Key Takeaways
- “New” 401(k) and 403(b) plans must be automatically enrolled, with automatic deferral increases, no later than the plan year beginning after December 31, 2024 (e.g., 2025 for calendar year plans).
- Any plan “established” on or after December 29, 2022 is considered a new plan.
- Defaulting participants must be invested in a QDIA.
- There are exceptions for government plans, church plans, SIMPLE 401(k) plans, employers with 10 or fewer employees, and employers during their first 3 years of existence.
The President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which included SECURE Act 2.0, on December 29, 2022—the “enactment date”.
SECURE Act 2.0 has over 90 provisions, some major and some minor. One of the most impactful provisions is the new requirement to automatically enroll and automatically increase deferrals to new 401(k) and 403(b) plans.
New 401(k)s and 403(b)s must be automatically enrolled and the deferrals automatically increased, beginning for plan years after December 31, 2024. At that time, 401(k) and 403(b) plans will be required to automatically enroll eligible employees at 3% (but not more than 10%) and thereafter automatically increase the deferral rates by 1% per year up to at least 10% (and if desired by the employer, up to a maximum of 15%). Defaulting participants must be invested in a QDIA (qualified default investment alternative).
Continue reading The SECURE Act 2.0: The Most Impactful Provisions (#1–Automatic Plans)
