Sarah L. Engle
Subscribe to Sarah L. Engle's PostsSarah Engle focuses her practice on employee benefits matters. She counsels clients regarding a variety of issues, including the design, drafting and operation of tax-qualified pension and profit sharing plans, health and welfare arrangements, and deferred compensation plans. Sarah has experience advising clients on employee benefits design, implementation and transition matters arising in connection with corporate mergers and acquisitions. Read Sarah Engle's full bio.
Fridays With Benefits Webinar | Quick & Easy Recipes for Fixing 401(k) Plans
By Allison Wilkerson, Brian Tiemann and Sarah L. Engle on May 9, 2019
Posted In Employee Benefits, Retirement Plans
Join us Friday, May 17, as Allison Wilkerson, Brian Tiemann and Sarah Engle join host Judith Wethall to talk through the value of conducting a proactive self-audit of 401(k) plans. They will provide best practices designed to reduce the risk of costly government investigations. Attendees will come away prepared and confident in their position, and...
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New Proposed Regulations Provide Helpful Guidance on Hardship Distribution Changes
By Alan D. Nesburg, PC and Sarah L. Engle on Nov 27, 2018
Posted In Employee Benefits, Retirement Plans
The IRS recently issued proposed amendments to regulations concerning 401(k) plan hardship distributions. The proposed regulations address changes to hardship distribution rules from the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 and other legislation. Though the regulations are only proposed, 401(k) plan sponsors should promptly consider these changes because decisions should be made on applying certain optional...
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Groundbreaking IRS Ruling Helps Clear the Way for New 401(k) Plan Student Loan Benefits
By Jeffrey Holdvogt and Sarah L. Engle on Aug 20, 2018
Posted In Employee Benefits, Retirement Plans
On Friday, the IRS released a private letter ruling (PLR) which will help clear the way for employers to provide a new type of student loan repayment benefit as part of their 401(k) plans. By issuing the PLR, the IRS gave its blessing to an employer-provided student loan repayment benefit offered through an employer’s 401(k)...
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IRS Issues “Snapshot” Guidance on Qualified Retirement Plan Issues
By Jeffrey Holdvogt and Sarah L. Engle on Aug 16, 2018
Posted In Employee Benefits, Retirement Plans
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released “Issue Snapshots” on a number of topics related to tax-qualified retirement plans, including both pension and savings plans. Historically, the snapshots have explained new(er) laws and guidance, and have often included audit tips for IRS examiners. As a result, although the IRS has indicated that the snapshots are...
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IRS Finalizes Regulations Allowing Use of Forfeitures to Fund Safe Harbor Contributions, QNECs and QMACs
By Sarah L. Engle and McDermott Will & Emery on Aug 9, 2018
Posted In Employee Benefits, Retirement Plans
The Internal Revenue Service recently released final regulations confirming that employers can use plan forfeitures to fund qualified non-elective contributions (QNECs), qualified matching contributions (QMACs) and safe harbor contributions. As explained in our earlier On the Subject discussing this topic, IRS regulations historically provided that QNECs, QMACs and certain safe harbor contributions had to be...
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No Stone Unturned: Locating Missing Participants under the PBGC’s Expanded Program for Terminated Plans
By Brian Tiemann, Maggie McTigue and Sarah L. Engle on Apr 5, 2018
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Fiduciary and Investment Issues, Retirement Plans
The PBGC’s missing participants program, which previously applied only to single-employer defined benefit pension plans, has been expanded to defined contribution plans, multiemployer defined benefit plans and small professional service defined benefit plans that end on or after January 1, 2018. The revised program provides a helpful alternative for plan administrators of terminating defined contribution plans, and...
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The Budget Act Makes Some Surprising Changes to Benefit Plans
By Jacob Mattinson, McDermott Will & Emery and Sarah L. Engle on Mar 6, 2018
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Retirement Plans
On February 9, 2018, President Trump signed a bipartisan budget deal into law, effectively extending federal funding through March 23, 2018. The act includes multiple provisions affecting employee benefit plans, including relaxed hardship withdrawal rules and relief for individuals affected by the California wildfires. Continue Reading.
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Fridays with Benefits Webinar: Bipartisan Budget Act Breakdown
By Anthony A. Bongiorno and Sarah L. Engle on Feb 21, 2018
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Health and Welfare Plans, Retirement Plans
The Bipartisan Budget Act helped avoid another government shutdown, but did it cause problems for your benefit plans? Sarah L. Engle and D. Finn Pressly will discuss everything you need to know about the new legislation, including changes to hardship distributions and new wildfire relief. The panel will also bring you up to speed on...
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Tax Reform Results in Only Minor Changes for Retirement Plans
By Jeffrey Holdvogt and Sarah L. Engle on Jan 4, 2018
Posted In Employee Benefits, Retirement Plans
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made significant changes to the tax code and will have a significant impact on businesses and individual taxpayers. However, although initial proposals included potentially significant changes to employer-sponsored retirement plans, the impact of the final bill on employer sponsored retirement plans will be relatively minor. Continue Reading.
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Congressional Tax Reform Efforts May Impact Retirement Plan Sponsors
By Alan D. Nesburg, PC, Sarah L. Engle and Stephen Pavlick on Dec 12, 2017
Posted In Employee Benefits, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), Retirement Plans
On Saturday, the Senate passed its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The process of reconciling the House and Senate versions of the bill has already begun in earnest. Currently, the retirement-plan-related changes included in each version of the bill still differ in many respects, and it is unclear which (if any) changes...
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