APA case studies
APA · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Accredited Pension Administrator (APA) is a professional designation offered by the National Institute of Pension Administrators (NIPA), a membership association for retirement plan professionals headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The APA is aimed at individuals who administer qualified retirement plans - day-to-day plan operations, compliance testing, distributions, and the reporting and fiduciary obligations that accompany plan sponsorship. The APA case studies are 5 cases and about 2,294 words.
1The Controller Who Wants to Be Excluded
Meridian Fabrication sponsors a single-employer 401(k) plan with a calendar plan year and a 1,000-hour/age-21 eligibility requirement. The plan's coverage test has always passed because the employer uses the ratio percentage test.
471 words, about 2 min2The Safe Harbor Match That Wasn't
Cascade Logistics adopted a 401(k) plan with a basic safe harbor matching formula: 100% of the first 3% of compensation plus 50% of the next 2%. The plan year is the calendar year.
477 words, about 2 min3Required Beginning Date for a Still-Working Owner
Ravi is a 76-year-old 30% owner of a small manufacturing company and still works full time. He participates in the company's profit sharing plan, which has a calendar plan year.
438 words, about 2 min4The Missing Participant and the Fiduciary's Paper Trail
A 412(i)-style fully insured defined benefit plan terminated five years ago. The trustee, a local bank, distributed most benefits but could not locate one participant, Elena, whose vested benefit was $18,000.
444 words, about 2 min5The HCE Who Wants a Loan She Can't Repay
Summit Analytics sponsors a 401(k) plan that permits loans up to the lesser of 50% of the vested account balance or 50,000, reduced by the highest outstanding loan balance during the prior 12 months. The plan requires level amortization with payments at least quarterly and a maximum term of five years.
464 words, about 2 min