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Practice Management

The public university retirement plan market can test one’s knowledge and experience. In MarketBeat, Michael Webb discusses five basic features of public university plans for those who may be unfamiliar with this important segment of the nonprofit retirement plan marketplace. READ MORE
.Your company is distributing required minimum distributions (RMDs). Does the 20% federal income tax withholding apply to all the amounts being distributed? In Tech Talk, Ellie Lowder tells us. READ MORE
What is the state of affairs regarding 403(b) plans? A recent study looked at certain aspects of the plans, including how the funds in those plans are invested.In “The BrightScope/ICI Defined Contribution Plan Profile: A Close Look at ERISA 403(b) Plans,” BrightScope and the Investment Company... READ MORE
At the 2015 NTSA 403(b) Summit, executives from small, medium and large practices came together to share their best advice for growing businesses of all sizes. And despite the differences in their employers, all of them agreed that nothing matters in this business without a strong reputation.D.... READ MORE
For sponsors of large ERISA plans — including most ERISA 403(b) plans — with calendar year plans, it’s Form 5500 time. In MarketBeat, Michael Webb seeks to help make the 2014 5500 filing process easier for plan sponsors and those who work with them. READ MORE
Take note, 403(b) annuity arrangements, defined benefit plans and defined contribution plans with calendar year plans: July 31 is right around the corner. That’s the day by which most plans must file the dreaded and onerous Form 5500. The clock is ticking on filing the form that reports on 2014.... READ MORE
At the start of her keynote speech opening the second day of the 2015 NTSA 403(b) Summit, business management speaker Shari Harley stood off to the side of the ballroom, and asked if it was easier for the audience to hear and see her there, or across the room on the stage where everyone was... READ MORE
Suppose you have a client who will not have a full 15 years of service until the end of the current year; however, he wants to utilize the 15 years of service increased limit. Must he wait until the following year to do so? In Tech Talk, Ellie Lowder tells us. READ MORE
A new resource offering best practices for 403(b) non-ERISA plans is now available. Automatic Enrollment Guide: Best Practices for 403(b) Non-ERISA Plans, a comprehensive resource prepared by NTSA provides information relevant to all stages of providing this means of enrolling 403(b) participants.... READ MORE
The earnings that public pension plans have realized, and their holdings, have changed little since the fourth quarter of 2014. That according to the U.S. Census Bureau in its quarterly survey of public pensions during the first quarter of 2015, which it released on June 25. The survey provides... READ MORE
Questions can arise concerning the definition of severance of employment, which can be an important issue to determine regarding whether pre-59½ 403(b) or pre-70½ 457(b) participants are eligible to make withdrawals from their accounts. In MarketBeat, Ellie Lowder digs deep into the issues that... READ MORE
Don’t underestimate the importance of a face-to-face relationship with a client.In a June NTSA 18 podcast, Jill Snyder, a registered representative with National Information Services and a 2014 NTSA Elite Advisor, emphasized how critical that is to advisors and the clients with whom they work.“The... READ MORE
The Code Section 403(b) regulations allow employers to terminate their 403(b) plans. In MarketBeat, Linda Segal Blinn argues that the devil may be in the details, and offers questions and answers to help employers that intend to terminate their 403(b) plans. READ MORE
If a participant is requesting a loan from their retirement plan for the maximum amount available, should vendor fees be taken into account from a TPA perspective? In Tech Talk, Ellie Lowder tells us. READ MORE
To err is human. The IRS is not divine, but it does at least help 403(b) plan administrators and sponsors correct errors — and to that end has updated its 403(b) Plan Fix-It Guide. But the guide does more than provide a way to fix mistakes after the fact; it also includes information intended to... READ MORE
What is an employer’s responsibility under the 403(b) regulations it changes from a multi-vendor 403(b) platform to a single vendor? In Tech Talk, Ellie Lowder tells us about what an employer must do when such transfers take place. READ MORE
In its current form, the Labor Department’s fiduciary reproposal would “lock out” American small businesses from retirement plans, a new report says.The paper notes that small business owners, through SEP and SIMPLE-type IRA plans, provide roughly $472 billion in retirement savings for more than 9... READ MORE
It’s so interesting to me that almost every year there are changes to the laws and rules that affect our profession. And it’s a relief to me that NTSA is always there as a resource, allowing my company (and yours) to grow and get better at what we do, regardless of those changes. I still remember... READ MORE
The Department of Labor intends to finalize its re-proposed rule defining a fiduciary in May of next year, Groom Law Group Chairman Steve Saxon said on June 8. Saxon made his remarks at the SPARK Institute’s annual conference in Washington, D.C.That timing is fueled by political considerations.... READ MORE
The Internal Revenue Service has provided a new, permanent program for late filing Form 5500-EZ.The program, outlined in Revenue Procedure 2015-32, replaces last year’s one-year pilot program – which ended Tuesday, June 2, 2015.The permanent program generally follows the requirements of the pilot... READ MORE

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