Employee Benefit Plan Best Practices
Overview
Employee benefit plan audits present unique compliance and audit considerations that require auditors to remain alert to both recurring issues and evolving requirements. This course addresses current standards and developments affecting employee benefit plan audits while focusing on practical considerations encountered during EBP engagements. Participants will review common compliance issues identified in 401(k) plan audits and considerations related to correcting those issues. The course also covers best practices for audit areas such as participant data, payroll and compensation, contributions and remittances, participant loans, hardship distributions, investments, distributions, investment income allocations, and plan mergers and acquisitions. The program is designed for auditors of employee benefit plans who have basic knowledge of EBP audits and want to review best practices, common compliance issues, and considerations that arise during EBP audit engagements.
This event may be a rebroadcast of a live event and the instructor will be available to answer your questions during the event.
Highlights
The major topics that will be covered in this course include:
- Current standards and developments affecting employee benefit plan audits
- Compliance considerations in employee benefit plan engagements
- Common compliance issues identified in 401(k) plan audits
- Correction of 401(k) plan compliance issues
- Participant data
- Payroll and compensation
- Contributions and remittances
- Participant loans
- Hardship distributions
- Plan investments
- Participant distributions
- Investment income allocations
- Plan mergers and acquisitions
- Audit best practices for employee benefit plans
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of EBP audits
Designed For
Auditors of employee benefit plans who have basic knowledge of EBP audits and want to review best practices, common compliance issues, and considerations that arise during EBP audit engagements
Objectives
After attending this presentation, you will be able to...
- Identify best practices for audit procedures in key employee benefit plan audit areas.
- Recognize common compliance issues encountered in 401(k) plan audits and appropriate correction considerations.
Preparation
None
Leader(s):
Leader Bios
Melissa Critcher, Surgent McCoy CPE, LLC
Melissa Critcher, CPA
background in accounting includes more than 19 years of experience in public accounting specializing in auditing defined contribution and defined benefit employee benefit plans as well as manufacturing, distribution and professional service organizations. Her public accounting experience includes a position as a senior audit manager with Greer & Walker, LLP in Charlotte, North Carolina, a manager at a regional firm in Raleigh, North Carolina prior to re-locating to Charlotte. Melissa also worked with a local firm in Winston-Salem. During her career, Melissa has been responsible for managing the employee benefit plan niche, marketing and business development and conducting in-house training seminars. Currently, she has her own practice located in the Charlotte, NC area where she concentrates her work on employee benefit plan audits and consulting.
Melissa has been recognized as an outstanding discussion leader for both the AICPA and the NCACPA. In addition to teaching courses for the associations, Melissa has also authored several publications for the AICPA and the NCACPA.
Melissa is a 2012-13 recipient of the AICPA Outstanding Instructor Award.
Non-Member Price $109
Member Price $89