Author: Matt Baisden

For a myriad of reasons – from automatically passing ADP testing, helping with Top-Heavy failures, or owners saving $60,000+, many businesses choose to use a Safe Harbor formula in their 401(k) retirement plan. Let’s find out what the Safe Harbor formulas are and why you may choose one over the Read more…

I’ve read the articles and maybe you have too; articles about Mega Backdoor Roths (MBRs) that promise a lot – but maybe don’t explain all the issues they may cause for certain businesses or people. In this article, I'm going to review what a MBR is, how it works, and while it may be good choice for Read more…

What is the top-heavy test? 401(k) plans must be tested annually to determine if they are top-heavy. The top-heavy test compares the account balances of “key employees” to those of “non-key employees.” If the sum of all key employee balances exceeds 60% of the total plan balance the plan is Read more…

We know business owners don’t start their business to oversee healthcare plans or manage a 401(k) plan. However, benefit plans are necessary to recruit and keep employees, so it’s important to find someone you can trust will help your plan, your employees, and your business. Read more…

One of the more difficult challenges for small businesses, especially those with less than 5 employees, is finding a cost-effective and manageable retirement plan option. Time spent focusing on a retirement plan is time spent not growing your business. But like healthcare and vacation programs, a Read more…

In 2006, Jerry Schlichter, a St. Louis plaintiff lawyer, began suing 401(k) fiduciaries. His contention was that retirement plan fiduciaries were not properly overseeing their plans – particularly the duty to make sure fees were “prudent and reasonable.” Read more…

Small businesses are facing big changes in Illinois. In 2015, the Illinois State Legislature’s Secure Choice Act began a series of steps that ultimately led to the creation of a “State Sponsored Retirement Plan.” Now, small businesses may be forced to become participants in a retirement plan Read more…

Plancorp has worked with many business owners over the years to improve their corporate retirement plans. We have rarely come across a business owner who wanted more liability on their plate. Unfortunately, business owners frequently retain more than their fair share of legal liability—without even Read more…

As a Retirement Plan Advisor for Plancorp, I spend a lot of my days talking to retirement plan participants about their 401(k) plans. In conversations and presentations, I get to educate participants to help them get the most of their retirement savings. Read more…