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          The INTAC Insidertop                CEFEX

June/July 2013

In This Issue - Table of Contents
INTAC's Special News, Highlights & Hot Topics
INTAC Team Member Spotlight
INTAC Gold Star Service
Consultant's Corner
Testimonials

Under Control or Out of Control

In today's business climate, it seems it is becoming increasingly common for businesses of all sizes to be structured using multiple companies. Maybe a business person is pursuing multiple ventures with different groups of co-owners. Perhaps a company decides to offer a new product or service and that is best accomplished via a separate entity. Sometimes it makes sense to create a separate company for each of a business's locations. Still other times the owner of one company decides to buy another business. Regardless of the reason for structuring a business in this way, there are some complex IRS rules that must be considered when it comes to the retirement benefits being offered. To learn more about this timely topic, follow this link and read our full newsletter: Under Control or Out of Control.

  Press_Release_Typewriter CEFEX

 

INTAC Announces Its ASPPA Certification for Retirement Plan Service Provider Excellence 

Ridgewood, NJ - After a rigorous review process, Intac Actuarial Services is proud to announce its CEFEX certification of the prestigious Service Provider Excellence in Standards of Practice for Retirement Plan Service Providers. CEFEX (Centre for Fiduciary Excellence), provides an independent recognition of a firm's conformity to a defined Standard of Practice. It implies that a firm can demonstrate adherence to the industry's best practices, as set forth by American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA), and is positioned to earn the public's trust.

The ASPPA Standard of Practice describes how a third party administration (TPA)/actuarial firm can assist plan sponsors in fulfilling their fiduciary obligations. The Standard includes best practices for organization, human resources, operations, planning, systems, and disclosure, as defined by a cross-industry task force and is modeled after the "Prudent Practices for Investment Stewards" published by fi360, Inc. The stringent, nearly one-year certification process, which involved a comprehensive assessment of the firm's operational data, practices and procedures, culminated in a full-day, on-site engagement of interviews with INTAC's key employees by a CEFEX representative. "The CEFEX certification provides assurance to fiduciaries and their stakeholders that INTAC has demonstrated adherence to the best practices in the recordkeeping and administration industry. The successful completion of the independent assessment is an extraordinary indication of a firm's accountability to its clients," explains CEFEX managing director, Carol Panksep.

"It is with great pride that our team of outstanding pension professionals successfully fulfilled the rigorous requirements to achieve certification by the CEFEX organization. We are extremely honored to be the only New Jersey TPA/actuarial firm to achieve this prestigious designation," states Charles Rosenberg, INTAC managing partner.

For additional information on the certification program and CEFEX, please go to www.cefex.org. A full copy of the Standard of Practice and INTAC's official certificate are also available on the website.  


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INTAC's Special News, Highlights & Hot Topics

What Highly Compensated & Key Employees Mean to a Retirement Plan - Just the Facts  
      

INTAC's experienced pension consultants are oftenHC_Key Employees sought after for more than just the day-to-day tasks of plan administration. In the course of our conversations with clients, often we are asked to explain in layman's terms - the common terms in a pension plan that can often be misinterpreted . This edition of INTAC's News & Highlights will explain what makes someone a highly compensated and/or key employee, and how does this impact the plan, the employer and the participant.

 

Click the green link to read on: Highly Compensated and Key Employees - Just the Facts.
 
Also, visit INTAC's website for this and more industry-related Hot Topics and Fact Sheets!
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Take us with you for the ride!
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INTAC Team Member Spotlight!
In the spotlight - no border

JodieINTAC's Client Relations Specialist, Jodie Johnson, serves our valued clients with both her industry expertise and heart of gold. Jodie's integral role has carried clients through the intricate processes of plan transfers, conversions and acquisitions, both successfully and as seamlessly as possible, for over 13 years. Jodie's longevity with the firm has given her the unspoken role of our soup-to-nuts, go-to team member. Jodie spoke to The INSIDER about how things at INTAC have changed over the years. "The firm has expanded tremendously both in the number of employees and the level of technology. The most rewarding aspects have been working together with my colleagues, who are much like family, and with clients in resolving issues and accomplishing day-to-day challenges."

Many advisors have not only worked successfully with Jodie on retirement plan business, but some just might have fallen victim to her skill on the golf course at the INTAC golf outings! She is also an avid softball player (participating in three women's leagues at any given time), and enjoys tennis, fishing, biking and above all, spending quality time with her family. Jodie believes that in both business and in life, "you can let a situation take you over or you can take the situation over."

What It Means To Be A Part Of The INTAC Family

       INTAC's 

Gold Star ServiceAs a valued client, you automatically qualify for a host of unique benefits. Here are just some of what INTAC's Gold Star Services include and an explanation of our commitment to your privacy:

 

 Gold_Star_Bullet Consulting for Failed & Narrowly Passed Compliance Testing - Our pension consultants are experts in designing plans that meet the specific goals of our plan sponsors. That specialized skill becomes critical during the times of pre-testing (usually mid-plan year) and testing (the few months following a plan year-end). 
  

Gold_Star_Bullet Audit Support Services - Due to the recent increase of IRS, DOL and PBGC audits in the retirement plan industry, trust that our qualified plan administrators are prepared to provide you with the necessary support you need should you ever be faced with this circumstance. Visit the Consultant's Corner to find out more.  

 

Gold_Star_Bullet EFAST Liaison Service - As part of our Gold Star Service, if you require any assistance or have questions about the online registration process and/or the signing of your 5500 Forms, please contact our office at 201-447-2525 and request to be connected to a member of our EFAST Liaison Team who can personally walk you through the process. Check out Consultant's Corner for additional details.

 

Gold_Star_Bullet Client Portal - Clients always have access to the INTAC Client Portal, which is our secure website monitored daily by our pension consultants, for submitting plan data and viewing plan-related documents and information. For detailed instructions on how to access the client portal, click here.

 

Gold_Star_Bullet Government Agency Assistance - INTAC is always available to assist in responding to IRS, DOL or PBGC inquiries, questionnaires and surveys.

 

Gold_Star_Bullet Our Commitment to Your Privacy - INTAC's commitment to your privacy is paramount. To learn more about our policies to maintain the confidentiality and security of your nonpublic personal information, follow this link - Privacy Commitment. 

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Consultant's CornerConsultants

So much of what our dedicated INTAC consultants are working on to keep your plans up to speed happens behind the scenes. The INTAC Insider details some of these tasks and other notable highlights that they do. Right now our Gold Star Consultants want you to know:

 

~ Annual Valuation and Forms - INTAC plan administrators are at work preparing the required annual reports and tax forms for the current plan year.

 

~ 5500 Signer Credentials - You may receive a call from an EFAST representative regarding your registration and/or the electronic signing of your 5500 Forms. INTAC's experienced team members are ready to lend a hand. As part of our Gold Star Service to our clients, if you have any questions or require assistance with your registration, please contact our office and request to be connected with a member of our EFAST Liaison Team who can personally walk you through the process as needed.

 

~ Minimum Distributions - INTAC's experts are carefully reviewing your census data to see if Minimum Distributions are required so we can give you advance notice prior to year-end.

 

~ Calculating Contributions - Our consultants are calculating pension contributions for plans that require a calculation and awaiting confirmation that all contributions due to be deposited to the plan have been made. 

 

On-Going Data Collection - If you have a plan that has not yet sent in your census and asset data, then our consultants are following up with you to help ensure your forms are filed in a timely manner so we can prepare your Annual Reports. Census and asset data can be submitted to your INTAC pension consultant or via the Client Portal*. We trust you will find that submitting data to us electronically is quick, easy and efficient. Should you require technical assistance, please call our office at 201-447-2525 (ext. 0) to request technical assistance for the Client Portal and one of our dedicated professionals will assist you.

  

*If at any time you need to obtain forms sent to you or submit data, you may do so via the Client Portal of INTAC's website. For detailed instructions for the Client Portal, follow the blue instruction link. Also, as part of INTAC's Gold Star Service to our clients, if you have any questions or require assistance with completing these forms, please contact our office and request to be connected with a pension consultant, who can personally walk you through the process as needed.

 

 ~ Last but not least, we are always available to help our plan sponsors, brokers and accountants with any pension-related questions you may have. When you call INTAC, you always receive Gold Star Service because you speak with the most knowledgeable staff member related to your plan and/or your question.

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Testimonials

Here's a taste of what our clients and industry partners are saying about us!

 

"Susan - Thank you for the information this morning. The meeting with the client went well. He can't sing your praises loud enough! He said you are doing an incredible job. ~ Tom"

 

"Bill (Visco) - When we rely upon information from a third party we need to evaluate if that third party has adequate expertise. We're familiar with your firm but the attachment you sent me is helpful in documenting that your firm has many years of experience and licensed individuals on staff. ~ Bill"

 

"Barbara - Awesome, thank you once again and thank you to the entire team for being such a help to our firm's needs. ~ Nicole"

 

"Harry and Charles - I just wanted to drop a quick note to share my experience with one of your consultants - Lisa Pecora. Lisa is very understanding and takes time to explain any questions or concerns I have with my pension plans. Pension planning can be daunting and confusing - Lisa helps make it easier to understand. ~ Floyd"

 

To read more testimonials, visit the testimonials page on our website by clicking here.

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Worth Considering

 

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are." ~ John Wooden, UCLA basketball coach

 

About INTAC
Intac Actuarial Services has been providing complete administration and consulting to employer-sponsored retirement plans since 1977. INTAC's professional staff of experienced and innovative plan administrators designs, creates and continually refines a wide range of qualified retirement plans. We are committed to meeting our clients' needs by providing these services in a timely, accurate and cost-effective manner. INTAC has been ranked as New Jersey's #1 401(k)/Defined Contribution Provider by NJBIZ� for four consecutive years.
 
For additional information on the contents of this newsletter and other important topics, please contact us or visit our  website at www.intacinc.com. It is our privilege to be of service to you!
 
Sincerely,
 
Intac Actuarial Services, Inc.

Corporate Office: 545 Route 17 South | Ridgewood, NJ 07450 | 201.447.2525

 

Branch Offices: West Long Branch, NJ | Huntington Beach, CA | 1.800.548.4410

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