Legal Consulting and Compliance
You have questions about your retirement plan’s tax, ERISA, legal and other plan design matters. Aon’s Legal Consulting & Compliance team has the answers. We work with midto large-sized U.S. multi-national companies that have complex retirement plan designs. Our attorneys seamlessly partner with actuarial, investment, defined contribution and administration practices to provide “one-stop” consulting services.
Tax and ERISA Strategies for Today’s Challenges
Aon’s legal consulting team can help you develop compliant solutions to IRS and Department of Labor (DOL) issues and keep you updated on hot topics, like cyber security and redeploying stranded assets. Our legal consultants advise you about tax and ERISA issues involving all types of defined benefit and defined contribution plans, including cash balance and 401(k) plans, nonqualified plans and related funding, post-retirement health funding (e.g. VEBAs and 401(h) accounts), as well as executive compensation programs.
|
Aon Legal Consultants Help You... |
|
|
Confirm your plan’s qualified status |
Our independent review confirms that the plan meets qualification requirements, which is key to supporting future deductions, contractual and audit representations, financial disclosures, rollovers to or from the plan, and responses to any IRS or DOL inquiries. |
|
Review your nonqualified plan |
We conduct a compliance review of plan operations that may affect your plan, including election changes, delayed commencement, grandfathered benefits, FICA taxes and plan terminations. |
|
Manage pension plan liabilities and risk |
We work with our actuarial and investment teams to evaluate alternative tax and ERISA strategies, including lump sum window and other de-risking programs. We evaluate fiduciary plan governance issues relating to alternative investment strategies to reduce volatility and align assets with liabilities. |
|
Select independent fiduciaries |
Our experienced team helps you evaluate and select an independent, third party fiduciary to help ensure proper management of employer stock and mitigate the risk of benefits litigation. |
|
Create lump sum windows and early retirement incentive programs |
Aon provides everything you need for a lump sum or early retirement window program – from design to administration to overall IRC and ERISA compliance. We can identify and evaluate financial, accounting, tax, ERISA, administrative and operational issues in a wide range of industries. |
|
Fund post-retirement health plans |
We work directly with you to address post-retirement health funding arrangements, from designing VEBAs and 401(h) accounts to TOLI funding to redeployment of excess or “stranded” assets. |
|
Draft plan document, SPDs and vendor contracts |
We help you draft individual plan documents of defined benefit, defined contribution, nonqualified plans, and relating funding arrangements. We have deep experience with vendor contracting on behalf of large employers. |
Compliance Consulting Services
Guided by industry best practices, our compliance experts evaluate existing controls and enhance your policies and practices, in line with your organization’s governance. Solid governance reduces risk and promotes wise decision-making, disciplined oversight and compliance.
Compliance Fact-Finding
To help create a sound governance and compliance structure, our consultants ask pointed questions to uncover needs:
- Do fiduciaries understand their responsibilities, including plan document reviews and compliance?
- Are there sufficient policies, practices, controls and reports to confirm compliance with both tax and ERISA rules, as well as cyber security safeguards?
- Are fiduciaries properly evaluating them with delegated authority to monitor compliance?
- Do fiduciaries monitor compliance and report findings on an ongoing basis?
Fiduciary Training
Good governance means ensuring that fiduciaries are informed and properly monitoring plan activities. Aon consultants provide fiduciary and governance education and training to help clients understand their role in managing the assets on behalf of plan fiduciaries in a prudent manner. Our team offers:
- Customized Fiduciary Reviews – We review internal controls, risk management processes, due diligence procedures and investment policy compliance
- Governance Diagnostics – We assess your decision-makers, the value of information they receive, and their level of delegation, oversight, compliance and reporting.
- Board/Committee Self-Assessments – Members identify strengths and weaknesses to help refine problem solving, set priorities and create a tangible action plan.
- Documentation Reviews and Advice – We help you determine the best approach to improving compliance operations.
Note: Are you looking for assistance with your personal 401(k) or pension plan? If so, visit our help page.
Contact Us
