News

Extra! Extra! Stay up to date on the latest news about the DWC team.

The retirement plan landscape is ever evolving. We distill the details so you don’t have to!

We’ve corralled the best news from inside the beltway – not only regulations, but also new legislation from Congress as well as relevant guidance from the IRS and Department of Labor. In true DWC fashion, we don’t just repackage a recitation of the rules, we provide our thoughts and commentary about what those rules mean to you.

We know cash balance rules can be intimidating! Settle into the Cash Balance Corner and let us break it down for you.

Have 401(k) questions? We have 401(k) answers! We bring you answers to many of the common questions we receive.

A behind-the-scenes look not at how the sausage is made, but why we make it the way we do. (Hint: It’s all about the best interests of the client.)

We’re all about learning from other people’s (alleged) mistakes. We might not be attorneys, but we still follow benefits-related cases and summarize lessons and key take-aways. No hourly fee needed for these insights!

A deeper dive into retirement plan topics doesn’t have to be headache-inducing. Our Pension Primer articles provide depth of information without depth of jargon!

10/21/22

DWC | 10/21/2022

DWC - The 401(k) Experts Announces Tianna Schulz as Firm Partner

National 401(k) Consultancy Expands Partnership with Tianna Schulz promoted to Partner Virginia Beach, VA – October 21, 2022 - DWC - The 401(k) Experts, an industry leader in providing 401(k) plan ...

DWC | 05/16/2022

DWC in Investment News: Bitcoin Too Risky for 401(k)s Part II?

"Before Fidelity made its move, the Department of Labor had sent a warning about using crypto in retirement accounts. In March, the agency issued a compliance assistance release cautioning retirement ...

DWC | 01/22/2021

DWC The 401(k) Experts Partner Joe Nichols Announced as ARA President

National 401(k) Consultancy is Proud to Announce Joe Nichols as President of the ARA ST PAUL, Minn. – January 21, 2021 - The American Retirement Association (ARA) has named Joe Nichols, ASA, EA, MSPA ...

DWC | 12/2/2020

DWC - The 401(k) Experts Announces Joe Nichols as Firm Partner

National 401(k) Consultancy Expands Partnership with Joe Nichols promoted to Partner KANSAS CITY, MO – December 1, 2020 - DWC - The 401(k) Experts, an industry leader in providing 401(k) plan ...

DWC | 09/24/2020

Pension Pontifications | Q3 2020

Over the last several months we’ve been in touch quite a bit to keep you up to date on the many changing regulations occurring in the industry as legislators work to react to current events and ...

DWC | 09/1/2020

DWC - The 401(k) Experts Announces Jamelle Moody as Principal

HOUSTON, TX. – September 1, 2020 - DWC - The 401(k) Experts, an industry leader in providing 401(k) plan compliance, defined benefit services, consulting services and third-party plan administration ...

DWC | 08/13/2020

DWC Celebrates the Success of its Summer 2020 Intern Consultants

DWC is honored to announce its 2020 intern consultants as they complete their final stage of the DWC University Intern Program.

DWC | 07/30/2020

Jacki Betz Joins DWC as Director of Business Development

MIAMI, FL. – July 30, 2020 – DWC – The 401(k) Experts, an industry leader in providing 401(k) plan compliance, defined benefit services, consulting services and third-party plan administration, has ...

DWC | 06/29/2020

DWC News Update | eDisclosures: Initial Notice and Notice of Internet Availability

Welcome to the exciting conclusion of our foray into the brave new world of eDisclosures. Today, in our final look at the DOL’s new eDisclosure ruling, we will breakdown the Initial Notice and the ...

DWC | 06/25/2020

Pension Pontifications | Q2 2020

Get ready for the “PEP as panacea” pitch to the small plan marketplace (think low cost, highest quality services, coolest technology, least risk, etc.). We’ve already seen one promoter using the ...

DWC | 06/15/2020

DWC News Update | eDisclosures: Covered Documents

The Department of Labor’s new rules that expand the electronic distribution of plan-related notices is a long-overdue and welcome change. We have provided a summary of the new eDisclosure rules and ...

DWC | 06/8/2020

DWC News Update | eDisclosures: A Deep Dive into Electronic Addresses and Internet Websites

Although the Department of Labor’s new ruling on electronic disclosures doesn’t officially go live until the end of next month, it is already breathing new life into some fairly antiquated-sounding ...

DWC | 05/29/2020

DWC News Update | New eDisclosure Rules: Maybe This Whole Internet Thing is Going to Stick

Just before Memorial Day weekend, the Department of Labor published rules allowing plan sponsors to set electronic media as the default method to provide plan information to participants. At more ...

DWC | 04/16/2020

The CARES Act Weekly Update | 4.16.2020

As the conversations surrounding CARES Act provisions continue to evolve, we are constantly updating our FAQs to provide the most in-depth and up to date information. This week, as a result of a lot ...

DWC | 04/9/2020

The CARES Act Weekly Update | 4.9.2020

This week we took a deeper look into participant's self-certification that they are eligible for relief under the Act, as well as the option some service providers are taking to automatically ...

DWC | 03/30/2020

DWC News Update | The CARES Act: Federal Coronavirus Relief

On Friday afternoon, March 27th, Congress passed, and the President signed, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act - sweeping legislation intended to provide much-needed ...

DWC | 12/17/2019

DWC News Update | The SECURE Act Has Snuck Through

(Updated 12/23/2019) Late Friday evening (aboard Air Force One leaving DC for his holiday retreat), President Trump signed the spending bill that included the SECURE Act. In a bit of last-minute ...

DWC | 12/12/2019

Pension Pontifications | Q4 2019

Written by Keith Clark, Managing Partner The end of the year is a time for reflection, and this year we have a lot to look back on. We entered our 20th year of business this past May. Eleven years ...

DWC | 10/24/2019

DWC News Update | Two Years in the Making: The Final IRS Hardship Distribution Regulations Are Here

It’s been a while, but we finally have them! Late last month, the IRS published the final hardship distribution regulations, nearly two years after Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act and the ...

DWC | 09/18/2019

Meet the MEPs: What's Next?

Welcome to the finale of our series on the Department of Labor’s new regulations, updating the definition of “Employer” under ERISA to extend the availability of multiple employer plans to more ...

DWC | 09/12/2019

Pension Pontifications | Q3 2019

All of us here at DWC thrive on the really geeky stuff, and some of the best discussions start with our pontifications about how different topics impact our clients and our industry. We decided to ...

DWC | 09/11/2019

Meet the MEPs: Grab Bag

The Department of Labor’s new regulations that expand the availability of multiple employer plans cover quite a bit of ground. In previous posts, we’ve explored Association MEPs, PEO MEPs, Corporate ...

DWC | 08/28/2019

Meet the MEPs: Corporate MEPs

Thanks to the Department of Labor’s recently published regulations, we went from just having multiple employer plans top having several different types of MEPs. We’ve already covered association MEPs ...

DWC | 08/21/2019

Meet the MEPs: PEOs

The next item up for bids in our series on the Department of Labor’s new regulations on multiple employer plans is on professional employer organizations, more commonly referred to by their acronym: ...

DWC | 08/15/2019

Uncashed Distribution Checks? The IRS Provides New Guidance...Sort Of

Just about anyone who has dealt with a 401(k) plan – either as a plan sponsor or a service provider – for any amount of time has had to deal with the issue of participants not timely cashing plan ...

DWC | 08/14/2019

Meet the MEPs: Working Owners

Unless you’ve been on vacation somewhere off the grid, you’ve likely heard the news and read the headlines that the Department of Labor recently published new regulations that expand the availability ...

DWC | 08/7/2019

Meet the MEPs: Association Retirement Plans

When the Department of Labor’s new multiple employer plan regulations take effect later this year, we will have three types of MEPs:

DWC | 07/30/2019

DWC News Update: It's Just Another MEPish Monday

Yesterday morning while we were all sipping our first cup of Monday morning coffee, the Department of Labor published its much-anticipated final regulations expanding the availability of multiple ...

DWC | 07/8/2019

DWC News Update: A Bad Apple a Day Keeps the MEP Away

One of the drawbacks that is often cited about multiple employer plans is the so-called “one bad apple rule.” It provides that if a single participating employer in a MEP allows its part of the plan ...

DWC | 05/24/2019

DWC News Update: House Passes the SECURE Act

-A breakdown of breaking news from DWC's Managing Partner, Keith Clark If you are reading the mainstream press, the SECURE Act being signed into law is just around the corner. While the overwhelming ...

DWC | 04/22/2019

DWC News Update: The IRS Helps Those Who Help Themselves

The IRS did its part to make Friday, April 19th a really good Friday for those who sponsor qualified retirement plans. After not making many friends when it jacked up the user fees for the Voluntary ...

DWC | 04/1/2019

DWC News Update: Will Association MEPs be DOA?

If you followed any news outlets at all on Friday, you probably read or heard headlines like this one from CNN: “Court Blocks Another Trump Attempt to Undermine Obamacare”. While the Washington, D.C. ...

DWC | 03/14/2019

Pension Pontifications | Q1 2019

DWC | 01/25/2019

New eBook: How To Select Retirement Plan Service Providers

Are you a plan sponsor? Then it's your fiduciary duty to hire and oversee the industry service providers for your plan. This new eBook will help you do it right.

DWC | 12/6/2018

Q4 Pension Pontifications

DWC | 12/3/2018

Joe Nichols Joins DWC as Firm Actuary

SAVANNAH, MO – December 3, 2018 – DWC - The 401(k) Experts, an industry leader in providing 401(k) plan compliance, defined benefit services, consulting services and third-party plan administration, ...

DWC | 11/13/2018

Breaking News: Hardship Distributions Becoming Even Less of a Hardship Than Previously Expected

Nearly a year after Congress passed changes to the hardship distribution rules in the Bipartisan Budget Act and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the IRS has published proposed regulations to fill in some ...

DWC | 11/8/2018

Announcing a New Knowledge Center Experience

At DWC we thrive on the really geeky stuff. We place a premium on research and choose to share that knowledge. A vast majority of our industry reads summaries of regulatory developments and trends ...

DWC | 10/11/2018

Plan Sponsors & Fiduciaries: Here's What You Should Be Watching

DWC stays on top of what's trending, and our self-proclaimed pension geeks often offer their insights in industry publications. As we transition into the fourth quarter the theme has been, "What Plan ...

DWC | 08/23/2018

DWC's Tianna Schulz Relocates to New Orleans, Expands Company Presence

NEW ORLEANS - Aug. 20, 2018 - DWC - The 401(k) Experts, an industry leader in providing 401(k) plan compliance, defined benefit services, consulting services and third-party plan administration, ...

DWC | 08/21/2018

Breaking News: The IRS PLR on Student Loan Benefits in 401(k) Plans is Much Ado About Not Much

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to highlight the IRS’ not-so-ground-breaking entrance into the world of student loan benefits in 401(k) plans.

DWC | 08/16/2018

Retirement Planning & Regulatory Trends You Should Be Watching

Feeling out of the loop on industry happenings this summer? DWC stays on top of what's trending, and our self-proclaimed pension geeks often offer their insights in industry publications. Get caught ...

DWC | 08/2/2018

Another Summer Intern Program Success for DWC

DWC is honored to announce its six 2018 summer intern consultants have successfully completed their summer program.

DWC | 07/26/2018

How Plan Sponsors Can be Better Fiduciaries (With or Without the Rule)

Whether a company is small or large, chances are it offers employees a 401(k). But this well-intentioned benefit has become target practice for attorneys, with lawsuits against companies ranging from ...

DWC | 07/12/2018

Here's What Happens to Your 401(k) After a Company Merger or Acquisition

Corporate mergers and acquisitions can be stressful. When employees hear that their company is part of such a deal, they instinctively worry about their jobs. Even with reassurances that there's no ...

DWC | 07/3/2018

DWC Continues Expansion, Adds Ali Bechtel as Marketing Director

RALEIGH, NC - June 18, 2018 - DWC - The 401(k) Experts, an industry leader in providing 401(k) plan compliance, defined benefit services, consulting services and third-party plan administration, has ...

DWC | 06/14/2018

When Will Bitcoin Make Its Way to 401(k) Plans?

For more than a year bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have been making headlines, and its skyrocketing value has investors asking when it will become an investment menu option for their 401(k) or ...

DWC | 04/19/2018

The Importance of Due Diligence in Choosing a TPA

Choosing a third-party administrator to manage your company's document design, compliance or government reporting services should be based on careful due diligence, rather than on the price of fees, ...

DWC | 01/22/2018

DWC in Business News Daily: Tax Policy Changes in 2018

As we move into the new year, Business News Daily's Adam Uzialko advises businesses to stay up to date on new regulatory policies and debates.

DWC | 01/8/2018

DWC in Bloomberg: Pension Funds and Bitcoin Futures

Regulated exchanges such as the Chicago Board Options Exchange, CME Group, and Nasdaq are either already trading or planning to trade bitcoin futures, an asset that is known to be particularly ...

DWC | 12/28/2017

DWC in Kiplinger: Leveraging a Backdoor Roth IRA

If Roth IRAs offer a legitimate long-term savings strategy by allowing people to generate tax-free income, why do less than a third of IRA investors have such an account? The short answer is income ...

DWC | 12/6/2017

DWC in BenefitsPRO: Tax Bill Might Affect 401(k) Offerings

The reconciliation of the tax reform bills working their way through Congress is prompting retirement industry experts to speak up. Many are expressing concern that the unintended consequence of the ...

DWC | 10/30/2017

DWC in Kiplinger: Three Common 401(k) Problems and How to Avoid Them

Participants could potentially be losing a portion of their retirement savings due to some tricky 401(k) administrative issues. In a recent article for Kiplinger, DWC Managing Partner Keith Clark ...

DWC | 10/23/2017

ASPPA Inaugurates DWC Partner Adam Pozek as 49th President

ST PAUL, Minn. – October 23, 2017 - The American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) inaugurated Adam C. Pozek, QPA, QKA, CPFA, as the new President of the organization during ...

DWC | 09/18/2017

DWC in Bloomberg BNA: Bitcoin Too Risky for 401(k)s?

"Bitcoin may be the hottest thing going in the investment world, but 401(k) plan participants aren’t likely to see it on their regular investment menus anytime soon," writes Jasmine Ye Han in ...

DWC | 09/11/2017

DWC in FiduciaryNews: The Rise and Fall of Corporate Pension Plans

"Much has been written lamenting the near extinction of the corporate pension plan," Chris Carosa writes in a book excerpt posted to FiduciaryNews.com. "Are reports shaded by rose-colored glasses? ...

DWC | 08/31/2017

DWC in Human Resource Executive Online: All About Exchange-Traded Fund Assets

If exchange-traded fund assets are hot among individual investors, why are employers slow to add them as an option for employees?

DWC | 08/23/2017

DWC in 401(k) Specialist: Trends to Watch in Plan Service

"The 401(k) service sector has evolved considerably since its introduction in the Revenue Act of 1978," writes DWC Partner Keith Clark in 401(k) Specialist.

DWC | 08/10/2017

DWC in FiduciaryNews: 401(k) Rollovers and Roth IRAs

"To Roth or Not to Roth," that is the title question of Christopher Carosa's latest FiduciaryNews.com article about 401(k) rollovers.

DWC | 08/2/2017

DWC in PLANADVISER: New Comparability Plans

More and more small, professional companies are interested in new comparability, or cross-tested, plans.

DWC | 07/3/2017

DWC in the Wall Street Journal: Target-Date Funds

Even as target date funds have become staples in 401(k) investment menus, there continue to be questions about their appropriateness as participants approach retirement age. Is the target date meant ...

DWC | 06/30/2017

DWC in U.S. News & World Report: 401(k) Brokerage Options

Once primarily the domain of 401(k) plans of professional organizations such as law firms or medical practices, the self-directed brokerage window has become a more common option in plans sponsored ...

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News

Extra! Extra! Stay up to date on the latest news about the DWC team.

The retirement plan landscape is ever evolving. We distill the details so you don’t have to!

We know cash balance rules can be intimidating! Settle into the Cash Balance Corner and let us break it down for you.

Have 401(k) questions? We have 401(k) answers! We bring you answers to many of the common questions we receive.

A behind-the-scenes look not at how the sausage is made, but why we make it the way we do. (Hint: It’s all about the best interests of the client.)

We’re all about learning from other people’s (alleged) mistakes. We might not be attorneys, but we still follow benefits-related cases and summarize lessons and key take-aways. No hourly fee needed for these insights!

A deeper dive into retirement plan topics doesn’t have to be headache-inducing. Our Pension Primer articles provide depth of information without depth of jargon!

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