ACG Blog

It is generally the case that the more compensation one earns, the bigger the contributions and benefits he may receive from a qualified retirement plan. The limits on salary deferrals in 401(k) plans, annual additions in defined contribution plans, ...

The IRS, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) and Social Security Administration (SSA) have announced 2019 contribution and benefit limits and other numbers of interest. Many of these can be found here. Most limits and thresholds will see mode...

In qualified retirement plans, vesting refers to what portion of your benefit you get to take with you when you receive a payout from the plan. It’s how much of your account you “own.” If you are 100 percent vested, it means you are entitled to recei...

You are retired. Congratulations! It has been a long time coming, and you are now enjoying your new freedom, flexibility and options as to how you spend your days. You may be spending time with your grandchildren, traveling, pursuing a new passion or...

I don’t know about you, but it’s hard for me to believe that it’s a new year already. Where did 2017 go? A client recently asked me if I could recommend one piece of advice for retirement savings in the New Year, what would it be? My overwhelming res...

Cash balance plans have gained in popularity over the last number of years because of the tax savings opportunities available to high-earning business owners and executives. Cash balance plans offer characteristics of both defined contribution plans,...

When deciding how to invest your money, the most important question is, “How much risk should I take?” Your answer can mean the difference between meeting your goals—for example, retiring when and how you want—and falling short of them. Unfortunately...

When an employee leaves a small company, the expectation is that he will withdraw his 401(k) money at the same time. While former employees of larger companies often leave their 401(k) money in the plan until retirement, small companies have less tol...

Not everybody is familiar with precise definitions of pension terms like Highly Compensated Employee, but most of us would agree that someone with an annual salary of $500,000 sounds like an HCE. In most cases, we’d be right. But there is one instanc...