Public Sector 401, 403 and 457 Plans
The public sector has unique characteristics that impact how employee benefits are managed. Financing, politics, and the legal and regulatory environment pose challenges and opportunities that require professionals to understand how public plans operate. Gather for this two-day course with industry peers and experts to take a deep dive into topics such as fiduciary responsibilities, compliance, fund performance and more. Both seasoned and new public sector professionals will find great value in the learning and networking offered in this course. Take the opportunity to talk to your fellow public sector professionals to find out what's working for them, and learn from experts on the topics you need to know. Gain insights and strategies you can take back to your organization and implement for further success.
Topics Covered
- Oversight
- Fiduciary responsibilities
- Compliance
- Fund performance and fees
- Education
- Customer service
- Options and trends
Course Outline
Day 1
- Historical Public Sector Characteristics
- Defined benefit (DB) plans
- Defined contribution (DC) plan options
- Hybrid pension plans
- Social Security alternative
- Defined Contribution Oversight
- Federal government role
- State government role
- Provide role
- Employer role
- Basic Defines Contribution Responsibilities
- Eligibility
- Enrollment
- Beneficiaries
- Qualified domestic relation orders (QDROs)
- Employment changes
- Distributions
- Changing Employer Responsibilities
- Small Business Job Protection Act
- IRS Interpretive Bulletin 96-1
- Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA)
- Treasury regulations
- Sarbanes-Oxley Act
- Pension Protection Act
- Worker, Retiree and Employer Protection Act
- Small Business Jobs Act of 2010
- DOL regulations
- Prospective legislation/regulation
- Employer Trends in Meeting New Responsibilities
- Organization of function
- Management of responsibilities
- Using marketplace competition
Day 2
- Options and Trends
- SDBA
- Loans
- Sidecar/deemed IRAs
- Investment advice
- Asset allocation models
- Employer matching
- Multi- to single provider
- Automatic enrollment
- Managed accounts
- GASB (retiree health accounts)
- Managing Investment Oversight
- Investments 101
- Internal oversight
- Importance of coordinating with DB plan
- Coordinating with DB plan
- Calculation of DB amount
- Integration with DC assets
- Discussion with DB/DC managers
- Developing Educational Programs
- Decision-maker education and training
- Participant education
- Case Study
Attendees will discuss a fictional city’s DC plan, addressing various challenges, including a disengaged, dysfunctional oversight committee that has not received training for over six years; an outdated plan document; no contracts on file for the three providers, who also have no structure or coordination; 120 investment choices with extremely high fees; low participation among the city’s employees; inconsistent legal requirements; and more. Attendees will apply learnings from the course to identify and recommend strategies for the city to meet these challenges.
Course Applies To
Pricing
October 8 - 9, 2025
Hilton Austin, Austin, TX
Through August 25, 2025
US$1,400.00
Member
US$1,620.00
Nonmember
After August 25, 2025
US$1,700.00
Member
US$1,920.00
Nonmember
Pricing
September 30 - October 1, 2026
Caribe Royale Orlando, Orlando, FL
Through August 17, 2026
US$1,495.00
Member
US$1,715.00
Nonmember
After August 17, 2026
US$1,795.00
Member
US$2,015.00
Nonmember
Continuing Education
Educational sessions at this program can qualify for CEBS Compliance credit. Visit www.cebs.org/compliance for more information.
Agenda
Wednesday, October 8 - Thursday, October 9, 2025
Hilton Austin, Austin, TX
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday, September 30 - Thursday, October 1, 2026
Caribe Royale Orlando, Orlando, FL
The selected event has no sessions.