Program Schedule

Fundamentals of Retirement Plans

Seminar Sponsored by ISCEBS

The International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists

Phoenix Chapter

 

April 22, 2008

 

 

 

COURSE REGISTRATION INFORMATION

 

DATE:                                                            Tuesday, April 22, 2008 

TIME:                         Registration begins at 7:45 am. Program runs 8:15 am until 1:15 pm.

LOCATION:              Scottsdale Resort & Athletic Club, Scottsdale, Arizona.

PLAN SPONSOR:     Phoenix Chapter ISCEBS (S15179)

 

 

 

SESSION I:  Retirement Plan Basics

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM

Instructor:       Jenelle Graham,

Relationship Manager, The Vanguard Group, Scottsdale AZ

 

8:30 AM

Reasons/Advantages for Retirement Plans

Government (future tax base, shared expense for aging)

Employers (tax deduction, attract and retain employees)

Employees (tax deferral, systematic savings)

8:40 AM

Types of Retirement Plans

Defined Benefit (traditional pension)

Defined Contribution (401(k), profit sharing)

Other (hybrids)

8:50 AM

Governing Laws of Retirement Plans

IRC (plan limits, taxation)

ERISA (fiduciary responsibilities, plan reporting)

9:00 AM

Plan Design Considerations

Participation/Eligibility  (who will be covered and when)

Vesting (when will participant “own” account: cliff, graded)

Plan Limits (deferrals and employer contributions)

Distributions (events, in service, hardship)

Other (Roth, loans, auto enrollment/increase)

Investments (how many, who directs, company stock)

9:15 AM

Plan Administration/Communications

Testing (non-discrimination, participation, top heavy, etc.) 

Recordkeeping (plan operations, participant account statements)

Plan Reporting requirements/timing (to employees, government, etc.)

9:25 AM               

Comments/Questions

 

 

SESSION II:  401(k) Hot Topics & Trends

9:30 AM – 10:305 AM

Instructor:       Scott Schlappi, CEBS

            Principal Financial, Phoenix AZ

 

 

10:30 AM

                        Introduction

High level overview of the latest 401(k) trends

Overview of the evolution of the 401(k) plan          

10:35 AM

Fiduciary Overview of 401(k) plans

Top Fiduciary Issues

Top Ten Fiduciary Mistakes                                                                

10:40 AM

Legislative Update

The Pension Protection Act Impact

Investment Expectations

Investment Choices

Automatic Feature Options for Participants                              

10:45 AM

Trends in Participation/Deferral Rates

401(k) statistics in participation & deferral rates

Different models to increase

10:50 AM

Participant Attitudes

Studies in participant behavior

Opportunities                                                                                       

10:55 AM

Plan Sponsor Attitudes

Switching from Defined Benefit to Defined Contribution

Studies in employer behavior                                                                

11:05 AM

Fees

Fee evaluation

Revenue Disclosure                                                                             

11:10 AM

Different solutions for retirement

Total retirement solutions

Trends in having multiple solutions

Rollover market                                                                                   

 

11:20 AM

• Case studies & questions                                                                           

 

 

 

SESSION III:  What to Know BEFORE Your 401(k) Audit

10:45 AM – 11:45 AM

CE Instructor 137011:  Anita Baker, CEBS, CPA,

Larson Allen CPAs, Mesa AZ

 

10:45 AM

What 401(k) Plans Require an Audit?

Current Employee Benefit Plan Environment

ERISA Audit Requirements

DOL Inspection and Reviews

Annual Audit (100 or more eligible employees at start of plan year)

11:00 AM

Who Should Perform a 401(k) Plan Audit?

Whose responsibility is it?

How to Find a Qualified Auditor

Limited Scope Audit

What to Do if Notified of a DOL Audit

How to Control the Cost of an Audit

11:15 AM

Improving the Quality of 401(k) Audit

Preparing the Records the Auditor Will Ask For

Accounting/Auditing Issues

Common Deficiencies

11:30 AM

EBP Audit Best Practices

Commitment to Quality

Internal Inspections

AICPA Audit Quality Center

11:40 AM

Final Comments and Questions

 

 

 

 

SESSION IV:           Retirement Plan Education and Investing for Employees and Business Owners

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Instructor:       Robert Jackson, CFP, President,

Jackson Financial Advisors, Scottsdale AZ

 

12:00 PM

Fundamentals of Retirement Planning

Your Idea of What Income is Needed in Retirement

Determine Contribution Levels

12:05 PM

Education of Employees

Whose responsibility is it?

Role of plan administrator

12:15 PM

What Business Owners Should Know

Financial planning is an employee benefit

What you don’t know can hurt you -- Importance of plan reviews

You can “discriminate” using non-qualified plans

12:25 PM

What HR People Should Be Doing

Know what’s available

Know your plan

Know who to call

Common challenges and pitfalls

12:35 PM

Stages of Retirement Planning

Early Years

Middle Years

Pre-Retirement Years

Retirement Years

12:50 PM             

Common Mistakes for Participants To Avoid

Expecting Social Security to be enough

Starting late

Failing to understand the time value of money

Putting too much into too few asset classes

Failing to plan – not knowing your number

12:55 PM

Final Comments and Questions