by JoAnn Cassell | Jan 15, 2021 | Audit Procedures, SECURE Act
Happy 2021! Like everyone else, we are thrilled to welcome in a new year. Just like last year, we’ll be sharing helpful tips and insights each month to keep your retirement plan administration compliant and on track. Back in November, we wrote about our top 7 insights...
by JoAnn Cassell | Dec 16, 2020 | Plan Sponsors, Retirement Plan, SECURE Act
Every industry was affected by COVID-19 this year, and retirement planning is no exception. The CARES Act and the SECURE Act in particular had such a significant impact that we’ll take an in-depth look at both of them in future posts. For now, as we move into the...
by JoAnn Cassell | Nov 25, 2020 | Gratitude, Virtual Audits
As we enter into the 2020 holiday season, we at Cassell Plan Audits have been reflecting on gratitude. It’s always meaningful to consider what we’re thankful for, but in 2020, it feels even more important to put our thoughts down on paper… virtually, anyway. For...
by JoAnn Cassell | Nov 19, 2020 | Audit Insights
At Cassell Plan Audits, we love solving problems. But we love preventing them even more. 2020 has been tumultuous in just about every aspect, but your employee benefits compliance shouldn’t be. As your friendly neighborhood auditors, we’re here to help in any way we...
by JoAnn Cassell | Nov 16, 2020 | Employee Addition
Anne Kozlowski Cassell Plan Audits is pleased to announce the addition of Anne Kozlowski to their team. Anne received her bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from Elmhurst College and is a registered CPA in the State of Illinois. She brings 20+ years of experience as an...
by JoAnn Cassell | Oct 22, 2020 | 401k Audit Firm, How to choose an auditor
Come audit season, there’s no shortage of accounting firms that are willing to perform your company’s benefit plan audits for you … But how many are truly able? A poorly performed audit can cost your organization thousands of dollars more than it should, and there’s...
by JoAnn Cassell | Oct 5, 2020 | 401k Plan Audit, Audit Procedures
Employee benefits plan audits can be a huge pain. They’re also necessary. This means you have a choice: do you want an efficient, painless audit—or a time-consuming and expensive one? It pays in more ways than one to make your audits as efficient as possible. If that...
by JoAnn Cassell | Aug 18, 2020 | Audit Deadlines, Safe Harbor 401(k)
Fall is an especially busy time in the world of 401k plan administration. If you aren’t prepared for it, the sheer volume of work can take you by surprise. You’ll want to stay on top of several reporting requirements, tax forms, employee notices, and deadlines. Here...
by JoAnn Cassell | Jul 17, 2020 | Audit Procedures, hardship distributions
If your company offers a 401k plan in your benefits package, you already know that those funds should be kept out of reach until participants reach age 59½. There are exceptions, however. Most 401k plans allow withdrawal before retirement age in cases of financial...
by JoAnn Cassell | Jun 30, 2020 | 401k Audit Time, Audit Procedures
If the word “audit” makes you cringe, you’re not alone. At their worst, audits can be a major pain. They can sap your time, energy, and resources. When our clients ask us how long a 401k audit will take, they’re usually afraid of the answer. But there’s good news. If...
