TRA MAKES NEWS HAPPEN

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  PRESS RELEASE – The Retirement Advantage Appoints Darin Erdmann As National Sales Manager

  March 30, 2020 - Darin Erdmann Promoted to Newly Created Position as National Sales Manager APPLETON, WI (March 30, 2020) – The Retirement Advantage, Inc. (TRA), an independently owned, industry-leading national retirement services company, is proud to announce that Darin Erdmann has been appointed as National Sales Manager (NSM) effective Friday, March 27.  He will be charged with leading the company’s national sales team and will report to Jeff... Continue
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  SECURE ACT WEBINAR SERIES – From MEPs to PEPs & More: What Advisors Need to Know – Summary

  March 26, 2020 - On Wednesday March 25, 2020, Trey Galuppi, TRA’s MEP Specialist and John Markley, TRA’s Industry Relations Director, addressed the SECURE Act’s impact on existing retirement plan platforms, defined new opportunities the legislation creates – and demonstrated how TRA can help you craft the plans that best meet your clients’ needs. They focused on some of the most significant changes in the SECURE Act relating to Multiple Employer... Continue
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  Employer Responses to COVID-19: Suspending Employer 401(k) Contributions

  March 23, 2020 - By Carol Buckmann – QUALIFIED RETIREMENT PLAN Businesses adversely affected by COVID-19 may be considering terminating their 401(k) plans to end their contribution obligations. This may be an unnecessary response to what may be a time-limited problem, and it could have adverse consequences since the “successor plan” rule in IRS regulations currently prohibits covering the same employees in a new plan for 12 months following the termination.  A... Continue
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  Senate Bill Expands Retirement Plan Access for Coronavirus Impact(s)

  March 20, 2020 - BY ANDREW REMO – NAPA The CARES Act includes provisions advocated by the American Retirement Association that loosen retirement plan hardship and loan rules to free up funds for individuals impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. Life (and legislation) has been coming at us fast in March, as the country and Congress copes with the Coronavirus pandemic. Each week this month has seen a new and escalating policy... Continue
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  ARA Crafts Proposal to Provide Retirement Plan Funding Relief for Small Businesses

  March 19, 2020 - BY NTSA NET STAFF The American Retirement Association has reached out to members of Congress with proposals to help alleviate cash flow issues for small businesses with retirement plans. The ARA, whose broad membership consists of service providers and plan sponsors, strongly supports immediate defined contribution plan funding relief that will allow plan sponsors to continue to provide a retirement plan for their rank-and-file workers. The... Continue
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  ARA Presses for Retirement Plan Relief in Coronavirus Stimulus Bill

  March 18, 2020 - BY  TED GODBOUT AND JOHN IEKEL – ASPPA The American Retirement Association has been working with key lawmakers to include legislation that would provide tax relief to individuals and employers that suffer a sustained economic loss from the COVID-19 outbreak. The relief would be patterned after the disaster relief that was provided in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (which contained the SECURE Act) and... Continue
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  ARA Pushes for Plan Filing Relief Due to Coronavirus Impact

  March 17, 2020 - BY TED GODBOUT – ASPPA Considering the ongoing and future business impacts of the coronavirus, the American Retirement Association asked the Treasury and DOL for relief from certain retirement plan filing deadlines. “The American Retirement Association is writing to request relief from certain provisions under the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA due to ongoing and future business impacts of the current COVID-19 (‘Coronavirus’) pandemic,” the... Continue
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  Confidence Comes with Knowing Who Is a Fiduciary

  March 17, 2020 - Many plan sponsor representatives who oversee their companies’ 401(k) or other DC plans don’t realize that they are fiduciaries under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). And some believe they can offload all of their fiduciary responsibilities for investments to a third party. Plan sponsors who harbor misperceptions like these or who are unaware of their fiduciary status risk violating ERISA’s fiduciary standards, harming participants and exposing themselves and their firms to liability. Continue
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  Q & A – PLAN SPONSORS ASK

  March 10, 2020 - Q: A soon-to-be-retiree asked our HR staff some questions about Social Security benefits. From her questions, it was apparent she did not understand the basics about the Social Security program. Is this a topic we should avoid, or should we include it in our retirement education? A: By all means, include accurate information about Social Security, because for most Americans, it will make up a... Continue
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  Retirement Savings and Plans Don’t Always Align

  March 3, 2020 - The PLANSPONSOR Participant Survey examines the attitudes and behaviors of American workers participating—or not—in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. It gathers data about savings rates, employer expectations and confidence levels, among other measures. Continue