Essential Rules Governing Pension And Profit-Sharing Plans Explained In New Edition Of Book Co-Authored By Andrew L. Gaines July 1998   How can a company benefit by maintaining a qualified retirement plan for employees? Are there any transactions or investments that are prohibited by ERISA? What are the nondiscrimination requirements applicable to SEPs? What sort of investments can an ERISA fiduciary make? These and other issues relating to pension and profit-sharing plans are explained in a new edition of a book, Essential Facts: Pension and Profit-Sharing Plans, co-authored by Andrew L. Gaines, a partner in the New York office of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. Plan Choices Mr. Gaines' book recognizes that an employer that decides to offer a retirement program has many choices to make. The cost, flexibility, and ongoing administrative requirements of maintaining one form of retirement plan over another will influence which retirement plan is best suited for an employer's - or an employee's - needs. Essential Facts: Pension and Profit-Sharing Plans surveys the different forms of retirement plans available to businesses and individuals. It introduces basic legal principles involved with each type of retirement plan and explains their advantages and limitations, analyzes the tax consequences for the sponsor and participants, and offers suggestions for selecting the appropriate retirement plan to meet specific needs. A disk accompanying the book contains model plan documents for the most popular types of retirement plans. The book also has relevant forms and notices to facilitate establishing and maintaining a retirement plan. Comprehensive Guide In addition, the book contains a comprehensive guide to the changes affecting qualified retirement plans made by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 and other changes in the law. These include: Changes to the full funding percentage limit of deductibility of contributions by employers; Changes to the treatment of matching contributions made to a 401(k) by self-employed individuals that allows them to contribute more to their 401(k)s; The new non-tax-deferred IRAs; Coverage of new phase-out rules for contributing to IRAs, including easy-to-understand charts on the phase-out rules; The simplified reporting requirements to the Department of Labor; and The limits on the amount of employer securities and employer real property in which 401(k) plans can invest. For Further Information Andrew L. Gaines designs, implements, and administers tax-qualified retirement plans, non-qualified deferred compensation, and executive equity incentive arrangements for both private and publicly held entities. He also advises domestic and international investment funds with respect to investment structures involving ERISA plan assets and prohibited transaction issues. If you have questions about pension or profit-sharing plans, please contact Andrew Gaines at againes@akingump.com. If you would like to order Essential Facts: Pension and Profit-Sharing Plans, contact: Warren, Gorham & Lamont RIA Group Customer Service Department Telephone: (800) 431-9025