PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Benefits Companion - Time to Tidy-Up Plan Documents
Fifteen years ago, I walked away from the law firm treadmill, overhead, politics, billable hours, all of it, and went out on my own. I wanted to practice ERISA law in a way that actually added value, not just racked up hours....more
As an ERISA attorney who drafts plan documents at a flat fee, my biggest competitors are not other ERISA attorneys, but third-party administration (TPA) firms. ...more
Being an ERISA attorney for a couple of third-party administration (TPA) firms when I first started helps you develop a sense of humor because there are too many people I was associated with who had absolutely zero training...more
Retirement plans with more than 100 participants require a CPA audit for their Form 5500. However, small plans with less than 100 participants may sometimes require an audit. This often happens when more than 5% of the Plan’s...more
I’ve spent 21 years as an ERISA attorney and took some classes when I was getting my LLM and I learn something new about retirement plans every day. As a financial advisor, you likely didn’t have the training to be an ERISA...more
One of my biggest tasks as an ERISA attorney is helping plan sponsors out with voluntary compliance and self-correction programs. Many of these problems that have to be fixed are as a result of the plan document saying one...more
Despite the insane popularity of Marie Kondo and her tidying methodology, when it comes to your agency’s retirement (and welfare) plan documents: more is better. ...more
There are so many articles for plan sponsors (I’ve written quite a few) where they go on and on about what plan sponsors need for a successful 401(k) plan. Rather than go into a whole diatribe, here is a Reader’s Digest of...more
This is Spinal Tap has the great line that “there is a fine line between being clever and stupid.” The same can be said with plan provisions that are what I call: “out of the box.” I call it out of the box because it reminds...more
When it comes to drafting plan documents, I always say K.I.S.S.: keep it simple, stupid....more
The Eventual Comeback Of MEPs. It's inevitable. Sometimes what is old is new again. Over the years, clothing styles, hairstyles, political styles, movie styles, and television program styles may come back after being...more
I know a thing or two about the virtues of flat fee billing, have done my legal work on the scale while working for a couple of third party administration (TPA) firms. Plan documents, plan amendments, and plan terminations...more
Plan Sponsors Need To Fix Their Plan Errors Now! You can't wait, fix it now! For most of us, when we don't feel well, we go to the doctor. We don't wait until things get worse, we take care of things because there...more
Being an ERISA attorney for a couple of third party administration (TPA) firms when I first started helps you develop a sense of humor because there are too many people I was associated with who had absolutely zero training...more