by JoAnn Cassell | Sep 15, 2026 | 401k Plan Audit Documentation, Preparing for a 401(k) audit
Nobody schedules their first 401(k) audit. It arrives. Growth is gradual. You hire a few people. Then a few more. Auto-enrollment nudges your participation rate up. Employees leave, and their balances stay behind. Nobody wakes up one morning and announces, “We...
by JoAnn Cassell | Dec 15, 2025 | 401k Audit Time, Preparing for a 401(k) audit
If you’ve been through a few 401(k) audits, you know the routine. But for Kyle Mishler, Director of Operations at Civiltech Engineering, Inc., audit prep isn’t just a once-a-year task—it’s part of how she stays organized year-round. We sat down with Kyle (a long-time...
by JoAnn Cassell | Sep 15, 2025 | 401k Communication, Audit Procedures
Completing your independent 401(k) plan audit is a big milestone—but it’s not the final step. Once your auditor issues the report, there are still a few key tasks to wrap up on your end as the plan sponsor. Here’s what happens after the audit is finished, what’s...
by JoAnn Cassell | Oct 15, 2024 | 401k Auto-Enrollment, 401k Communication, 401k Compliance, Employee Addition, Regulations & Policies, Safe Harbor 401(k)
Autumn is well underway, and with it comes those seasonal tasks: Hire the neighborhood kid to rake fallen leaves… Check. Stock up on candy for Halloween trick-or-treaters… Check. Put together this year’s annual 401(k) plan notices… Check?! Consider this a gentle...
by JoAnn Cassell | Mar 15, 2024 | 401k Plan Audit, 401k Plan Audit Documentation, Audit Deadlines, Audit Procedures, Preparing for a 401(k) audit
For employers or plan sponsors with 401(k) plans with 100 or more participants with balances, here’s how to prepare for your first 401(k) plan audit. Step One: Determine whether your 401(k) plan requires an independent audit. Firstly, who makes this determination? ...