Retirement: 6 403b Plans and Other Plan Issues Flashcards
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Although Section 403(b) plans are frequently referred to as tax-sheltered or tax deferred annuity plans, there are three different investment options listed in IRS
Publication 571:
These are provided through an insurance company. They may be either fixed or variable. A fixed
one provides a guaranteed minimum rate of return while variable ones offer separate investments accounts called “sub accounts,” which are similar to
mutual funds. Available sub accounts may include an account that provides a guaranteed rate, at least for a short term. Other sub-accounts may be invested in
stocks, bonds, money markets, or a combination of these investments.
a. Annuity contracts
b. Custodial accounts holding mutual fund shares
c. Retirement income account.
a. Annuity contracts
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Although Section 403(b) plans are frequently referred to as tax-sheltered or tax deferred annuity plans, there are three different investment options listed in IRS
Publication 571:
The assets must be held by a bank or an approved nonbank trustee or custodian that meets certain requirements imposed by the IRS. The assets in this account must be invested exclusively in regulated investment company stock, commonly known as mutual funds
a. Annuity contracts
b. Custodial accounts holding mutual fund shares
c. Retirement income account.
b. Custodial accounts holding mutual fund shares
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Although Section 403(b) plans are frequently referred to as tax-sheltered or tax deferred annuity plans, there are three different investment options listed in IRS
Publication 571:
These are established by a church or church-related organization. They are generally subject to the rules for annuity contracts and must meet certain requirements, such as separate accounting for the participant’s interest in the invested assets.
a. Annuity contracts
b. Custodial accounts holding mutual fund shares
c. Retirement income account.
c. Retirement income account.
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Life insurance can be offered as part of an annuity contract; however, this component can only be an _____. This is because the primary reason for a 403(b) plan (or any qualified or retirement plan) is to provide retirement benefits, not life insurance.
a. “secondary benefit.”
b. “incidental benefit.”
c. “inessential benefit.”
b. “incidental benefit.”
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Determination of whether or not the life insurance is incidental is based upon the ratio of the life insurance cost or premium to the total amount contributed to the
Section 403(b) account. The allowable ratio depends upon whether or not the life insurance is ordinary or non-ordinary. Whole life policies are considered
_____.
a. ordinary
b. non-ordinary
a. ordinary
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Determination of whether or not the life insurance is incidental is based upon the ratio of the life insurance cost or premium to the total amount contributed to the Section 403(b) account. The allowable ratio depends upon whether or not the life insurance is ordinary or non-ordinary. \_\_\_\_\_ includes both term insurance and universal life contracts.
a. ordinary
b. non-ordinary
b. non-ordinary
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
For life insurance to qualify as _____, the plans must meet the following limitations:
- the premium on ordinary life insurance must be less than 50% of the total contributions;
- the premium on non-ordinary plans must be less than 25% of the total contributions; and
- when life insurance is included as part of a TSA, the insured participant must include in his or her income each year the cost of the life insurance protection—that is, the economic benefit derived from life insurance.
a. secondary
b. incidental
c. inessential
b. incidental
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
The amount of life insurance protection is based upon the face amount minus the cash value of the contract at the end of the year. The reason it is done this way is
so that the premiums for the actual life insurance protection are paid with _____ dollars; then the death benefit would be distributed tax free to the beneficiary.
a. pretax
b. after tax
b. after tax
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
In order to contribute to a 403(b) plan (or any retirement plan) one must have compensation; what is often referred to as earned income or includible compensation. Here are some examples of what is and is not considered to be compensation.
- wages, salaries, and fees for personal service to the employer;
- certain taxable accident and health insurance programs;
- moving expense payments or reimbursements paid by the employer if not deductible by the employee;
- elective deferrals to a Section 401(k), Section 403(b), or similar arrangement;
- amounts deferred under a Section 125 cafeteria plan;
- amounts deferred under a Section 457 plan.
a. included as compensation
b. not included as compensation
a. included as compensation
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
In order to contribute to a 403(b) plan (or any retirement plan) one must have compensation; what is often referred to as earned income or includible compensation. Here are some examples of what is and is not considered to be compensation.
- employer contributions to the employee’s 403(b) account
- compensation earned while the employer was not an eligible employer
- cost of incidental life insurance.
a. included as compensation
b. not included as compensation
b. not included as compensation
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Generally, an employee cannot defer more than _____ (in 2016) of compensation in a given tax year. This amount includes deferrals made through all similar plans except the 457 plan, which has its own separate deferral limit.
a. $12,500
b. $18,000
c. $25,000
b. $18,000
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
TSA participants, regardless of their age, who have at least __ years of service with a qualified organization are allowed a “long service catch-up contribution.”
That is, the IRC Section 402(g) limitation on exclusion for elective deferrals is increased. This provision is unique to 403(b) plans.
a. 5
b. 10
c. 15
c. 15
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
A “qualified organization” means any “HER” organization:
- Health
- Education
- _____
a. Religious
b. Real Estate
c. Retail
a. Religious
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
The increase for the long service catch-up is the lesser of the following:
-$3,000
or
-$15,000 reduced by “increases for long service” used in earlier years
or
-$_____ times the number of years of service for the organization, minus the total elective deferrals made in previous years.
a. $5,000
b. $10,000
c. $20,000
a. $5,000
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Example. John Smith, age 40, has worked for the local school district and been in the 403(b) plan since he was 24. He recently received an inheritance, so he is
in the position to defer as much as possible this year of his $45,000 in compensation. In addition to the $18,000 regular deferral, he may also be able to
defer an additional _____, since he has been with his employer for at least 15 years.
a. $2,000
b. $3,000
c. $4,000
b. $3,000
Note that this additional deferral amount is based on years of service, and does not require a minimum age
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Example. John Smith, age 40, has worked for the local school district and been in the 403(b) plan since he was 24. He recently received an inheritance, so he is in the position to defer as much as possible this year of his $45,000 in compensation. In addition to the $18,000 regular deferral, he may also be able to defer an additional $3,000, since he has been with his employer for at least 15 years. (Note that this additional deferral amount is based on years of service, and does not require a minimum age). If John were to defer the maximum service catch-up each year ($3,000), it would take him five years to achieve the maximum amount available for the service catch-up, which is _____. John is too young to use the age 50 catch-up.
a. $5,000
b. $10,000
c. $15,000
c. $15,000
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Example 1. Laurie is a public school teacher and participant in her district’s Section 403(b) TSA plan. She is 48 years old and has been with the district for 14
years. Her salary for the year was $58,000, including a salary reduction agreement of $12,600. The district used that $12,600 to purchase a tax-sheltered annuity on her behalf. Since Laurie has made a $12,600 contribution, the district would be limited to a contribution of
a. $30,400
b. $40,400
c. $53,000
c.
b. $40,400
$40,400 ($53,000 – $12,600 = $40,400) if the district made employer contributions.
Section 415 limits the annual contribution to Laurie’s account to the lesser of $53,000 or 100% of Laurie’s compensation. In this case, the Section 415 limit would be $53,000 and would include contributions from the district and Laurie’s salary deferral.
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Example 1. Laurie is a public school teacher and participant in her district’s Section 403(b) TSA plan. She is 48 years old and has been with the district for 14
years. Her salary for the year was $58,000, including a salary reduction agreement of $12,600. The district used that $12,600 to purchase a tax-sheltered annuity on her behalf. Since Laurie has made a $12,600 contribution, the district would be limited to a contribution of
a. $30,400
b. $40,400
c. $53,000
b. $40,400
$40,400 ($53,000 – $12,600 = $40,400) if the district made employer contributions.
Section 415 limits the annual contribution to Laurie’s account to the lesser of $53,000 or 100% of Laurie’s compensation. In this case, the Section 415 limit would be $53,000 and would include contributions from the district and Laurie’s salary deferral.
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
If a participant over-contributes to the TSA, and it is not corrected in a timely fashion, an excise tax of ___ of the excess amount may be imposed. If the contribution was to a custodial account, the tax will apply; if made to an annuity, the excise tax will not apply.
a. 6%
b. 10%
c. 25%
a. 6%
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
An in-service distribution _____ be taken prior to age 59½
a. can
b. can not
a. can
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
TSA plans that are subject to ERISA must provide for a qualified joint and survivor annuity (QJSA). This is the required form of distribution for married plan participants and can be changed only with the written and notarized consent of the spouse. It must provide the surviving spouse a minimum of ___ of the payment that is in effect prior to the death of the deceased spouse.
a. 50%
b. 65%
c. 75%
a. 50%
The plan must also allow participants to choose either a 50% QJSA (at the least) or a 75% QJSA when the benefit is annuitized.
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
The employee participant who has attained age __ can take a distribution at his or her discretion, within vesting limitations. However, employed participants
who have not reached this age may still be able to tap some of the value in their accounts, either through withdrawals or loans. Most employers offer one or the
other, or both, but they are not required to do so.
a. 55
b. 59½
c. 70½
b. 59½
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Section 403(b) plans are allowed to provide for in-service hardship withdrawals (_____ offer them). A hardship withdrawal must meet two tests:
- the participant must have an “immediate and heavy financial need,” and
- the distribution must be necessary to meet that need. (Therefore, loans must be exhausted prior to the granting of the hardship distribution.)
a. they must
b. but do not have to
b. but do not have to
Amount of distribution. In terms of the second test, the distribution cannot exceed the demonstrated financial need, and the need must be such that it cannot
be satisfied from the participant’s other resources.
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
A hardship distribution can be made from
a. salary deferrals
b. salary deferrals and earnings
c. salary deferrals, earnings, and employer contributions
a. salary deferrals
A hardship distribution can be made from salary deferrals only; employer contributions and earnings cannot be withdrawn as part of a hardship
withdrawal. Such distributions are not eligible for rollover, and therefore the 20% mandatory withholding does not apply. Hardship withdrawals create taxable
income, and would normally include a 10% penalty unless one of the exceptions apply.
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
With a hardship withdrawal, 20% mandatory withholding ____ apply.
a. does
b. does not
b. does not
Hardship withdrawals create taxable income, and would normally include a 10% penalty unless one of the exceptions apply.
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Loans from 403(b) plans are subject to limits stated in the plan and in the underlying investment. Loans generally cannot exceed the lesser of $50,000 or
50% of the participant’s vested account balance. Technically, for balances less than _____ and more than $10,000, the participant can borrow up to $10,000; and for balances less than $10,000 the participant can borrow the entire vested account balance
a. $20,000
b. $30,000
c. $40,000
a. $20,000
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
There is a _ year term limit on loans, except loans used to purchase a home.
a. 3
b. 5
c. 10
b. 5
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Deferrals _____ be made to a designated Roth 403(b) plan.
a. can
b. can not
a. can
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Tax-free distributions from Roth 403(b) contribution accounts. “Qualified distributions” are distributions made from a Roth 403(b) account when the Roth
account owner is at
- least age 59½, fully disabled, or deceased, and
- the account has been open for at least five calendar years.
The five-year “clock” starts on _____ of the year for which the contribution was made. For example, if a contribution was made in December 2013, the clock
would start _____ 2013.
a. January 1
b. April 1
c. December 31
a. January 1
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
If a participant has had a Roth IRA for more than five years, then by moving the Roth 403(b) over to the Roth IRA the five-year requirement _____ been met, regardless of how long the Roth 403(b) has been opened.
a. has
b. has not
a. has
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
If a participant has had the Roth 403(b) opened for years, and then establishes a Roth IRA to rollover into, the five-year clock for the Roth IRA will start as of January 1st of the year of the _____. It will not matter how long the Roth 403(b) has been opened in this case.
a. Roth 403(b) opening
b. rollover
b. rollover
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
The Roth 403(b) holding period requirement _____ to a participant or his or her beneficiary.
a. applies
b. does not apply
a. applies
For example, if the Roth account owner died after three years, the beneficiary would have to wait an additional two years to meet the five-year holding requirement.
Retirement 6-2: 403(b) Investment options
Nonqualified withdrawals from designated Roth accounts, such as the Roth 430(b), have _____ ordering rules than traditional Roth IRAs.
a. similar
b. different
b. different
Nonqualified distributions are treated as a pro rata return of Roth contributions and earnings. The portion of the distribution that represents earnings will be subject to ordinary income tax and possibly a 10% penalty tax for premature distributions. However, the portion of the withdrawal that represents a return of Roth 403(b) contributions would not be subject to tax.
Retirement 6-1: 403(b)
An employer-employee relationship must
exist to allow the individual to be considered an eligible employee. Independent contractors _____ be considered eligible.
a. would
b. would not
b. would not
Retirement 6-1: 403(b)
There are __ types of employers that qualify to offer Section 403(b) plans, as listed in IRA Publication 571.
a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
a. 2
Certain tax-exempt organizations and Public educational systems
Retirement 6-1: 403(b)
An employer sponsoring a TSA plan may have eligibility requirements similar to a qualified plan, such as
- minimum age of 21, or
- _ year of service.
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
a. 1
A TSA plan sponsor could also require two years of service for participation if employer contributions vest 100% immediately.
Retirement 6-1: 403(b)
A TSA plan that is provided by a tax-exempt educational institution could use age __ as the minimum age. To use the higher age limit, the plan could not use the two-years-of-service eligibility requirement.
a. 18
b. 25
c. 26
c. 26
Use of the age 26 minimum also requires 100% immediate vesting of employer contributions.
Retirement 6-1: 403(b)
Universal availability rule. Tax-sheltered annuity plans offering only salary reduction contributions (the employer contributes nothing) are subject to a single
nondiscrimination rule. The nondiscrimination requirement is satisfied if all employees who are willing to have a salary reduction of at least $_____ per year
are allowed to participate
a. $100.01
b. $200.01
c. $2,000.01
b. $200.01
Retirement 6-1: 403(b)
To be valid, the salary reduction agreement must be a contract. This contractual agreement between the employer and the employee must have the following
characteristics:
- the agreement must be legally binding and _____ as to salary earned while in effect,
- more than one agreement with the same employer in any taxable year may be allowed, and
- the employee may terminate or modify the agreement at any time with respect to amounts not yet earned.
a. revocable
b. irrevocable
b. irrevocable
Retirement 6-1: 403(b)
In regard to the vesting of employees’ contributions, a TSA plan has requirements similar to a Section 401(k) plan—i.e., participants’ salary reductions and any plan earnings on those amounts must be 100% vested.
Employer contributions, however, may be subject to vesting requirements. The Pension Protection Act requires all defined contribution plans to vest employer
contributions, both matching and non-elective, at least as rapidly as the three-year cliff or the _ year graded vesting schedules.
a. 4
b. 5
c. 6
c. 6
Retirement 6-1: 403(b)
Three-year cliff vesting. At the completion of three years of service, the participant is fully vested in his or her accumulated employer-provided benefits.
Should the employee terminate service with the employer prior to the completion of three years of service, the employee _____ be entitled to any portion of the plan accumulation attributable to employer contributions.
a. would
b. would not
b. would not
Retirement 6-1: 403(b)
Two- to six-year graded vesting. Vesting must occur at a rate of at least ___ per year, beginning at the completion of two years of service. The participant is fully vested at the completion of six years of service.
10%
20%
25%
20%
Retirement 6-1: 403(b)
TSA plans provide employees with many of the tax benefits provided by qualified plans, TSAs _____ considered to be qualified
a. are
b. are not
b. are not
Retirement 6-1: 403(b)
When employer matching contributions are part of a
403(b) plan, then the employer must carry out the ___ test.
a. ACP (actual contribution percentage)
b. ADP (actual deferral percentage)
a. ACP (actual contribution percentage)
Note: There is no ADP (actual deferral percentage) test required for 403(b) plans; the ADP test only applies to 401(k) plans.
Retirement 6-3: 403(b) and 401(k) Plans Compared
403(b) and 401(k) Plan Contribution Limits, 2016
Maximum salary reduction (elective deferral): $18,000 (as indexed in 2016), age 50 catch-up provision and
15 years of service catch-up provision
a. 403(b) Plan
b. 401(k) Plan
a. 403(b) Plan
Retirement 6-3: 403(b) and 401(k) Plans Compared
403(b) and 401(k) Plan Contribution Limits, 2016
Maximum salary reduction (elective deferral): $18,000 (as indexed in 2016), age 50 catch-up provision
a. 403(b) Plan
b. 401(k) Plan
b. 401(k) Plan .
Retirement 6-3: 403(b) and 401(k) Plans Compared
403(b) and 401(k) Plan Contribution Limits, 2016
Section 415 Limitation: Lesser of $53,000 or 100% of
compensation (as indexed in 2016)
a. 403(b) Plan
b. 401(k) Plan
Both
Retirement 6-3: 403(b) and 401(k) Plans Compared
403(b) and 401(k) Plan Contribution Limits, 2016
Maximum compensation considered: $265,000 (as indexed in 2016)
a. 403(b) Plan
b. 401(k) Plan
Both
Retirement 6-3: 403(b) and 401(k) Plans Compared
403(b) and 401(k) Plan Contribution Limits, 2016
15 years of service catch-up provision
a. 403(b) Plan
b. 401(k) Plan
a. 403(b) Plan
Retirement 6-3: 403(b) and 401(k) Plans Compared
403(b) and 401(k) Plan Contribution Limits, 2016
Age 50 catch-up provision
a. 403(b) Plan
b. 401(k) Plan
Both
Retirement 6-3: 403(b) and 401(k) Plans Compared
403(b) and 401(k) Plan Contribution Limits, 2016
Ability to change salary reduction amount: as specified in the plan
a. 403(b) Plan
b. 401(k) Plan
Both
Retirement 6-3: 403(b) and 401(k) Plans Compared
Retirement plan distributions from 403(b) plans funded with annuity contracts typically take the form of annuity distributions. The plan ____ provide the opportunity to “roll over” the value of the account into another eligible retirement plan, thus deferring taxation to a later date.
a. may not
b, must
a. may not
Furthermore, annuity payments are not eligible for rollover treatment. This may not be a big deal, however, since the balance in the annuity is deferred; only the periodic payments are taxable. Some
plans, however, do provide for lump-sum distributions equal to the value of a participant’s account. A lump-sum distribution is one that represents the entire
amount of a participant’s plan benefits. These may be rolled over to another eligible retirement plan.
Retirement 6-4: 403(b) Regulatory Issues
Types of Plans: A sponsoring employer may choose from four general types of plans
In essence, a _____ is a retirement plan sponsored by a financial institution (the sponsoring organization) that an employer can adopt simply by executing an adoption agreement. This is possible because a the plan’s documents—an adoption agreement and a basic plan document—have already been examined and approved by the IRS. Financial institutions, banks, insurance companies, and mutual funds frequently offer these plans so that employers will, hopefully, use their investment products to fund their plans.
a. master plans
b. prototype plans
c. volume submitter plans
d. individually designed, or custom-designed, plans
a. master plans
Retirement 6-4: 403(b) Plan Regulatory Issues
A master plan consists of a basic plan document, an adoption agreement, and, unless included in the basic plan document, a trust or custodial account document
This is the portion of a plan containing all the nonelective provisions applicable to all adopting employers. With just a few exceptions, no options (including blanks to be completed) may be provided in the this document
a. basic plan document
b. adoption agreement
c. trust or custodial account document
a. basic plan document
Retirement 6-4: 403(b) Plan Regulatory Issues
A master plan consists of a basic plan document, an adoption agreement, and, unless included in the basic plan document, a trust or custodial account document
This is the portion of the plan containing the options that may be selected by an employer.
a. basic plan document
b. adoption agreement
c. trust or custodial account document
b. adoption agreement
Retirement 6-4: 403(b) Plan Regulatory Issues
A master plan consists of a basic plan document, an adoption agreement, and, unless included in the basic plan document, a trust or custodial account document
This is the portion of a master plan that includes provisions covering such matters as the powers and duties of trustees, investment authority, and the kinds of investments that may be made. With just a few exceptions, all provisions of the this document must be applicable to all adopting employers of that trust, and no options (including blanks to be completed) may be provided in this document.
a. basic plan document
b. adoption agreement
c. trust or custodial account document
c. trust or custodial account document
Retirement 6-4: 403(b) Plan Regulatory Issues
Types of Plans: A sponsoring employer may choose from four general types of plans
This plan is made available by a sponsoring organization for adoption by employers. It consists of a basic plan document and an adoption agreement. The plan’s documents have already been approved by the IRS. This type of plan usually has a separate trust or custodial account for each adopting employer and the ability to designate a trustee or trustees for the plan.
a. master plans
b. prototype plans
c. volume submitter plans
d. individually designed, or custom-designed, plans
b. Prototype plans
The IRS permits banks, insurance companies, credit unions, mutual funds, trade or professional organizations, and certain other individuals to sponsor a prototype plan.