The tax filing deadline is fast approaching, which means time is running out to fund an IRA for 2023. If you had earned income last year, you may be able to contribute up to $6,500 for 2023 ($7,500 for those age 50 or older by December 31, 2023) up until your tax return due date, excluding extensions. For most people, that date is Monday, April 15, 2024. You can contribute to a traditional IRA,...
Excess deferrals occur when a 401(k) participant defers a greater amount than the annual IRS limit permits. The annual deferral limit was $22,500 for 2023 and $23,000 for 2024. For participants 50 years old and older, an additional $7,500 can be deferred. When this limit is exceeded, excess deferrals and earnings need to be removed from the plan and returned to the participant. Employer matching...
Save More for Retirement in 2024 Plans must be tested each year to ensure that they are compliant with the laws governing retirement plans. To understand the testing performed for your plan, it may be helpful to review some of the terms that are commonly used. First, let’s examine how your plan’s noteworthy individuals are identified. Highly Compensated Employees (HCE): There are two...
The main determining factor in whether your plan needs an audit performed by an independent qualified public accountant is the participant count. An audit will be required if the beginning of year participant count is more than 100. For the plan year that began in 2023, there is a change to how the participants are counted. Prior to this, the count included active participants—regardless of...
Save More for Retirement in 2024 On November 1, 2023, the IRS announced the Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) affecting the dollar limitations for retirement plans for 2024. In October, the Social Security Administration announced a modest benefit increase of 3.2%. Retirement plan limits also increased over the 2023 limits. COLA increases are intended to allow participant contributions and...
By: Arash Navi, CFP®, CPA, Controller & Wealth Manager Our goal is to help our clients build and grow their wealth and tax planning plays an important role in this process. We recommend that you mark your calendar to review your finances in the first week of October, annually. Take this time to review your income for the year from employment, businesses, investments, or any other...
In December 2022, Congress passed the SECURE Act 2.0. It introduced two new rules relating to 529 plans and student debt that will take effect in 2024. The first provision allows for tax- and penalty-free rollovers from a 529 plan to a Roth IRA. The second provision allows student loan payments made by employees to qualify for employer retirement matching contributions. The overall goal is to...
By: Braden Priest, CFA®, Retirement Plan Consultant Congratulations! Your company offers a retirement plan for employees to save for their future. Did you know you might now be a fiduciary as well? If you meet one of the criteria below, you may now have fiduciary responsibility and liability: “Named Fiduciary” – The named fiduciary is most often the plan sponsor, who is typically either the...
By: Tina Schackman, CFA®, CFP®, Senior Retirement Plan Consultant It’s important to note that not all retirement plans allow loans to be taken, so you should consult with your benefits department or contact your plan’s administrator before considering a loan from your employer-sponsored retirement account (i.e., 401k, 403b, etc.). Whether or not to take a loan from your employer-sponsored...
By: Braden Priest, CFA®, Retirement Plan Consultant Hiring the right advisor for your company's retirement plan is one of the most critical decisions you will ever make as a plan sponsor. Many brokers and retail wealth managers dabble in retirement plan advisory services, but putting your plan in the hands of a non-specialist advisor can lead to expensive plan corrections, penalties, and poor...
In late May 2023, Congress sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel saying that it will introduce legislation to correct several technical errors in the SECURE Act 2.0. The letter, signed by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), chair and ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, respectively, and Representatives Jason Smith (R-MO)...
By: Braden Priest, CFA®, Retirement Plan Consultant A recent survey from TD Ameritrade showed only 27% of 401(k) participants knew how much they were paying in fees, and 37% mistakenly believed their retirement plan was entirely free! We’re here to set the record straight about 3 common retirement plan myths: The Retirement Plan is Free – Don’t shoot the messenger, but retirement plan service...
By: Braden Priest, CFA®, Retirement Plan Consultant The SECURE Act 2.0 was signed into law by President Biden in December 2022 and is guaranteed to impact your retirement plan. Here are 3 key provisions you should be aware of to keep your retirement plan in compliance: Increased Participation for Long-Term Part-Time Workers Many plans exclude employees who work less than 1,000 hours from...
Approximately 78% of people who work for companies with fewer than 10 employees and about 65% of those who work for companies with 10 to 24 employees do not have access to a retirement plan at work.(1) That's unfortunate, because workers with a retirement plan are far more likely to save for retirement than those without a plan. In 2022, 62% of those without a retirement plan had accumulated...
The National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) released the list of its Top DC Advisor Teams for 2022 and Benefit Financial Services Group (BFSG Institutional Services) is pleased to announce we are among the nation’s leading retirement plan advisor firms. The National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) Top DC Advisor Teams listing focuses on teams, broadly defined as being in a single...
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Help to increase the amount you “take home”.
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*Please Note: Limitations. The scope of services to be provided depends upon the terms of the engagement, and the specific requests and needs of the client. BFSG does not serve as an attorney, accountant, or insurance agent. BFSG does not prepare legal documents or tax returns, nor does it sell insurance products. Please Also Note: Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk. Therefore, it should not be assumed that future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy (including the investments and/or investment strategies recommended and/or undertaken by BFSG) or any financial planning or consulting services, will be profitable, equal any historical performance level(s), or prove successful.
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