Retirement Plan Consultants Blog
What is a 403(b)?
What’s the difference between a 401(k) and 403(b) plan? This is a question we hear often. Employees of for-profit firms are eligible for 401(k) plans while employees of certain tax-exempt or not-for-profit organizations are eligible for 403(b) retirement plans. Which Employers Can Establish 403(b) Plans? Churches, public schools, non-profit organizations and hospitals can establish 403(b) […]
How to Choose the Right Financial Advisor for You?
A financial advisor offers advice and expertise to clients based on their financial situation. It’s an important relationship because financial decisions impact your future. You might be wondering how to select the right financial advisor for you and which questions you should ask. This post will answer your questions! Financial Industry Compliances The financial industry […]
Are Profit Sharing Contributions Right for Your 401(k) Plan?
Profit sharing contributions are the most flexible type of employer contribution a company can make to their 401(k) plan. These contributions are not only discretionary, but they can be made to any eligible plan participant – even if the participant fails to make 401(k) deferrals themselves. They can also be allocated using dramatically different formulas […]
DOL Rules that 401(k) Notices Can Be Sent Electronically
On May 21, 2020, The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced final rules allowing required 401(k) plan disclosures to be posted online or delivered via email. This new safe harbor rule was much anticipated since prior to the rule required notices could only be delivered electronically if employees satisfied the definition of being “wired at […]
What’s a Target Date Fund
What’s a Target Date Fund? Determining your retirement timeline helps direct the level of risk for your investment. Target date funds can be used to help build and maintain an age-appropriate retirement investment strategy. A target date fund (also called a lifecycle fund) provides long-term appreciation and capital preservation based on your age or target […]
What is a Plan Sponsor
What is a Plan Sponsor Retirement Plan Consultants assist a variety of people with retirement planning, including financial advisors, plan participants and plan sponsors. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at plan sponsors. A plan sponsor is essentially the company that offers a retirement plan to its employees. Plan Sponsor Responsibilities If you’re […]
Rickie Taylor – Easter RD is Awarded The See It, Be It Role Model Award by Investment News
Rickie has been awarded the See It, Be It Role Model Award by Investment News! He is being honored for his work in Diversity & Inclusion, demonstrating great leadership in advancing the D&I cause in the financial advice industry. Rickie is our eastern regional director and has been with RPC since 2016. We are proud […]
How to Get Started with Dimensional Investing
Investors like dimensional funds because they provide consistent income during your retirement. Dimensional’s investment strategies have delivered impressive investment performance. This is why many longterm investors choose Dimensional funds. Before we dive into how to get started with dimensional investing, learn more about dimensional funds in this blog post. You might be curious about how […]
Benefits of Dimensional Funds/Vanguard
Everyone has different retirement goals, and there are a variety of ways to reach them. In this post, we’ll review the benefits of Vanguard and Dimensional Funds. If you have additional questions, please let us know! Vanguard Benefits Vanguard has plenty of notable benefits: Large mutual fund selection—Vanguard offers a collection of more than 3,100 […]
Retirement Income Calculator
Retirement Income Calculator Curious to see your monthly retirement amount? Annual savings, expected rate of return and current age impact your retirement’s monthly income, so it’s helpful to see your future monthly amount. This way you can determine how long your retirement will last. You can use this calculator to determine the monthly income your […]
Performance of Dimensional Funds
Dimensional Funds are unique for many reasons, but performance is an important one. Dimensional Fund Advisors is currently the eighth-largest fund company. It manages assets exclusively for institutional investors and the clients of a select group of fee-based advisers. Those assets were worth $579 billion as of September 2019. Some say Dimensional Funds are actively […]
Do I Qualify?
Click the link below to download a handout that will help determine if you qualify to receive a coronavirus-related distribution. https://retirementplanconsultants.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Do-I-Qualify.pdf
RPC’s Roundtable Discussion on Retirement Plan COVID 19 Relief
View our roundtable discussion on the new CARES Act and what relief options are available for Plan Sponsors and Participants. Topics include: suspending employer contributions, participant distribution and loan options, and freezing a Cash Balance plan.
CARES Act Plan Change Form
Click the button below to download the CARES Act Plan Change form to update your plan’s provisions and take advantage of new distribution, loan, and/or RMD allowances.
Plan Participants FAQs
Click the button below to download a participant frequently asked questions handout, including details on distribution, loan, and RMD options if your plan allows.
Plan Sponsor FAQs
Click the button below to download a Plan Sponsor frequently asked questions handout, including instructions on how to update your plan with RPC to allow for new distribution, loan, and RMD options.
What are Dimensional funds?
Markets go up and down, and dimensional funds provide a steady stream of income in your retirement. Dimensional funds aren’t available to the general public. Instead, investors work with dimensional-approved firms like Retirement Plan Consultants. Benefits of Dimensional Funds in your Retirement Plan 1. Impressive Investment Performance Dimensional’s investment strategies have delivered impressive investment performance […]
Top 10 Takeaways Advisors Need from the SECURE Act
Multiple Employer Plans – The newest “buzz word” in our industry, employers can more easily participate in a MEP or a new variant, a “pooled employer plan,” or PEP. This could be a potential solution for plan sponsors depending on plan size and goals. For those looking for a more custom solution, this may not […]
What to Expect at Year End 2019
In this webinar we will answer common questions that advisors have around year end requirements. -Annual Notice Requirements -Completion of Annual Census Request and using this information for the Annual Compliance Testing. -Key Dates
Cash Balance Plans – What Advisors Should Know
In this webinar we will answer common questions that advisors have around cash balance plans. What is a cash balance plan? Who is a good candidate? How can they be used to improve your clients’ retirement and tax situations? What is the role of the advisor? Presented by Wendy C Frame and Jeremy D Palm […]
The Triple Threat to Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans
One of the most dominating eras in sports history was the Chicago Bulls basketball team from 1991 to 1998. Notably, the ’96, ’97 and ’98 seasons were extraordinary as the Chicago “Triple Threat” was in full effect. The Chicago Bull’s Triple Threat Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman brought a unique blend of talent […]
Making the Most of Your Practice’s Retirement Plan
Josh Kegley of Retirement Plan Consultants was a guest on the IPWM The Dose podcast hosted by Adam Cmejla. Adam and Josh talked about how to utilize a qualified retirement plan like a 401k to maximize the benefit to the practice owner. The podcasts starts out discussing how changing the match to a safe harbor […]
Converting Your SIMPLE Plan to a 401(k) Plan: Things to Consider
Congratulations! You have decided to take the next step in your retirement evolution and convert your SIMPLE Plan to a full fledged 401(k) plan. While it may seem like a relatively straight forward process, here are some key things to review before pulling the trigger. Is Moving to a 401(k) Really in My Best Interest? […]
Plan Advisor Guide to Fiduciary Oversight
One of the biggest parts of a retirement plan advisor’s value proposition is to facilitate fiduciary oversight for a plan sponsor. While most advisors would naturally like to talk about investment lineups and participant education, facilitating fiduciary oversight is going to protect your client from fiduciary liability as well as improve the overall plan experience. […]
Basics of 401(k) Plan Design
Offering a 3(38) Investment Manager Fiduciary Service – It’s All About Process
A 3(38) investment manager has an incredibly important responsibility when it comes to qualified retirement plans. They are charged with creating the investment policy statement (IPS) for the plan, choosing the appropriate fund lineup based on the IPS, monitoring and reporting the performance of their investment selections, and ultimately mitigating the legal exposure of the plan […]
New Tax Law – What Should Advisors Know
The Long Term Perspective – Is 2018 Out of the Ordinary for the Stock Market
Well……no! But let’s dive a little deeper and flush this out a bit. 2018 is turning out to be not such a good year for global stock markets and investors. As of the writing of this article, global markets are down close to -13% in aggregate. The S&P 500 is looking to mark its first […]
Advising Retirement Plan Opportunities
Getting started in any line of work is tough. Formalizing your ideas, creating an action plan, finding prospects, and delivering on your value proposition takes time, care, and a whole lot of hard work. Becoming a retirement plan advisor is no different. Fortunately, the life source to your future business may already be hiding in […]
Are you Eligible for a Retirement Plan?
It can be difficult to know when a newly hired employee is eligible to participate in your company’s retirement plan, but it is very important as it can help you avoid administrative hassles and mistakes that will need to be corrected at the end of your plan year. That is why we have a couple […]
Record Retention – The “Paper” Trail
As plan sponsors are well aware, the pension law (ERISA) includes specific reporting and disclosure obligations with respect to qualified retirement plans. A lesser known fact is that ERISA also has specific requirements regarding the retention of plan records. Below we answer questions you and other plan sponsors may have about retaining records and the […]
Small Business Retirement Plans
Thank you for tuning into Retirement Plan Consultants YouTube channel. This recording is specifically on small business retirement plan considerations. So your business may be relatively small in size, but you no doubt realized just like the big guys do, that having a retirement plan for your employees can be an attractive benefit. This presentation […]
Reviewing Loan Options
Participants can watch this demonstration to learn what their loan options are, acquire some helpful tips before requesting a loan, and then guide them through the process to request that loan. If you would prefer to read this guide instead, you can follow along with the dialog transcribed underneath this video. During this demonstration, we’ll […]
Answering Your Fidelity Bonding Requirements Questions
As a retirement plan sponsor, you should be aware that every person who handles the property or funds of the plan must be bonded. A field assistance bulletin (FAB) issued by the U.S. Department of Labor provides guidance on fidelity bonding requirements. Understanding these requirements fully will help protect your plan and your business. The […]
Correcting Excess 401(k) Contributions
SITUATION: When we conducted our annual nondiscrimination testing, we found that several of our highly compensated employees had contributed disproportionately more to our 401(k) plan than lower paid employees. Our plan failed the “actual deferral percentage” (ADP) test for the first time. QUESTION: What do we need to do? ANSWER: To avoid possible plan disqualification, you need to […]