Our Services
From the founding of the company, Advanced Plan Designs prided itself on handling the most complex plan design issues. However, it is clear American small businesses need an effective solution with less complexity. We meet the most sophisticated and complex needs of our clients while still serving the needs of the business owner who prefers something a bit more basic.
Our Service Profile
- Dedicated Plan Consultant
- Proactive, not reactive service
- On-line, secure data exchange and storage
- Dedicated participant distribution department will assist you and your participants with distributions, loans, and any questions
- Payroll integration with various providers
- Simplified year-end census
- 408(b)(2) compliant pricing
- Technical expertise and resources for all aspects of plan design, implementation and ongoing plan operation
Plan Design & Document Consult
- Conduct initial plan analysis and design review
- Draft plan documents, amendments and plan restatements as required by law
- Create signature-ready documents
- Prepare all required participant disclosure notices
- Plan Types Offered: 401(k) Plan, Safe Harbor 401(k), 403(b), Cash Balance, Profit Sharing, Money Purchase, Solo 401(k), Owner Only Cash Balance
3(16) Fiduciary Services
- Serve as agent for legal process (co-fiduciary)
- Review and authorize participant loans/distributions
- Integrate with existing payroll provider to provide 360 payroll services
- Manage Automatic enrollment process
Government Reporting
- Prepare IRS Form 5500 Annual Return / Report for e-filing
- Draft Summary Annual Report
- Prepare Form 5330 (if necessary)
- Prepare Form 5558 (if necessary)
- Prepare Form 8955-SSA (if necessary)
Compliance Testing
- Complete all required calculations
- Complete all required compliance tests such as ADP/ACP, top heavy, 402(g), 415 and 410(b) tests
- VCP (Voluntary Correction Program) / EPCRS filings
Additional Services
- Provide enrollment meeting support
- Train HR staff on plan related matters
- IRS/DOL audit assistance
- Simple IRA Consulting
Our Service Plans
Back to Basics Plan
(Participant count 2-30)
- Complexity drives cost. This plan design and service model removes as much of the complexity as possible and provides a quality qualified retirement plan. To maintain simplicity, plan provisions are pre-defined.
- This level is specifically for a Plan sponsor who wants a plan as easy to operate as a Simple IRA, but with larger contribution limits, Roth provisions and if desired a loan provision. Asset holder options are limited to American Funds, Lincoln, John Hancock, Mass Mutual, Nationwide and Transamerica. Billing is a mix of quarterly per-participant costs, a percentage of Plan assets and a fixed quarterly bill to the plan sponsor.
- Typical Clients: 1.) Plan sponsors wishing to keep administrative expenses low, or 2.) Plan Sponsors wanting maximum standardization and minimum complexity, or 3.) Plan sponsors with very basic corporate structures – no shared ownership with other companies, or 4.) Employer with fewer than 30 Employees.
Basics + Plan
(Participant count 2-99)
- This service level is for the employer whose needs are less complex than those offered at our Advanced Plus level, but want more plan design flexibility than the Back to Basic Solution. The employer can select certain options such as the eligibility provisions, the vesting schedule, Roth contribution availability, as well as other options, thus creating a more custom plan design. Basics + is available with select recordkeepers John Hancock, Principal, Transamerica, Lincoln, MassMutual, One America, Nationwide and American Funds Recordkeeper Direct, Multi-Fund, or Plan Premier. Plans must have fewer than 99 Participants. Typical Clients: 1.) Clients wanting additional flexibility in plan design, or 2.) Plan Sponsors with “simple” Controlled Group issues, or 3.) Clients with less than 99 plan participants.
Advanced Plus
(Participant count 2-5000+)
- Our most comprehensive plan design level that provides a full-service level of retirement plan consulting. This service level is appropriate for companies with complex Plan design needs, complicated corporate structures, or Plans with more than 100 participants needing a large plan audit. This plan design service level allows for the maximum flexibility and full plan customization that is allowed by statute.
- This type of Plan design is most commonly used by plan sponsors with a significant percentage of highly compensated employees seeking to maximize individual contributions. Generally, the targeted participants are substantially older than the average age of the staff members. This could include a standalone 401(k) plan with profit sharing or a 401(k) plan paired with a cash balance plan for full maximization.
- Typical Clients: 1.) Small profitable companies wanting to give the largest contribution allowed to select participants (usually owners) while minimizing the cost of contributions to other participants, or 2.) Plan Sponsors with related companies or service groups, multiple employer plans, etc., or 3.) Plans with more than 100 eligible participants, or 4.) Clients wanting Individual Brokerage account options.
” We have been working with Tara Calton and the professionals at Advanced Plan Designs for over 13 years. The dedication to provide relevant and individualized attention to her clients is a hallmark of the service you can expect from APD. “
J.R. Courtney, Business Administrator, Finance Group
Standard Transportation Services, Inc.
