Make the Most of Your Retirement Plan

In today’s competitive job market, employers recognize the necessity of offering a retirement program to attract, reward and retain loyal and productive employees. What’s more, these programs offer valuable tax benefits for employers and employees alike. Administering, managing and making informed decisions regarding these programs, however, can be a daunting and resource-intensive task.

PBMares provides knowledgeable, client-focused third party administrator (TPA) services along with qualified retirement plan design consultation for large and small companies. Whether you’re a startup business with a SIMPLE or SEP, or an established company with thousands of employees and multiple plan options, PBMares delivers accessible, comprehensive guidance and administration services that ensure your plan is working for you.

SOLVING BUSINESS ISSUES

“We’re a family owned practice, and PBMares is part of our family. We know we are in good hands, and their level of knowledge and professionalism is outstanding. For example, they suggested changes to our plan to better accommodate the millennials in our practice that made a big difference. PBMares looks out for our needs. When we don’t know something, we know we have PBMares.”

Sandra Parks, Practice Manager, PARKS ORTHODONTICS

Our experienced retirement plan specialists offer personal service that provides the answers you need and the flexibility you want.

With a plan to design the right program for your company, we can help you address more complex issues including specialty assets, several custodial locations for assets and annual evaluations of your plan design. PBMares professionals are knowledgeable about all types of employee benefit plans, and can provide the advice and guidance you need from formation to dissolution. We support businesses with many styles of plans, including:

  • 401(k) (traditional, simple, and safe harbor)
  • Profit sharing
  • Money purchase
  • Age weighted
  • New comparability (cross tested)
  • Cash balance
  • 403(b)
  • Employer stock ownership plans (ESOP)
  • Controlled group/multiple employer plans

Our complete list of retirement plan services includes:

An ADP test measures the deferral rates of highly compensated employees against that of non-highly compensated employees to determine a ratio limiting contributions by highly compensated employees. And an ACP test measures key employees’ contributions and/or after-tax contributions against that of salaried employees. To ensure your plan doesn’t favor your highly compensated employees, we can help you fulfill your annual ADP/ACP testing requirements.

Under this provision, the plan’s financials are measured using one of two tests. The Ratio Percentage Test requires the percentage of the employer’s non-highly compensated plan participants to equal at least 70 percent of the percentage of highly compensated employees. The alternate test, the Average Benefit Test, has two parts, both of which must be satisfied. The first part tests whether the plan is in favor of highly compensated employees. The second ensures that the average benefit percentage of non-highly compensated employees equals at least 70 percent of the average benefit of highly compensated employees. Your plan is not qualified unless it benefits a minimum number of employees, and we can help you meet your annual testing requirement to ensure it does.

This annual compliance test requires the combined plan assets of all key employees to stay below 60 percent of the plan’s assets. Your determination date is the last day of the current plan year so it’s important to consider this issue throughout the year to make sure you don’t go over and have to make additional contributions to non-key employees. We can help you monitor your plan for top-heaviness and conduct your annual testing.

Changing rules and IRS scrutiny have an impact on your company’s employee benefit and pension plans. We have the experience to understand what’s needed to streamline the process and ensure compliance.

Plan development, record keeping and administration, reconciliation of plan assets, distribution and loan processing assistance and preparation of IRS and DOL filings all are part of plan administration. PBMares professionals are knowledgeable about all types of employee benefit plans, and can provide the advice and guidance you need from formation to dissolution.

Every pension and group welfare plan that is subject to ERISA needs to file a Form 5500 electronically. This form, which is essentially an annual report showing that the plan is being run and operated correctly, often contains errors. We can file this form for you, making sure it’s completed accurately so you stay in compliance.

As your business changes, you may have to rethink the structure of your company’s employee benefit plans. This may be due to changing laws and regulations or a changing workforce. Or you may be considering a new plan for your company. Whatever the reason you are questioning your plan, our professionals have the experience and expertise to review your unique situation and provide you with the best possible options.

ERISA requires annual audits of plan financial statements by an independent CPA. This requirement is applicable to plans with 100 or more eligible participants at the beginning of the plan year. Preparing for the audit, which covers both financials and operations, is complex. Our team is here to make sure you have the documentation you need to pass the audit.

Part of the role of a professional employee benefit plan advisor is estimating how much will be in the plan when the employee retires. Given the various tests and limits such plans are subject to, this projection must consider actuarial tables, cost of living projections, and the like. PBMares team has the know-how you need to plan for the retirement you envision.

Need a Third Party Administrator or Help with Your Retirement Plan Design?

All businesses that put retirement plans in place need support from a design and administrative perspective. Those in construction, healthcare, government contracting, municipal government, financial institutions, hospitality, not-for-profit and professional and technical services have turned to us for help.

RETIREMENT INSIGHTS

MEET YOUR TEAM LEADER



Gary Kitts, CPA

Partner, Retirement Plan Services Leader

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Make the most of your retirement plan. Contact us. We’re eager to help.