News & Insights

ABG Southwest advisors highlight upcoming IRS compliance deadlines for calendar-year defined contribution plans as well as the opportunity for catch-up contributions for older retirement plan participants.  

On April 14, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued cybersecurity guidance for employer sponsored retirement plans. This is the first ever issued guidance for plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, recordkeepers, and plan participants to implement…

At the end of 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) adopted a rule that reinstates the five-part test to determine what is or isn’t investment advice and implements a new prohibited transaction exemption that expands fiduciary advice to include rollover recommendations. In…

Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire), and James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) introduced a bill named the Improving Access to Retirement Savings Act. This proposed bill will extend retirement plan choices to nonprofit groups and provide incentives to encourage small…

The Securing a Strong Retirement Act is a new piece of proposed legislation designed to encourage individuals to save more in their working years so they can enjoy a financially secure retirement. It has already been dubbed the SECURE Act…

In this issue of Tax Talk, ABG Southwest advisors update you on important compliance deadlines coming up for defined contribution plans and also discuss the importance of the Retirement Savings Contribution Credit and how this credit can be applied.

Meeting the requirements and opportunities presented by the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act can becomplex. Key considerations as we move forward in 2021 include the…

Employers and retirement plan sponsors continue to be focused on participant outcomes when it comes to fine-tuning and managing their company’s retirement plans, Fidelity Investments’ 2020 Plan Sponsor Attitudes survey reveals. In this article, we will review survey highlights and…

As American workers and businesses continue to grapple with the health and economic ramifications of the COVID-19 global health crisis, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (otherwise known as CARES Act 2.0) was signed into law on December 27, 2020.

In this issue of Tax Talk, we update you on important upcoming compliance deadlines for defined contribution plans as well as provide a quick reminder of the SECURE Act’s ruling on part-time employee participation effective this year. Upcoming Compliance Deadlines…

While some employees are still facing financial challenges, other employees may be ready to get back on track with their retirement goals—and many of them may need information so they can determine their next steps. Plan sponsors should start…

The economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt across the U.S., and employees and businesses are bearing the brunt of the challenges. As many businesses partially open or close entirely, plan sponsors are faced with managing numerous…

As we begin to wrap up the year and the COVID-19 crisis continues to impact our communities, ABG Southwest is ready to help in any way we can, from discussing retirement plan participation and trends to highlighting approaching deadlines. In…

The coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted many from a health and/or financial perspective, and caused some retirement plan participants to evaluate their engagements in retirement plans. Recent stock market volatility, resulting from economic pressures prompted by business shutdowns across the…

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to impact our communities, ABG Southwest is ready to help in any way we can, from discussing retirement plan participation and trends to highlighting approaching deadlines. In this issue of Tax Talk, we provide some important compliance due dates for defined contribution plans and noteworthy new provisions from the IRS.

Since the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act became law, ABG Southwest is carefully reviewing the retirement relief remedies in the $2 trillion stimulus package.

As the COVID-19 crisis continues to impact our communities, we want to communicate the steps we're taking at ABG Southwest to mitigate the effects it will have on our clients

The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers that it’s not too late to contribute to an Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA) and still claim it on a 2017 tax return. Anyone with an IRA may be eligible for a tax credit or deduction on their 2017 tax return if they make contributions by April 17, 2018.

Financial Finesse, a company that partners with Alliance Benefit Group (ABG) Southwest and that provides companies with a customized financial wellness program, was recently awarded five Best in Biz awards, including Company of the Year – Small and Most Innovative…

Some companies in certain industries are using a new strategy to keep the best employees and motivate staff to save for retirement. According to an article in the July 17 edition of The Wall Street Journal, companies ranging from Microsoft…