a retirement Read More…
According to J.P. Morgan’s 2021 Defined Contribution Plan Participant Survey findings, more than half of the 1,281 respondents indicate that they: Are presented with more plan information than they can absorb. Don’t read investment information provided to them. Are willing to spend time planning for retirement but just don’t know where to start. Nearly three-fourths Read More…
Participant data and financial accounts comprise some of the most sensitive and potentially vulnerable information under a company’s care. These highly valuable assets can be an attractive target for cybercriminals and therefore present considerable security risk. Breaches to this information can be devastating to plan participants and to the reputation of the organization. For plan Read More…