401k Answer Book 2010 Edition

401(k) Answer Book, 2010 Edition provides coverage of 401(k) plan design, testing, taxation, reporting and disclosure, and termination, and brings you up to date on investment-related topics and regulatory guidance.

Written by the experts at Great-West Retirement Services, the 2010 Edition is packed with special features, including:

• Practice pointers
• Checklists, charts, and sample notices
• Step-by-step procedures
• Examples showing how to apply concepts to real-world situations

This comprehensive one-volume desk reference is a must have for pension administrators, benefits managers, fund managers, trustees, accountants, attorneys, human resource professionals, consultants, advisors, and anyone who deals professionally with 401(k) plans.

Quite simply, the hunt for specific answers to important questions begins - and ends - with this clear, comprehensive resource. 401(k) Answer Book, covers all aspects of plan design and administration, as well as the relationships of 401(k) plans with other types of retirement plans. When participants, sponsors, or service providers ask you questions, this book gives you the answers.

The 2010 Edition of 401(k) Answer Book brings the practitioner up to date on legal and regulatory updates relating to the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) and other recent developments that have had an impact on retirement plans, including:

• The Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008 (WRERA), including detailed information on PPA corrections and the 2009 waiver of the required minimum distribution (RMD) requirements
• Changes to Form 5500 filing requirements for 2009, including changes to Schedule C reporting of service provider fees and the new electronic filing requirements
• PPA-created automatic enrollment design opportunities: Automatic contribution arrangement (ACA), eligible automatic contribution arrangement (EACA), and qualified automatic contribution arrangement (QACA)
• IRS final regulations on EACAs and QACAs
• Updated automatic enrollment sample notice templates and comparison charts
• The Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax (HEART) Act of 2008
• Qualified reservist distributions (QRDs) under the HEART Act
• Status of the DOL proposed regulations under ERISA Section 408(b)(2) on service provider fee disclosures
• Status of the DOL proposed regulations that would require disclosure to participants of certain investment- and fee-related information
• Information on when plan document updates are due for HEART, WRERA, and other legal developments
• New rules impacting truth-in-lending disclosure requirements applicable to participant loan programs
• DOL Field Assistance Bulletin 2008-04, providing guidance on ERISA bonding requirements
• Automatic enrollment plans and safe harbor 401(k) plans, including requirements applicable to a mid-year reduction to a safe harbor contribution
• DOL regulations regarding eligible investment advice arrangements (EIAAs)
• Final DOL regulations and subsequent clarifying guidance on qualified default investment arrangements (QDIAs) under ERISA Section 404(c)

The 2010 Edition also offers practitioners a wealth of materials and guidance, including:

• A chart of key participant disclosures and notices with cross-references to chapters for detailed information
• Up-to-date sample notice templates for safe harbor 401(k) plan notices, automatic enrollment notices, and QDIA notices
• Sample Section 404(c) checklist reflecting QDIAs
• Information on rollover rights of nonspouse beneficiaries
• Practical information on partial plan terminations, plan mergers, and spinoffs
• Fiduciary guidelines for selecting an annuity payment option
• Updated coverage of 401(k) plan alternatives, including details on 403(b) final regulations and charts comparing 401(k) plans with various alternative plans
• The DOL field assistance bulletin on responsibilities of trustees with regard to the collection of delinquent contributions and proposed safe harbor for small plans
• Fiduciary liability after the Supreme Court's decision in LaRue v. DeWolff, Boberg & Associates, Inc.
• IRS Notice 2008-30 on rollovers to Roth IRAs and other distribution related provisions of the PPA
• Information on guaranteed benefit products in the 401(k) plan context
• Information on qualified optional survivor annuity (QOSA) requirements under Code Section 417 and IRS Notice 2008-30
• IRS guidance under Code Section 401(a)(35) on the diversification rules applicable to plans that invest in employer securities
• DOL guidance on participant statement requirements
• ERISA Spending Accounts and other ways to manage plan expenses
• The definition of compensation under the final Code Section 415 regulations
• Updated material for cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs)
• Current rules on the use of electronic technologies for satisfying notice and consent requirements
• Final regulations on the Roth 401(k) feature
• Information on analyzing the Roth 401(k) option
• Detailed information on selecting service providers, including guidance from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Labor (DOL)
• DOL guidance on allocating settlements from mutual funds from market timing activity