Preparing to implement the new Lease Accounting Standard - ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) The FASB’s lease accounting standard change, ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), presents dramatic changes to the balance sheets of lessees. With the effective dates quickly...
Audit
How to Create Cash Flow Projections and Profit & Loss Statements
When it comes to making cash flow projections, we’re all aware that it’s not an exact science. One of the main difficulties about accurately projecting cash flow has to do with timing. Examples include factoring in overhead such as payroll; lease or tax payments on...
Fraud and Internal Audit – Assurance Over Fraud Controls, Fundamental to Success
Every year billions of dollars are lost to fraud and corruption resulting in inefficiencies, aborted projects, financial challenges, and in extreme cases organizational failure. Often fraud occurs because of poorly designed controls and weak...
Changes To The Determination Letter Program
Effective 1/1/2017 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) eliminated the staggered 5-year remedial amendment cycle for individually designed plans (IDP) on which auditors relied to verify the Plan’s tax qualified status. In lieu of the letters, on October 1st of each year IRS...
Consideration Of Non-Cash Contributions
Plan Sponsors may consider contributing non-cash assets into the Plan; typical non-cash contributions include corporate shares and real-estate assets. However, if you’re considering such contributions, be alert as they may trigger prohibited transactions under...
Nondiscrimination Testing- Compliance for Employee Benefit Plans
Basic nondiscrimination testing - 410(b) and 401(a), is required for defined contribution plans but how do Plan Sponsors address them once the plans failed those tests? To determine that an employee benefits plan is operating within the specific guidelines established...
Looking at Fiduciary Responsibilities- Death Audits on the Day of the Dead
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a holiday celebrated throughout Latin American to remember and honor loved ones who have passed on to the other side. On this Day of the Dead, we can’t help but wonder how plan administrators are celebrating….is the so-called...
Tightening Controls for Federal Awards
Understanding the Requirements for Internal Control over Compliance of Federal Awards Internal control is a process effected by an entity’s oversight body, management, and other personnel that provides reasonable assurance that the objectives of an entity will be...
Tackling Cybersecurity Pain Points for Your Benefit Plan
Due to the increased use of electronic means to process financial transactions and store confidential information, cyber security is a major area of concern for all organizations as it relates to their employee benefit plans (EBP). The DOL maintains that overall...
Blockchain, Cryptocurrency,Smart Contracts, and How They are Related
The overnight ascension of cryptocurrencies has thrust an entirely new vocabulary onto the business world. Blockchain this, cryptocurrency that. When coupled with phrases such as "decentralized applications" and "smart contracts", it can be a lot to digest -- and a...