Author: Paul McEwan

Events
SECURE 2.0 – What You Need To Know
Join Paul McEwan, principal with Rea’s retirement plan services team, who will review the new rules that will impact you the most from the passage of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, which was signed into law on December 29, 2022. Although some of the SECURE 2.0 changes are optional and not effective yet, you … Continued

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Is Your Retirement Plan Growing with Your Business?
Sponsoring and maintaining a retirement plan for a small business can seem daunting.

Article
‘Group of Plan’ Arrangements Offer Cost Savings for 401(k) Sponsors
sponsors are familiar with solutions like multiple employer plans (MEPs) and pooled employer plans (PEPs). But one of the least well-known plans may be the most effective solution for plan sponsors who are looking to cut costs and maintain local service and plan design flexibility – the “group of plans” arrangement.

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Late Notice From The IRS Or DOL? Read Before You Act
f you get a late notice from the IRS related to your Form 5500, but you filed on time, don’t panic. Simply let us know and we’ll advise you of next steps to clear things up with the IRS.

Events
Competitive 401k Plan Design: Plan Design to Help Win the Battle for Talent
Gain insight on how to enhance your organizations benefits package to retain and attract top talent, increasing participation and more! As the job market becomes more competitive, so do the perks that come with it. Potential employees are looking for organizations with more of an appeal. That means better pay, a better work-life balance, and … Continued

Article
Timing is Everything: The Time is Right to Open a Safe Harbor 401(k) Retirement Account
Is now the time to open a Safe Harbor 401(k) account?

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PPP Recipients: Loan Invoices Are Coming
The SBA will soon release invoices for your PPP loans. Have you completed your loan forgiveness application yet?

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Your Solo 401(k) Plan May Be On The IRS’ Audit List
If your solo 401(k) plan was audited tomorrow, would you come out the other side with flying colors or penalties?

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PPP Loan Application Deadline Extended
Employers now have until May 31, 2021 to apply for a PPP loan.

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SBA Releases Interim Final Rule, Extends PPP Eligibility
Is your business now eligible to claim a piece of the PPP pie? Thanks to the SBA's new interim final rule, the answer may be "yes!"

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Disregard That Form 5500 Extension Letter Regarding Your 2019 Retirement Plan
Delayed IRS extension approval letters are causing confusion among retirement plan sponsors.

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Having Problems Claiming The Second Draw PPP Loan?
Wondering what's going on with your PPP 2.0 application or your PPP Loan Forgiveness Application? Here's what we know.

Events
What Does The New Stimulus Bill Mean For Businesses?
Find out what the new stimulus bill means for businesses in Ohio and beyond.

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Take A Look At The New PPP Legislation
Looking for an overview of the new PPP legislation? Look no further.

Events
Hackers Want Access To Your Company’s Retirement Plan Accounts Too
Cybercriminals are looking at your company's retirement plan accounts and licking their chops. How are you going to stop them?

Events
How To Maximize Tax Savings With HSAs
It hasn't gotten any easier to recruit and retain top talent, which is why some businesses are taking a closer look at their existing benefit plans. This free webinar will shine some light on the tax benefits of Health Savings Accounts.
Jul 21, 2020

Podcast
Episode 242: How The SECURE Act Impacts Retirement Planning For Companies & Individuals
Find out how the SECURE Act has changed the rules of the retirement planning game for businesses and individuals.

Events
What Is Life After Coronavirus? PPP Loan Forgiveness Updates & FAQ
Rea's SBA & PPP Loan Task Force takes are back to answer your questions about the PPP Loan Forgiveness recent updates.

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PPP Flexibility Changes Become Law
Find out how the PPP Flexibility Act is changing the Payroll Protection Plan.

Events
What Is Life After Coronavirus? Working Through The PPP Loan Forgiveness Application
Rea's SBA & PPP Loan Task Force takes on the PPP Loan Forgiveness Application during this 90-minute webinar.

Events
What Is Life After Coronavirus? Navigating PPP Forgiveness & Intro To Main Street Lending Program
Learn how to navigate PPP loan forgiveness and learn more about the Main Street Lending Program during this interactive, pre-recorded webinar.

Events
What Is Life After Coronavirus? How To Claim Disaster & CARES Act Small Business Loans
Our SBA Loan Task Force provides you with the information you need to understand the resources now available through the SBA disaster loan program and CARES Act.

Events
What Is Life After Coronavirus? Coping With Financial Anxiety & Recession Worry
This webinar will help you make sense of the financial anxiety and recession worry resulting from COVID-19.

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SECURE Act Ushers In Substantial Retirement Plan Changes
The SECURE Act is here ... find out what that means for you.

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Evaluation of HSAs Requires a Team Approach
Want to know how a health savings account can save your hard earned money? Read on ...

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The Best Tax Deferral Opportunity Is A Retirement Plan
A great plan design will deliver a big punch.

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Health Plan Held To Same ERISA Fiduciary Standards As Retirement Plans
Keep reading to discover why ERISA fiduciary duties should be viewed essentially the same way as retirement plan fiduciary duties.

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What’s Going On With Retirement Plan Legislation?
The SECURE Act and the RESA bill are currently in Congress. Both pieces of legislation are geared toward helping employees be prepared for retirement. Read on to learn more about the pending legislature.

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Another Way Great Plan Advisors Can Add Value
Want to provide your retirement plan sponsors with greater value to create lifetime clients? We have some suggestions!

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Need Help Retaining Employees?
Your retirement plan could be the key to improving your company's employee retention rate and recruitment effectiveness. Find out how.

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Proposed MEP Legislation Would Undermine Fiduciary Protections
ERISA ensures that benefits in employer-sponsored retirement plans are protected from bad actors – but proposed legislation would reduce those protections.

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IRA Beneficiaries Vs. Designated Beneficiaries
Do you know the difference between an IRA beneficiary and a designated beneficiary? If you have heirs, you should.

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Morningstar Aims To Tidy Up Commission-Free ‘Clean Shares’ Definition
The investment community is buzzing about "clean shares" but are they really as spotless as they sound?

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Sacerdote v. N.Y. University: A Cautionary Tale To Plan Fiduciaries
Lawsuits for alleged mismanagement of retirement plans are occurring more frequently than ever. Find out what one of the latest ones has taught us.

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How a Cash Balance Plan 401(k) Will Secure Your Retirement
Is it time to play catch up with your retirement plan? Adding a cash balance pension plan option to your profit sharing 401(k) plan may be the way to go.

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Vanguard Drops Its Own Retirement Fund
Vanguard recently removed one of the nation's most popular mutual funds from its own plan. Find out what the biggest takeaways are from this move.

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Bipartisan Budget Act Changes Hardship Withdrawal Rules
It will soon be easier to pull cash from your 401(k) in the event of hardship.

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Correction Programs are Available to Help Plans Remain Compliant
Got retirement plan errors? This article names a few solutions that might help.

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Room For Growth: How To Get To The Top Of Your Fiduciary Game
If you exercise discretionary authority, control or responsibility over your company's retirement plan, you're a fiduciary. Are you in compliance with ERISA?

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To Roth Or Not To Roth
Does your employer give you the option of using a Roth 401(k) and Traditional 401(k) to save for retirement? Are you wondering what the difference is? This article will hopefully clear things up a bit.

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Economics Nobel Prize Awarded To Richard Thaler For Retirement Savings Strategies
While Richard Thaler may not be a name you’ve recently discussed while gathered around the dinner table, if you are a fan of the idea of retirement, you might want to stop and take notice. Keep reading to find out why.

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What To Look For In A TPA
Working with a third party administrator (TPA) can take a lot of stress off your plate, but how do you know which one is the right one? Keep reading to find out.

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Do Retirement Plan Sponsors Find Your Advisory Services Valuable?
Retirement plan advisors are chosen by plan sponsors for a variety of reasons, but unless advisors prove to be knowledgeable, attentive and supportive, their plan sponsors will not hesitate to look for an advisor who will.

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Another Way To Help Your Employees Save
Looking for a way to make your benefits package more desirable? Adding an employer-sponsored 529 Plan could be just what you need to attract and retain top talent. Read on to learn more.

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Great Advisors Always Review & Reassess
When recommending or working with service providers, retirement plan advisors must be sure they are meeting their fiduciary responsibilities.

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Plan Sponsors Must Now Accommodate Tighter IDR Deadlines
Late last month, the IRS issued a memo to its examiners regarding the process for handling information document requests (IDRs) in retirement plan audits. Read on to find out what has changed.

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DOL Takes Aim At Revenue Sharing
The DOL has focused its attention on eliminating revenue sharing within qualified defined contribution retirement plans. Opponents claim the practice is at odds with ERISA’s strict fiduciary duties.

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When Fiduciaries Fail To Put Participants First, The Legal System Takes Notice
Fiduciaries are learning the hard way that when it comes to managing their retirement plans they better have the best interests of participants in mind or face legal action.
May 9, 2016

Podcast
episode 32: pedal fast so the future is not your fault; default into savings now
This week, on episode 32, Pedal Fast So The Future Is Not Your Fault; Default Into Savings Now, we receive some critical insight from Paul McEwan, CPA, MTax, AIFA, Rea’s principal and director of benefit plan services – if the private sector doesn’t take control of America’s retirement problem, sooner or later the government will. Business … Continued

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Retirement Plan Participants Are Content To Watch Their Savings Simmer
It took a while to get to this point, but after taking time to grow and adapt to the ebbs and flows of the marketplace, the defined contribution retirement plan has finally come into its own. Read on to learn more about the current retirement savings climate.

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Forget What You Think You Know
Providing your employees with the option of participating in a Health Savings Account (HSA) can be a great way to help them manage their wealth strategies. But they may need to be educated when it comes to realizing the real value of this option. Read on to learn more.

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Five Steps to Mitigate Your 401k Fiduciary Risk
There is so much noise in the marketplace regarding the fiduciary responsibility of plan sponsors it’s no wonder people are confused. The confusion starts with who is a fiduciary so it’s important to note that fiduciary status is based on the functions performed for the plan, not a person’s title. Your plan’s fiduciaries will ordinarily … Continued

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Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow
As our economy begins to recover, more and more workers will be seeking new jobs. In fact, a recent survey has noted that two out of three employees want to find a new position. So what happens to their 401(k)s when they leave? For many people, nothing, according to Fidelity Investments. In a recent study, … Continued

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Why Your CPA Should Service Your TPA
When it comes to servicing your third party administrator retirement plan, employers have a myriad of choices in providers. However the smartest choice to service your plan could be your accounting professional. Here are a few of the advantages to this relationship. Seeing the bigger picture. Your CPA should already be serving as your tax … Continued

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Switching Jobs?
As our economy begins to recover, more and more workers will be seeking new jobs. In fact, a recent survey found that two out of three employees want to find a new position. So what happens to their 401(k)s when they leave? For many people, nothing, according to Fidelity Investments. In a recent study, more … Continued

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Preparing for 408(b)(2) Fee Disclosure
Although the recent ERISA 408(b)(2) fee disclosure regulations – originally due to go into effect in July – have been pushed back until 2012, as a plan sponsor, are you prepared for the consequences of this sudden dose of transparency? Make no mistake, plan fee transparency is a good thing, and long overdue. However, it … Continued

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Fiduciary Best Practices
When you’re a retirement plan sponsor, the job of managing the plan comes with certain responsibilities under the law. ERISA requires that you manage the plan in a prudent manner. In essence, ERISA’s rules work to protect participants’ retirement funds from being mishandled by plan sponsors. After a number of scandals, the economic crisis and … Continued

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If You Have an S-Corporation, Consider Defined-Benefit Plan
Are you an owner/employee of an S corporation without other employees? If so, consider establishing a defined-benefit plan for your retirement needs. In general, an owner/employee can contribute more to a defined-benefit plan than to a defined contribution plan. You can also make contributions to a defined-benefit plan even in a year when you do … Continued

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Businesses Facing Financial Hardship Don’t Have to Drop Safe Harbor 401(k)s
Last month, the IRS presented regulation changes to allow businesses that experience economic hardships an alternative to terminating their 401(k) safe harbor plans. The IRS-published Suspension or Reduction of Safe Harbor Non-Elective Contributions allows employers meeting specific requirements to reduce or suspend their required safe harbor non-elective contributions without losing the qualified status for their … Continued

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Commonly Asked Questions About Safe Harbor 401(k)s
With many business owners continuing to experience economic challenges, employers are seeking ways to reduce or eliminate retirement plan contributions as one way to control their business costs. The following are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about eliminating or freezing fixed contributions under safe harbor 401(k) plans. May an employer freeze … Continued

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Planning for Retirement
Offering a retirement plan can be one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, 雇主可以决定. The employees participating in the plan, their beneficiaries, and the employer benefit when a retirement plan is in place. Administering a plan and managing its assets, however, require certain actions and involve specific responsibilities. Beginning with the … Continued

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Self Directed Brokerage Accounts
401(k) plan self-directed brokerage accounts, or SDBAs, have quickly become the most popular way for plan participants to invest their plan assets. In fact, about 20 percent of all retirement plans now offer SDBAs. So what’s the buzz about? Participants hear about an opportunity to invest in a seemingly limitless menu of choices, ranging from … Continued

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Possibilities for Early Retirement Plan Withdrawals
We as trusted advisors are often approached by our clients to help them determine the feasibility of slowing down or retiring early. The question invariably comes down to money. Do I have enough? How long will it last? Can I maintain my lifestyle? These are all tough questions and the answers depend on a range … Continued