Annual forum sets stage for Pension Protection Act (PPA) discussion
2007 Census Workshops to feature PPA education for plan sponsors
Indianapolis -- January 8, 2007
During this hectic time of year, it can be easy to neglect retirement plan obligations. The Retirement Services professionals at American United Life Insurance Company® (AUL), a OneAmerica company, strive to keep their full-service customers educated about and prepared for, upcoming plan maintenance requirements by conducting nationwide Census Workshops at the beginning of each new year.
This year's ninth annual Census Workshops will kick off with 82 half-day sessions and are expected to draw nearly 2,000 attendees across the country. These workshops have proven to be a successful forum for discussing and educating plan sponsors about regulatory requirements, fiduciary responsibility and plan-specific information. This year, a significant portion of the workshops will be dedicated to the Pension Protection Act of 2006 and how those changes will affect retirement plans.
"It’s typically an ideal opportunity for new customers to better understand the retirement plan process while serving as a great refresher course for current customers," said Denise Preece, AUL Retirement Services assistant vice president, field services. "But due to PPA changes, attending the upcoming workshops should be beneficial to all."
AUL's Census Workshops are value-added services that consist of three presentations that cover census requirements, the data submission process and the Pension Protection Act. The workshop is designed to streamline the census process in just a few easy steps and is intended to keep customers apprised of year-end testing, reporting deadlines and requirements, and how to file results to avoid government penalties.
"It's a great opportunity to spend time with our plan sponsors and offer our assistance to ease their administrative burden while keeping it fresh and relevant," said Preece. "They are required to complete the testing and reporting; our goal is to make it easy and enjoyable."
Workshop planning begins as early as September and requires the help of more than 80 AUL employees throughout the country. Workshops are held near 23 regional office locations and are conducted by local and corporate office service consultants.
About AUL's Retirement Services division
Through its Retirement Services division, AUL is an experienced provider of retirement plan products and services to the small and mid-sized employer market. Its retirement products were introduced in 1963 and, today, AUL provides products and services to more than 13,000 active retirement plans with 400,000 participants and more than $8 billion in retirement plan assets. Please visit us on the Web at www.eretirement.aul.com.
About OneAmerica & AUL
OneAmerica Financial Partners, Inc., has companies that can trace their solid foundations more than 125 years in the insurance and financial services marketplace. Its nationwide network of companies and affiliates offers retirement plan products and services; individual life insurance and annuities; long-term care insurance; and group insurance. Headquartered in Indianapolis, IN, AUL is the founding member of OneAmerica®. AUL is licensed and authorized to conduct life insurance business in 49 states and the District of Columbia.
Tax qualified retirement plans from AUL are funded by an AUL group variable annuity contract. While a participant in an annuity contract may benefit from additional investment and annuity related benefit under the annuity contract, any tax deferral is provided by the plan and not the annuity contract.
Registered group variable annuity contracts issued by AUL are distributed by OneAmerica Securities, Inc., Member NASD, SIPC, a Registered Investment Advisor, P.O. Box 1984, Indianapolis, IN 46206, (317) 285-1877, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of AUL.
