SECURE Act: Increase in Cap for Automatic Enrollment for Safe Harbor Plans

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (SECURE Act) includes a provision that impacts 401(k) plans that utilize the automatic enrollment safe harbor.

Under prior law, 401(k) plan sponsors could elect to use a safe harbor design that incorporates automatic enrollment and automatic escalation provisions. Prior to the SECURE Act, plans were permitted to increase participants’ contribution rates over time, up to a maximum of 10% of compensation. Section 102 of the SECURE Act increases this limit to 15% of compensation.

As under prior law, any automatic increases are made annually at the beginning of the plan year and participants are allowed to opt out of the increase.

The increase in the maximum contribution rate, which is effective for plan years beginning after December 31, 2019, is optional. Sponsors of automatic enrollment safe harbor plans who wish to increase the maximum contribution rate above 10% of compensation may amend their plans to incorporate this change.

Interested in learning more about the SECURE Act? Download the SECURE Act eBook from the Schneider Downs Retirement Solutions team for a full overview of provisions and highlights at www.schneiderdowns.com/secure-act-ebook.

 

Material discussed is meant for informational purposes only, and it is not to be construed as investment, tax or legal advice. Please note that individual situations can vary. Therefore, this information should be relied upon when coordinated with individual professional advice.

You’ve heard our thoughts… We’d like to hear yours

The Schneider Downs Our Thoughts On blog exists to create a dialogue on issues that are important to organizations and individuals. While we enjoy sharing our ideas and insights, we’re especially interested in what you may have to say. If you have a question or a comment about this article – or any article from the Our Thoughts On blog – we hope you’ll share it with us. After all, a dialogue is an exchange of ideas, and we’d like to hear from you. Email us at [email protected].

Material discussed is meant for informational purposes only, and it is not to be construed as investment, tax, or legal advice. Please note that individual situations can vary. Therefore, this information should be relied upon when coordinated with individual professional advice.

© 2023 Schneider Downs. All rights-reserved. All content on this site is property of Schneider Downs unless otherwise noted and should not be used without written permission.

our thoughts on
2024 Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Retirement Plans and IRAs
Incentive Compensation for Construction Industry Employers
How Safe Are Your 401(k) Assets?
SECURE 2.0 Act – Section 334. Long-term Care Contracts Purchased with Retirement Plan Distributions
SECURE 2.0 Act – Section 348.Cash Balance
SECURE 2.0 Act – Section 312. Employer May Rely On Employee Certifying That Deemed Hardship Distribution Conditions Are Met
Register to receive our weekly newsletter with our most recent columns and insights.
Have a question? Ask us!

We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a note, and we’ll respond to you as quickly as possible.

Ask us
contact us
Pittsburgh

This site uses cookies to ensure that we give you the best user experience. Cookies assist in navigation, analyzing traffic and in our marketing efforts as described in our Privacy Policy.

×