Qualified Retirement Plans: Know the Rules

The IRS annually releases its Required Amendments (RA) list, which includes changes that individually designed retirement plans may need to make in order to remain qualified under the Internal Revenue Code. The most recent RA list was released via Notice 2017-72, which contains changes not only to the qualification requirements for individually designed plans but also to the deadline for amending the plans. There are two categories: Part A and Part B.

Part A: Likely Amendments

Two changes were made in 2017 to:

  • Cash balance/hybrid plans
  • Eligible cooperative plans or eligible charity plans

Part B: Unlikely Amendments

The 2017 RA list addresses: partial annuity distribution for defined benefit pension plans

Read the entire article here >>

Fares recalculated in local currency

The following countries may recalculate fares to their own currency when purchasing with American Airlines®: Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, U.K. The other countries’ fares are calculated in USD. If you buy fares on the AAdvantage® website using your credit card and you aren’t an AAdvantage® member, you should choose the country where your credit card was issued, as local currency and applicable fares may be used.

Protecting your identity while on vacation

It is summer and many plan to travel either in the US or to foreign countries. You will take cash, credit or debit cards and, maybe, traveler’s checks with you while on vacation. How will you keep your money and IDs safe? The safety tips below provide a bit of information that can help with that…

Always be alert to your surroundings. Do an online research of the areas you plan to travel to.

Keep your IDs, smartphones, wallet and valuables close to you and secured.

Hotels offer safes in your room where you can store your valuables.

Don’t use public WiFi networks to access your bank or credit card accounts.

Don’t overpack.

In some cases, you could open a separate bank or credit card account for that specific trip.

Check your accounts after you get back home. Sometimes, thieves may use your information later.

So, check your credit reports, credit card and bank accounts for signs of identity theft and report it immediately if you notice any suspicious activities.