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Finance Questions Retirement Planning

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Subject
Finance
School
Grantham University
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Homework
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Complete the following questions:
SET 1
W5 Questions Questions 1-8 (Attached)
1. Describe the distribution options for pension plans.
Once the participant reaches the normal retirement age for the pension plan, their
retirement benefits are distributed on the pension plan through annuity payable for the
participant’s life. It is also an option that the pension plan permits a lump-sum but it does not
happen all the time. When a person dies before the retirement age, his/her spouse that is still alive
usually receives QPSA, or the qualified preretirement survivor annuity.
2. Describe the distribution options for profit-sharing plans.
The distribution options for profit-sharing plans can allow the participant to have the
money either as taxable income, annuitized values, or even rolled over into a qualified plan or
IRA. This is because profit-sharing plans can impart the participants with a lump-sum
distribution at termination.
3. Describe rollovers and when and how they are used.
Rollovers can help the participant transfer the balance of his/her account into another
qualified plan, which can also be an IRA account, then keep deferring the recognition of income
taxes up to the point of ultimate distribution of assets happen. This is beneficial in situation when
the option of taking a lump-sum distribution is possible for the participant but they do not want
to withdraw the account balance. The participant will then choose to rollover the account balance
when they had terminated their employment but they still want to keep benefitting from the tax-
deferred growth and plan for his retirement.
4. Discuss the circumstances that will result in a qualified retirement plan participant having
adjusted basis in plan assets.
An example of a situation is that the employee possesses an adjusted basis in the qualified
plan because the employer or plan participant had deposited after-tax contributions into a
qualified plan. When a life insurance is purchased in a plan or a thrift plan arrangement is there,
adjusted basis in plan assets is also usually contained there.
5. List the three special options available for lump-sum distributions from a qualified plan.
a. 10-year forward averaging
b. Pre-1974 capital gain treatment.
c. Net unrealized appreciation treatment for distribution of employer securities.
6. Describe qualified plan loans and their limitations.
Qualified plans are permitted to make loans to the participants of the plan. Loans help
encourage rank-and-file type of employees to contribute to the plans without fear that they will
be unable to access the funds if needed. This is why plan loans are made: to be accessible and

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available to all participants and beneficiaries on an effectively equal basis, and there must be a
limit set in amount that should be paid back within an agreed period of time, contain a reasonable
rate of interest, secured, and the plan administrator or company must maintain proper accounting
for the loans. 401(k) plans and 403(b) plans typically have these, and already comes with a
package of employee contributions along with the qualified plan loans.
7. How are Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDRO) treated with regards to a qualified
retirement plans?
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) prevents assets in a
qualified plan from being given or alienated to favor a third party while it’s participant owns it
under their name. However, third parties such as a spouse or former spouse, may be entitled to a
portion of a participant’s qualified plan benefits. A QDRO is an order, judgment, or decree set
forth by a judge that details the right of the third party to receive benefits from a qualified plan
or IRA. QDROs can be used for child support, alimony, or marital property rights to a spouse,
former spouse, child, or other dependent of a participant. A distribution to a spouse pursuant to
a QDRO will not be considered a distribution to the participant as long as the assets are deposited
into an IRA or qualified plan.
8. Discuss the penalty for distributions from a qualified plan before 59 ½.
To discourage taxpayers from using the funds before retirement age, the distributions
before the age of 59 ½ will be subject to a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty. There are
situations where an individual may want or need to take distributions from a qualified plan before
their retirement due to various reasons. However, exceptions to the 10 percent early withdrawal
penalty can be applied.
W6 Questions Questions 1-6 (Attached)
1. Describe the business and personal issues that should be considered when making a qualified
plan selection.
For business issues that can impact plan selection are the employee census, employee
turnover, funding requirements, philosophy about employee savings, and the costs to adopt,
implement, and maintain the plan. The retirement plan decision makers in a small company are
usually the owners, while executive management and human resource management usually make
the decisions for a large company.
2. What is an employee census and why is it important?
The census will identify each employee, their age, compensation, number of years of
employment, and any ownership interest. This is crucial to consider because plans can be
structured to benefit depending on the level of compensation of the employees as well as the age.
The census can identify which employees will benefit (and to what extent) from using various
possible types of plans.

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Complete the following questions: SET 1 W5 Questions – Questions 1-8 (Attached) 1. Describe the distribution options for pension plans. Once the participant reaches the normal retirement age for the pension plan, their retirement benefits are distributed on the pension plan through annuity payable for the participant’s life. It is also an option that the pension plan permits a lump-sum but it does not happen all the time. When a person dies before the retirement age, his/her spouse that is still alive usually receives QPSA, or the qualified preretirement survivor annuity. 2. Describe the distribution options for profit-sharing plans. The distribution options for profit-sharing plans can allow the participant to have the money either as taxable income, annuitized values, or even rolled over into a qualified plan or IRA. This is because profit-sharing plans can impart the participants with a lump-sum distribution at termination. 3. Describe rollovers and when and how they are used. Rollovers can help the participant transfer the balance of his/her account into another qualified plan, which can also be an IRA account, then keep deferring the recognition of income taxes up to the point of ultimate distribution of assets happen. This is beneficial in situation when the option of taking a lump-sum distribution is possible for the participant but they do not want to withdraw the account balance. The participant will then choose to rollover the account balance when they had termi ...
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