Benefits Conference Of The South - Session Descriptions

Dress Code

General Session 1: Washington Update

Related Links : Sponsor/Exhibit print page

This session will give you a behind-the-scenes look at the current legislative and regulatory process in Washington, DC, and what it means for retirement plan participants and pension professionals. You will also hear about the prospects for more pension, legislation, regulatory and other vital information.

General Session 2: DOL/EP Enforcement Activities

Description forthcoming

Moderator TBD

Luncheon with Speaker: Steve Miller

Description forthcoming

Moderator TBD

Workshop 1: Roundtable Discussion of EP Enforcement Activities…Come Share your Stories!

Description forthcoming

Moderator Joni Jennings

Workshop 2: HSAs and Consumer Driven Healthcare

Now that the agencies have had their final (at least for now) word on HSAs and HRAs, what issues are early adopters struggling with? What disadvantages and disincentives remain for HSA/HDHP programs and how will employers and participants address them?  After a quick review of recent agency guidance, embark upon a drive down the consumer driven highway. The discussion includes a multifaceted analysis of "roadblocks" and "solutions" implemented by plan sponsors; insurers; third party administrators; trustee/custodians; and investment partners.

Moderator Greg Matthews

Workshop 3: Mergers and Acquisitions

Are you frustrated by the benefits challenges that arise when your clients purchase other companies or are purchased themselves? Are you unfamiliar with company transactions, so that you cannot figure out what the rules are? Does your 410(b)(6) grace period lack grace? Is your patience being tested along with nondiscrimination? This is the session for you! Ilene Ferenczy will help simplify the ins-and-outs of company purchases and sales, and will show you the ropes on what happens to qualified plans of both the buyer and the target after a company transaction. More importantly, she will let you know what is unresolved by Congress and the IRS and what some possible solutions are.

Moderator Adam Pozek

Workshop 4: The Katrina Aftermath

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the IRS, the DOL, and Congress were quick to act with employee benefit plan related relief for affected participants and employers. This session will provide information about, and practical advice in dealing with, the administrative and statutory relief provisions from two “Katrina affected” with direct hands-on experience.

Moderator Joni Jennings

Workshop 5: Here We Go Again: EGTRRA Restatements

Keeping plan documents up-to-date with the tax and labor laws is a challenge for both plan sponsors and practitioners. This session will provide the latest word on the EGTRRA updating process, mandatory interim amendments and what to expect in the future.

Moderator Adam Pozek

Workshop 6: What’s New with EPCRS?

Description forthcoming

Moderator Greg matthews

General Session 3: IRS Q&A

Find out what the Internal Revenue Service's position is on the pension issues of our time. Better yet, submit your question in advance to make sure it is answered and part of the published conference material.

Moderator Craig Hoffman

Workshop 7: Contingent Worker – Traps for the Unwary

Description forthcoming

Moderator Susan Petrirena

Workshop 8: 403(b)/457 – The “Other” Retirement Plans

Description forthcoming

Moderator Kyla Keck

Workshop 9: DOL Proposed Mandate of Electronic Filing of Form 5500

Description forthcoming

Moderator Adam Pozek

Workshop 10: How to Run your TPA Firm for Fun and Profit

Description
Moderator Kyla Keck

Workshop 11: Sex, Lies and Revenue Sharing

The objective of this session is to educate attendees on various service delivery structures and shed light on some of the different revenue sharing arrangements, many of which although perfectly legal are “underneath” the radar screen” of the normal due diligence processes being conducted by retirement plan committees. Many of the revenue sharing arrangements are important in providing pricing efficiencies and investment flexibility that might otherwise not exist. The problem occurs when a plan committee relies on the advice or guidance of an individual or firm that may also participate in some aspect of revenue sharing with the specific funds or platforms they are recommending. This session will also review the ERISA issues that may be implicated in these types of arrangements and what plan fiduciaries should watch out for.

Moderator Todd Lacey

Workshop 12: Puerto Rican Plans

Description forthcoming

Moderator Tod Yeslow

General Session 4: Ask the Experts Luncheon

Speakers will highlight various issues that come to light during the course of the conference and will respond to questions from the attendees on all topics.

Moderator TBA

Workshop 13: Implementation, Triumphs and Pitfalls of the 401(k) Regulations

It is time to look at our 401(k) Plan operation for 2006. New regulations take effect this year, unless the employer chose to implement them sooner. When is the plan amendment required and who is providing the text? Does the contribution formula used in prior years work the same way in 2006, considering the restrictions placed on both “bottom-up” and safe-harbor matching contributions? What impact are the new Roth contributions having on your plans? What issues might be waiting to bite us that we may not be aware of? Hear the exciting things the IRS has to say that you may not have anticipated.

Moderator Adam Pozek

Workshop 14: What’s next for Defined Benefits Plans?

Description forthcoming

Moderator J. J. McKinney

Workshop 15: Administrative and Design Issues Under the New 409 A Regulations

Description forthcoming

Moderator Cynthia Groszkiewicz

Workshop 16: DOL Proposed Mandate of Electronic Filing of Form 5500 (repeat of Workshop 9)

Moderator Greg Matthews

Workshop 17: The Brave New World of Roth 401(k)

The last of EGTRRA’s retirement plan provisions, the Roth 401(k), took effect on January 1, 2006. In this session, we will discuss the final regulations and the effect on plan design, administration and nondiscrimination testing. We will also review the proposed guidance on distributions from Roth 401(k) accounts and some of the economic and tax considerations that may affect a participant’s decision to elect Traditional or Roth deferrals.

Moderator: Joni Jennings

Workshop 18: Getting Your Benefits Processes to Match Your SOX

Sarbanes-Oxley imposes upon the executive management of public U.S. companies the requirement to certify that nothing exists in the company's operation or financials which could amount to "material" for purposes of the mandatory control report. This presentation (1) discusses the exercise of determining what events in benefits administration could amount to "material" for purposes of Sarbanes-Oxley and, (2) explores considerations and procedures for the establishment, implementation, and operation of internal controls of the administration and governance of qualified employee benefit plans for public and non-public companies.

Moderator J. J. McKinney