Employee Benefit Plans
CSA provides objectivity and insight into your employee
benefit plan reporting issues. We provide a full spectrum of services
regarding employee benefit plans, including plan audits and Form 5500
reviews.
Audits
An audit performed by CSA is the most detailed and extensive
service and is appropriate, and required, for businesses that have 100 or
more eligible participants in their benefit plans. A participant is defined
as an employee that has satisfied the eligibility requirements of the plan,
such as age and length of service, whether or not they chose to participate
in the plan. Former employees with balances remaining in the plan are also
considered participants.
Audits can be performed using a full-scope or a limited-scope
approach. Either type of audit is acceptable to the Department of Labor.
v
Full-scope:
results in an unqualified opinion with audit procedures performed on each
area.
v
Limited-scope: disclaims an opinion on the audited financial statements.
Auditing procedures are not performed with respect to investment information
prepared and certified by a bank or similar institution or by an insurance
carrier that is regulated, supervised, and subject to periodic examination
by a state or federal agency who acts as a trustee or custodian.
Limited-scope audits are only available if the trustee or custodian
certifies both the accuracy and completeness of the information submitted.
Management Letter Comments
As part of the audit engagement, CSA will provide comments
and suggestions on operational aspects of your plan. These comments and
suggestions are drawn from our experience auditing a variety of plans. CSA
will also review the SAS 70 report on controls provided by the third party
administrator.
Form
5500 Review
In order to complete the audit, CSA must perform a review of
Form 5500. The Form 5500 is usually prepared by the plan’s third party
administrator. Once the review of Form 5500 has been done, a final financial
statement can be prepared in order to attach the return for the Department
of Labor.