Retirement plans can be an effective means for employee retention and tax savings. However if not operated properly, a retirement plan can inadvertently expose the employer to liability from unhappy plan participants and the federal government (namely the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)). While most employers try to do right by their employees with their retirement plans, the employer’s lack of expertise and sophistication in the nuances of retirement plans are often taken advantage of by unscrupulous financial advisors, attorneys, accountants, and third party administration (TPA) firms. Since employers delegate plan decisions to these unscrupulous professionals, employers rely on major misconceptions about retirement plans that unwittingly exposes them to potential liability.

To celebrate my 1 year anniversary with JDSupra.com, enclosed is a revised edition of the article that helped launch my law practice.