Blog

Welcome to the Stonebridge Financial Group blog page. Part of our mission of helping plan sponsors optimize and create highly effective retirement plans is to be thought leaders. Part of how we share our thought leadership is by posting relevant, critical information plan sponsors need to know -- the precise reason for this page!

Please check back frequently and enjoy a simple place to find what you need to know in managing your organization's retirement plan...

 

Monday, November 20, 2023

IRS Limits on Retirement Benefits and Compensation As published in IRS News Release IR-2023-203, Nov. 1, 2023 Highlights of Changes for 2024The contribution limit for employees who participate in 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the...

 

Monday, May 1, 2023

401(k) plans are intended to provide comparable advantages for all employees, and there are numerous safeguards in place to make sure their benefits are allocated equitably. U.S. regulatory measures ensure that a company’s plan...

 

Saturday, April 1, 2023

Albert Einstein may not be remembered as a finance expert, but he seems to have had a bead on the power of smart investing. When asked what mankind’s greatest invention was, he’s reputed to have answered “compound...

 

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Fees in defined contribution (DC) plans can be complicated. Historically, fees have not been fully and simply disclosed, but the industry is changing towards greater and more...

 

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

This blog post discusses the importance of plan governance for retirement plans and how company personnel can minimize their fiduciary liability through proper plan governance.

 

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Tuesday, January 10, 2023

On December of 2022 Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 which contains a large section covering retirement in the U.S. referred to as SECURE 2.0. As a reminder, SECURE 2.0 is seen as building upon or...

 

Monday, December 19, 2022

Investment policy statements (IPSs) are commonplace among retirement plans — with around 83% providing one. And that number tends to be even higher among bigger plans. Financial powerhouse Goldman Sachs is one of the larger...

 

Thursday, October 27, 2022

IRS limits on retirement benefits and compensation published...

 

Thursday, September 29, 2022

Recently, the U.S. Labor Department issued new 2022 guidance regarding 401(k) retirement plans that offer, or are considering offering, investments in cryptocurrency and/or self-directed brokerage accounts in their plan menu. Most plan...

 

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

• Recently, the Department of Labor has become more aggressive about issuing guidance to plan fiduciariesregarding their investment decisions that go beyond the general fiduciary standards in ERISA. On March 10th,the Department...

 

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

When a giant organization with extensive resources gets sued for alleged ERISA compliance failures — especially if the organization’s own service offerings include reviewing for such violations — that could very well...

 

Monday, August 29, 2022

During 2022 the House of Representatives passed legislation entitled: Securing a Strong Retirement (SSR) Act. Not to be outdone, the Senate advanced retirement savings-focused legislative proposals as well....

 

Thursday, July 28, 2022

A recent class-action lawsuit highlights an often neglected but important item of fiduciary concern. The plaintiffs have asserted claims for breach of the fiduciary duties of prudence and failure to monitor fiduciaries....

 

Friday, July 22, 2022

Investments Are Like a Box of ChocolatesMany plan sponsors struggle with deciding how many investment options to offer in their retirement plans. While people generally like to have lots of options when making other decisions, having...

 

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Are you prepared for an IRS audit? This post digs in specifically to give you insight to what you should be aware of in trying to avoid being selected for an IRS and what to do if you are "lucky" enough to be audited!

 

Monday, June 27, 2022

If your retirement plan has not been recently audited, it is likely only a matter of time before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the Department of Labor (DOL) comes knocking. If/when you are notified of an audit, early...

 

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

 

Thursday, April 21, 2022

According to the College Board, the cost of a four-year education increased more than 200% (after inflation) from 1988 to 2018. This has placed a tremendous burden on graduates, with national student loan debt now topping a...

 

Friday, March 18, 2022

No one wants to be caught flat-footed when the auditors come calling. And with a new standard issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), both the auditors and plan sponsors will be subject to new...

 

Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Past Wars and Long-Term Market Performance Since the dawn of time, war and conflict have been with us throughout history, bringing with them their own horrors and uncertainty.Stock markets do not like uncertainty, and when war and...

 

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Are you prepared for your retirement plan to be audited? For many of us, that is a tough question to admit the real answer. The Department of Labor estimates that at least six in 10 plans are out of compliance! As a way to help you...

 

Thursday, February 24, 2022

Why Should We Have a Committee Charter? Although not legally required by ERISA, a retirement plan committee charter is a very important document for plan governance that may help fiduciaries avoid potential liabilities. Committee...

 

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Retirement plan fees are complex. Between administration, investment management, recordkeeping, consulting, revenue sharing, sub-TA and 12b-1, it isn’t always clear to plan participants or plan sponsors exactly the...

 

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

If you exercise discretionary control or authority of plan management or plan assets, or you have discretionary authority or responsibility for the administration of the plan, you are a retirement plan fiduciary...

 

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

This post is dedicated to retirement plan sponsor fiduciary "Hot Topics" as of Q1 2022.

 

Thursday, January 20, 2022

Sponsoring a retirement plan can make you a fiduciary to your organization’s retirement plan! What surprises many plan administrators is that an employee’s function over title can also make them a fiduciary. But do you know what that...

 

Thursday, January 13, 2022

If you administer a retirement plan, the answer most likely is "Yes". We've outlined here the different types and their definition for your quick reference!

 

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Participant data and financial accounts comprise some of the most sensitive and potentially vulnerable information under a company’s care. These highly valuable assets can be an attractive target for cybercriminals and therefore...

 

Thursday, January 6, 2022

In this age of relying heavily on technology, it is vital to take the necessary cyber security precautions. You want to make sure that all sensitive information is highly protected. This post showcases some tips for plan sponsors....

 

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

When it comes to managing a workplace retirement plan, it seems like we’re always telling you to document everything. Decisions, policies, procedures; you have to write everything down. But, as a preschooler would ask, why? Why...

 

Thursday, October 21, 2021

Stonebridge Financial Group is excited to announce that our very own Brad Pinter is now a member of the Retirement Advisor Council. Our firm’s mission is to help plan sponsors build and manage highly effective and successful...