Plan Telephone Seminars - Training Resources

Preparing for the Unexpected Departure of Key Employees: An Introduction to Replacement Planning ...izations, public or private, have functioning replacement plans in case of the disastrous loss of key people to death, disability, sudden resignation or the potential threatened loss in hostage-taking situations. Replacement planning is not the same thing as succession planning or talent management, though many organizational leaders confuse them. This teleconference helps you understand the  more...

Evaluating Your Third Party Administrator: Are You Getting What You're Paying For? ...istrator is ubiquitous with all types of employee benefit plans. However, proper administration by TPAs should not be taken for granted. As with all facets of employee benefit plans, TPAs need to be monitored and evaluated to ensure proper plan administration and fulfillment of a plan sponsor's fiduciary responsibility. This teleconference explores the key roles of TPAs, how to evaluate a TPA  more...

Traffic Management for Construction Work Zones: Unique Challenges and Solutions ...who are required to prepare and implement traffic control plans often do not understand how to process the approval and satisfy the agencies requirements, as well as federal and state occupational regulations. Understanding the MUTCD and agency requirements, as well as their newly implemented regulations can impact schedule and costs. This teleconference will help you understand how first to  more...

Implementing a Health Risk Assessment for Your Health Plan: What Works, What Doesn't, What's Legal ...lementing a health risk assessment as part of your health plan and don't know much about them. You have a lot of questions such as 'How can a health risk assessment help control health care costs?,' 'What makes for an effective health risk assessment?,' 'How do I get employees to participate?,' 'What should I look for in a vendor?' and 'Aren't there a lot of legal issues with gathering health  more...

Estate Planning for the Final Years of Life ...d studies indicate that the majority of Americans fail to plan for their final years of life. Ironically, this is the time when many people are confronted with their greatest challenges and most stressful experiences. This teleconference will cover why people need to plan, what they need to plan for and how to apply proven strategies for dealing with the final years of life. Thomas Day, a  more...

Qualified Retirement Plans Eligibility and Vesting Tips and Traps for the Unwary ...with specifically interpreting the provisions of your own plans and introduce you to a variety of options in order to make sure you know what you have and have what you want. In addition, although many provisions appear to be straightforward, the practical application of these functions can be complex. Human resource managers, benefits administrators, payroll managers, plan administrators,  more...

Revitalizing Vacant Commercial Properties ...ace to do business or to investment status will require a plan and know how. This teleconference is meant to guide you through a process on how to capitalize on the current market and take advantage of what may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. The teleconference will walk through a simple process that allows you to evaluate a potential deal and the steps you may need to take to make it  more...

IRA and Qualified Plan Distributions ...d for those who advise their clients on IRA and qualified plan distributions. This program will focus on the required minimum distribution rules and how one can have an IRA payable to a trust and still have it qualify as a designated beneficiary. This teleconference can help you spot and avoid some of the common mistakes taxpayers make with their IRAs and inherited IRAs. Attorneys, financial  more...

Limited Medical Programs: How Employers Are Using Them to Control Health Care Costs BenefitsAfter years of increasing medical premiums, employers are hitting road blocks in cost saving measures. We are at a point of office visit co-pays approaching $50, prescription drug co-pays of $50 to $100, deductibles exceeding $2,000 for in-network benefits, and more and more premium cost shifting from employer to employee. Employee's are finding it hard to afford the per pay premiums and  more...

HR Time Lines: The Complex Integration of FMLA, WC, Disability and COBRA ... run together? What cannot? When can we cancel the health plan, for what reason and is it a COBRA qualifying event? We will pull all of these together to explain the employer's liability. When can coverage be canceled? What laws protect employee benefits? Many times all of these laws touch ONE person - you need to be sure your corporate policies and actions are in compliance with all of the  more...

Affirmative Action in Employment - What Does It Really Mean? BenefitsThe Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is the government agency charged with enforcement of affirmative action regulations. It is armed with a new leader and an increased budget. During fiscal year 2008, the OFCCP recovered a record $67,510,982 in back pay for salary and benefits on behalf of 24,508 individuals who, in OFCCP's view, were subjected to unlawful employment  more...

Implications of the Stimulus Package on HIPAA BenefitsThe American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes substantial changes to requirements for the protection of health information privacy and security under HIPAA, some of which are already in effect. New requirements for business associates of HIPAA covered entities and requirements to notify individuals in the event of a breach are only two of the many areas affected in the new law,  more...

Understanding Your Summary Plan Descriptions ...itsEmployers who sponsor ERISA covered health and welfare plans are required to communicate the terms of the plan to participants in a summary plan description. The SPD is an important disclosure document that describes, in understandable terms, the rights, benefits and responsibilities of participants and beneficiaries in ERISA covered health and welfare benefit plans. The SPD must include  more...

Updated Best Practices for Legal Holds In Civil, Criminal & Business Contexts ...tating problems that your clients may face if they do not plan for effective legal holds in anticipation of legal proceedings. Specifically, you will learn how courts and government investigators are interpreting the basic requirement to preserve information in 'reasonable anticipation' of litigation or other formal proceedings. You also will learn how to work with your clients in planning for  more...

Best Practices in Commission Pay Plans ...ivating and retaining sales people as a strong commission plan. This is critical because sales people are often highly paid, remote from headquarters and entrusted with customer relationships (very valuable assets). A properly designed commission plan clearly and personally communicates the strategy of the organization to resources that have direct impact on financial performance. The design  more...

Electronic Invoicing and Payments: Paperless A/P Best Practices BenefitsIt may seem impossible to escape the paper heavy processes in your AP department and achieve the coveted paperless status but pulling off this caper is not a feat reserved for only paper mavericks. Instead, we can show you there is a way to achieve a paper-free environment and realize your ROI. In this teleconference, e-invoicing architect Henry Ijams will discuss your options for a  more...

Setting the Stage for Rehiring: Logistic and Liability Issues ... of re-staffing their depleted workforce. Smart employers plan and prepare for that day so they can quickly identify and rehire the key talent necessary to meet their business needs moving forward. This teleconference will discuss some of the key planning steps you should take from before the rehire process begins through actual rehiring and on-boarding. Topics to be covered include setting  more...

Medicare Secondary Payer Act - Protecting Medicare's Interest in Insurance Settlements ...expected to be made under a workmen's compensation law or plan of the United States or a state or under an automobile or liability insurance policy or plan (including a self-insured plan) or under no fault insurance.' By law, Medicare has a priority right of recovery from the primary payer as well as from parties in receipt of third-party payments, such as a beneficiary, provider, supplier,  more...

Changes to Cafeteria Plans: What You Need to Know to Prepare BenefitsThe IRS recently issued new rules which replaced parts of the old regulations. These new rules are exciting but require you to review and act on your old documents. The information provided will assist you in decisions for the upcoming plan year and how to prepare for the changes. Human resources and benefits managers, attorneys, controllers, CFOs finance directors, payroll managers,  more...

Developing a Pay-for-Performance Plan ...plans are like motherhood and apple pie - everyone agrees with the concept, but not everyone can achieve the desired results. This teleconference will present the concept of pay-for-performance and its relationship to the compensation strategy. You will learn about the various performance-based plans that can be developed within base salary and variable pay components, and the design elements  more...

Influenza: Seasonal to Pandemic ...u are required to complete and return an evaluation form. Planning Panel Members are: Kerri Crank, BSN, Robert Kerbell, Jodi Hamm, Erica Rokus/Michelle Shepherd and Andrea Helland. There are no conflicts of interest to report. There was no commercial support received for the planning of this program. No endorsement of products or off-label use will occur at this program. Learning Objectives -  more...

Meeting Your Fiduciary Responsibilities Under ERISA ...plan subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 requires that people managing the plan or investing plan assets become fiduciaries. You need to know when they might become an ERISA plan fiduciary. You must understand your legal obligations to plan participants and beneficiaries. This teleconference will provide you with an overview of the ERISA rules governing plan fiduciary  more...

Collective Bargaining and Construction Labor Contracts ...nefit funds for unpaid benefit contributions. With proper planning and a better understanding of the law, these problems can be avoided. This teleconference will help contractors gain a better understanding of the types of labor agreements they are being asked to sign, as well as the obligations those agreements impose. This teleconference is critical for contractors who want to proactively  more...

Form 5500 Reporting Update ...plan must file an annual report regarding the plan's financial condition, investments and operations, unless specifically exempt by law. Filing the Form 5500 will satisfy this. This teleconference will help you understand when you need to file a Form 5500 and what you need to file, and will focus on some recent changes that may impact your filings. Human resource managers, benefits  more...

Financial Planning After Retirement: Coordinating the Retirement Plan with the Estate Plan ...Learn how to provide the best asset protection and estate planning benefits for large retirement plans so that the valuable 'stretch out' does not become a 'blow out.' Most trusts are inadequately drafted to handle retirement plans, especially in light of the recent changes of the Pension Protection Act. New preparer penalties put an additional premium on determining whether the trust is likely  more...

The Dilemma of Dealing With Bad Plans and Specs: Key Legal Concepts and Tips for Pro-actively Managing Design Errors, Omissions ...Plans and specifications are, without question, critical to the success of any construction project. When the plans and specifications are clear and without significant errors or omissions, the project is much more likely to be on time and within budget. But what happens when plans are riddled with errors, conflicts or omissions? This teleconference will provide you with valuable tips for  more...

Developing, Managing and Analyzing a Budget: Understand and Implement an Effective Budget for Better Management and Financial De ...planning and budgeting are the keys to success, and operating without a plan or budget is an invitation to fail. This concept holds for businesses - no matter how large or small - nonprofits and governments. Budgeting is a dynamic process, not a static one. By knowing the types of budgets and processes that have worked for others, one can create an environment and procedure that is a tool for  more...

Providing Investment Advice to Retirement Plan Participants Without Triggering Liability ...ortance of financial literacy. Until recently, retirement plan sponsors have been constrained in the types of investment advice that can be provided to plan participants. Plan sponsors have long wanted to provide the investment advice their participants desire, but without incurring liability for advice given in good faith. This teleconference provides practical advice to human resource and  more...

Promoting Wellness and Recovery of People With Mental Illness Through Strengths-Based, Person-Centered Practice ...s the strengths assessment and personal wellness/recovery plan. You will also learn of several innovative initiatives and creative ideas that you may begin to utilize in your practice. Learning Objectives - You will be able to define the purpose of working with people with mental illness. - You will be able to identify three critical concepts in strengths perspective. - You will be able to  more...

Understanding the Complexities of OCIPs and CCIPs Insurance Programs ...to implement a successful program. If you are involved in planning or negotiating a construction project of any significance, you should attend this teleconference. Learning Objectives: - You will be able to manage and construct a better OCIP. - You will be able to identify and deal with common coverage gaps. - You will be able to review safety plan incentives. - You will be able to analyze  more...

Employment Law Compliance: Disciplining or Terminating a Workers' Comp Claimant ...ho are required to pick up the slack. Often an employer's plan to discipline or discharge is put on hold when the employee goes out on leave. How can employers deal with these situations? This teleconference will review when you may legally discharge or layoff an employee who is on leave due to a compensable workplace injury or other reason. As a result of this teleconference, you will  more...

Construction Project Management in Remote Locations: Site Considerations and Unique Challenges ...analysis, scope of work development, a detailed execution plan, a detailed CPM schedule with day certain financial closing and a fixed price lump sum price to perform the work, all due in 3 to 6 weeks. A sense of urgency is the common thread that runs through all of the construction planning steps and is essential to the success of the project. Carefully planning the work and then executing the  more...

Pitfalls of Participant Loans in Retirement Plans ...BenefitsParticipant loans in a qualified employee benefit plan are a common problem area due to their complex administration. Plan sponsors of qualified employee benefit plans need to be aware of many pitfalls to avoid tax consequences. Even worse than tax consequences is the possibility of the entire plan losing its preferred tax status. This teleconference will explain the regulations of  more...

Using Green Strategies for Your Business to Increase Your Profits ...ess Council on Sustainable Development). Obama's Stimulus Plan is focused on green jobs and infrastructure. Monster.com surveys show that green is a critical talent retention strategy. Discover what is driving this wave toward green and sustainable products and services. Find out how your company can profit from this world-wide trend, where to look for cost savings and how to use it to drive  more...

Achieving Clarity and Value From Nonprofit Financial Reporting, Ratio Analysis and Benchmarking ...and ratio analysis. You will be able to develop an action plan for your organization to improve the clarity and substance of its financial reporting. Using ratio analysis, unit cost and benchmarking techniques, you will improve the clarity and understanding of your financial reports. You will learn the importance of communicating financial results in narrative English instead of simply numbers.  more...

Value Engineering Change Proposals in Government Contracting BenefitsMany federal contractors are greatly focused on achieving cost reductions in their production processes, such as through lean manufacturing and Six Sigma programs, to become more competitive and increase profits. However, few contractors take advantage of a contractual tool, the Value Engineering ('VE') contract clause, which was established specifically to provide increased profits from  more...

Controlling Health Care Costs With Self-Funded Plan Options ...nswer when deciding to switch from a fully insured health plan arrangement to a self-insured arrangement. The speaker will cover different self-insured health plan options, for example, preferred provider, HMO, health savings accounts and health reimbursement arrangements. The importance of choosing a third-party administrator based on factors beyond just the per person administrative fee and  more...

Benchmarking your Health Benefit Program: How Do You Stack Up? ...rance other employers are offering. Measuring your health plan against meaningful benchmarks will help fuel your strategies not only for reducing cost, but also for recruiting, employee retention and health plan design. n nThis teleconference will work through several methods to evaluate your health benefit program's cost, design and impact on employees with an eye to comparing your plan to  more...

Construction Site Hazard Prevention ...most difficult aspect of establishing an effective safety plan involves the establishment of proactive hazard recognition and accident prevention systems. We all want our workers to go home at the end of the day safe and sound to their families. This teleconference will help you achieve that goal by understanding how to evaluate your current program and how to identify opportunities to develop  more...

How To Prevent Construction Projects From Going Bad ... will include a discussion on defining success and how to plan for it from both the perspective of the owner and the contractor, ways to manage risk through key contract provisions and project management tools, and how the surety's ability to perform may be affected by the actions of the parties during the construction process. n nLearning Objectives n- You will be able to arrange a plan for  more...

Developing an Effective Property Management Plan nThe world of real estate and finance has changed dramatically. Are you interested in making more money? Having more free time? Living life with less stress? If you are a professional HOA property or community manager, or if you are thinking of becoming a HOA property manager, you will want to know what's new in property management. Become acquainted with the newest technology and how you can  more...

Presenteeism: Measurement and Intervention Issues for Employers and Health Plans nProductivity is fast becoming an even more vital issue to the business world. Presenteeism, or work loss due to underlying health conditions when individuals remain at work, is one important facet of productivity. One study found that approximately 6 percent of a global company's total compensation (salaries, wages and all benefit costs) were lost due to presenteeism. Work site wellness programs  more...

Why Is This Guy Still on My Health Plan? ...the eligibility and termination provisions of its benefit plans. This results many times in inactive employees (inactive usually because of a disability or other leave of absence) lingering on employer's health and other benefit plans (dental, group life) where the employer continues to pay premiums despite the employee being no longer eligible under the plan. This teleconference will discuss  more...

Valuation for Gift and Estate Tax Purposes in a Troubled Economy nWhether we are in a recession or depression, the values of assets are not what they once were. If you are contemplating whether to consider gift and estate tax planning or executing a plan, what will the impact of this troubled economy be on your tax valuations? This teleconference provides up-to-date guidance on current market conditions, and evolving valuation industry practices and techniques  more...

Tax and Practical Aspects of Business Succession Planning ...in today's economic environment, the importance of a well planned, dynamic and long-term succession plan is vital to the continuation of the family business as it is passes from generation to generation. Tax considerations are one part of that plan, but should not take priority over sound business or family considerations. This teleconference will examine the elements of an effective succession  more...

Understanding the New GFE and HUD-1/IA Settlement Statements nEffective January 1, 2010, all residential mortgage loan originators will have to change their loan origination forms and procedures to comply with a new rule recently adopted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The new rule dramatically changes both the Good Faith Estimate and the HUD-1 and HUD-1A Uniform Settlement Statements required by the federal Real Estate Settlement  more...

Construction Delays Caused by Permitting nConstruction delays caused by delays in obtaining permits can result in significant costs to all parties involved in a project. It is essential for you to know how to avoid permitting delays and how to address them when they arise. This teleconference will address how to use contract language to minimize and allocate the risks associated with permitting delays. In addition, it will address  more...

Internal ERISA Audits: Getting It Right Before the Government Shows Up ...plans are subject to a large number of requirements imposed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and by other laws such as the Internal Revenue Code. Failure to comply with these complex and ever-changing requirements could lead to substantial penalties or even the meltdown of the plan. This teleconference will highlight a number of these requirements and show you how you can audit  more...

Purchasing Contract Disputes ...ious business disputes. This teleconference will help you plan and implement a practical strategy to minimize the business interruptions (and costs) that can occur when purchasing contract disputes occur - and turn potential career-limiting purchasing disasters in 2009 into success stories. This introductory course will help you understand how such disputes arise, how to avoid them and how to  more...

401(k) Plan Costs Including Recent Update on Supreme Court Rule LaRue v. DeWolff, Boberg & Associates Inc. ...ver-expanding list of factors bombards sponsors of 401(k) plans and places companies and their management potentially in the cross hairs. From Enron, Worldcom and Sarbanes-Oxley, to the more recent massive class actions filed against Fortune 500 companies regarding 401(k) plan service fees, decision makers face increasingly tough choices and more difficult compliance challenges when it comes to  more...

Strategies for Successful Mixed Use Development ...tion of the mixed use form in our development ordinances. Planning and design for successful mixed use projects in today's environment is a complex matrix of skill sets and necessary collaborations between design professionals, developers, leasing agents, tenants, municipal planners, land use attorneys, local government and communities. This teleconference prompts discussion of challenges you  more...

Retirement Benefit Solutions For Nonprofit Organizations and Government Entities nNonprofit organizations face many of the same issues regarding use of retirement benefits to attract and retain employees and executives as for-profit companies, but the tools available to them are often more limited. This teleconference will explore both broad-based retirement programs and executive deferred compensation available to nonprofit organizations. It will highlight new rules for  more...

Updating and Maintaining Wills, Trusts and Estate Plans for the Evolving Client ...ttorney to revisit and update an existing client's estate plan or prepare an update for a new client with existing documents. This part will focus on when and why clients need to review and revisit their estate plans and how to spot those issues for existing and potential clients. The second part will highlight various drafting techniques that will allow a will and trust to maintain maximum  more...

Investing IRAs and Qualified Plan Rollovers in Real Estate, Franchises, Start-Ups and Other Private Investments - Techniques and ... growing number of IRA owners and recipients of qualified plan rollovers have sought to take control of their own investments by investing directly in real estate and small businesses that they may intend to manage or otherwise be personally involved in. This trend has accelerated in recent years as syndicators, entrepreneurs, private fund managers and franchisors have come to view IRAs and  more...

What the New Ledbetter Pay Act Means for Employers nOn January 29, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, effectively changing the landscape of the statute of limitations for equal pay discrimination claims. The act greatly expands the amount of time that employees have to bring claims of discriminatory pay practices, which could have a substantial impact on employers. This teleconference will help the  more...

Current Trends in Transit-Oriented Development ...is and how it will benefit under President Barack Obama's plan for a national economic stimulus. You'll find out what states, regional transit agencies and local governments are doing to encourage economic development through TOD and the role for the private sector, including investors and developers looking for new opportunities in our stagnating economy. n nLearning Objectives n- You will be  more...

Same-Gender Marriage Rulings: Impacts on Employee Benefit Plans Across the Nation nIn May 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that the state cannot deny same-gender couples the right to marry. Same-gender couples - many of them, in fact - flocked to California and started getting legally married on June 17, 2008. But then in November 2008, California voters approved Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage going forward. Massachusetts and Canada also allow same-gender  more...

Estate Planning for Vacation Homes ...ut the generations. To do so requires careful, thoughtful planning by both the parents who own the property and those to whom they would like to pass this unique legacy. This teleconference will review the many options available to vacation homeowners to plan for such important transfers. You'll learn about the mechanics of such strategies, as well as the potential pitfalls. Since every family  more...

Understanding the COBRA Alternative Coverage Rules ...o reduce costs. In lieu of a company's traditional health plan, for COBRA purposes, the company is allowed to offer alternative health coverage although the procedure for doing so is quite complicated. n nDiscussed first is what constitutes the various forms of alternative health coverage, how it applies and in what circumstances. Secondly is a discussion of what procedures must be followed in  more...

Return on Investment for Wellness Programs ...orksite wellness should be part of every strategic health plan. These plans can offer a valuable tool for employers to promote a fit and health-conscious work force that will save employers money by keeping health insurance premiums down, reducing workers' compensation costs, and by increasing productivity and decreasing lost time. Implementing a plan takes time, attention and deserves a well  more...

Aging Building Management: Best Practices in Development Long-Term Capital Plans ...ent criteria. And the various stakeholders in the capital planning and management process must be able to see the long-term impact of different investment decisions. In addition to condition information, by considering sustainability recommendations along with systems life cycle requirements, building owners and managers can optimize recapitalization and greening initiatives. n nRegister for  more...

Internet Techniques for Locating Lost Relatives ...is known - the identifiers; and creating a basic research plan. There are many online resources, public and private, that can be used for a search. This teleconference will cover the types of records, the quality of information in those records and statutory considerations affecting the availability and use of records. After the search is completed and a lost relative is located, considerations  more...