LIVESTREAM 2021 Employee Benefit Plan Conference

Registration Status: OPEN

Thursday, May 13, 2021

General Sessions

	A - DOL Update (A&A) (003)
	B - COVID-19, CARES, and More: Current and Future Impact on Employee Benefit Plan Audits (A&A) (005)
	C - What You Need to Know NOW About SAS No. 136: Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Employee Benefit Plans Subject to ERISA (A&A) (007)

Breakout Sessions - 1:05 p.m. - 2:20 p.m.

	D1- PEP (and MEP) Talk (A&A) (009)
	D2 - SOC 1 Best Practices and Auditing in a Digital World (A&A) (011)

Breakout Sessions - 2:30 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

	E1 - Peer Review Issues for EBP Audits (A&A) (015)
	E2- Investments and Form 5500 (A&A) (016)

Afternoon General Session

F - Conference Wrap Up and Phone a Friend (A&A) (017)

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LIVESTREAM 2021 Employee Benefit Plan Conference (LS13026)

Thursday, May 13, 2021 / Live Stream, GA

As you build your organization's employee benefits, it's critical to have the most relevant and useful information so that you can increase the effectiveness of your plans and make informed decisions. The 2021 Virtual Employee Benefit Plan Conference will discuss new performance requirements of SAS 136, in addition to PEPs and MEPs, which were introduced under the SECURE Act.

Local and national experts in the field will provide in-depth coverage of the most recent matters affecting employee benefit plans, from a DOL update to SOC 1 best practices to peer review issues.

Event Status: OPEN

Event ID: #LS13026

CPE: 8.0 credits

Total Price: $280.00

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What are PEPs and MEPs?
PEPs allow unrelated employers that meet certain requirements to band together to participate in a single retirement plan to take advantage of their collective purchasing power to obtain lower fees and better services. MEPs allow related businesses to band together in a manner similar to PEPs to participate in a single retirement plan.

Topics of Discussion
> DOL Update
> COVID-19, CARES, and More: Current and Future Impact on Employee Benefit Plan Audits
> What You Need to Know NOW About SAS No. 136: Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Employee Benefit Plans Subject to ERISA
> PEP (and MEP) Talk
> SOC 1 Best Practices and Auditing in a Digital World
> Peer Review Issues for EBP Audits
> Investments and Form 5500
> Conference Wrap Up Panel

MATERIALS
This conference is a paperless conference and all materials will be available electronically as PDFs. Materials will be available for download in advance and participants will receive an email when they are available. For more information about eMaterials, visit ematerials.gscpa.org.

Thursday, May 13, 2021

8:05am-8:55am
A - DOL Update (A&A) Credits: 1.0 AA

Marcus Aron
Employee Benefit Security Administration , Washington, DC

What’s going on at the Department of Labor that will impact your benefit plan audits this year? The DOL will share their insights with you. Find out what good work looks like, how to avoid the pitfalls that most often plague benefit plan audits, and result in the rejection of Form 5500 filings.

9:05am-10:20am
B - COVID-19, CARES, and More: Current and Future Impact on Employee Benefit Plan Audits (A&A) Credits: 1.5 AA

Anne E. Morris, CPA
Windham Brannon, PC , Atlanta, GA

Brian T. Muia, CPA

Discuss challenges and the related audit considerations of COVID-19 and the CARES Act facing plan sponsors, service providers and auditors. Identify potential audit risks resulting from the challenges, implementation and impact of COVID-19 and the CARES Act. Recall lessons learned and what to expect for the 2020 year-end audits. Also, discuss remote auditing a year later – best practices, and the good, bad, and ugly.

10:30am-12:10pm
C - What You Need to Know NOW About SAS No. 136: Forming an Opinion and Reporting on Employee Benefit Plans Subject to ERISA (A&A) Credits: 2.0 AA

Gregory M. Clark, CPA, CGMA
Principal / BCCG Business Compliance & Controls Group , Fort Walton Beach, FL

Melissa C. Herbert, CPA
Audit Manager / Warren Averett, LLC , Atlanta, GA

Anne T. Hall, Esq. LL.M
Hall Benefits Law , Atlanta, GA

Gain an understanding of SAS No. 136 and discuss what you can do now to get ready for the new performance requirements. Discuss engagement acceptance considerations, risk assessment and response relating to relevant plan provisions and reportable findings, and required procedures relating to the ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C) audit.

1:05pm-2:20pm
D1- PEP (and MEP) Talk (A&A) Credits: 1.5 AA

Ilene H. Ferenczy, J.D., CPC, APA
Ferenczy Benefits Law Center LLP , Atlanta, GA

If you believe Washington, MEPs and PEPs are all the rage. Discuss how these plans work, current regulatory and other guidance, and preview some of the challenges CPAs might face when called upon to provide audit financials.

1:05pm-2:20pm
D2 - SOC 1 Best Practices and Auditing in a Digital World (A&A) Credits: 1.5 AA

Colleen M. Sanchez, CPA
Warren Averett, LLC , Atlanta, GA

Candace A. Jackson, CPA
Moore Colson CPAs and Advisors , Atlanta, GA

Bruce J. Burkholder, CPA
Robins, Eskew, Smith & Jordan - RESJ , McDonough, GA

Learn how to apply information from the SOC 1 report to your audit risk assessment considerations and requirements. Evaluate the relevancy of user entity controls noted within the SOC 1 report and the level of testing you should consider, and the effect on your plan audit. Analyze the specific carve-outs and determine appropriate audit evidence in an electronic environment.

2:30pm-3:45pm
E1 - Peer Review Issues for EBP Audits (A&A) Credits: 1.5 AA

Jean M. Malis, CPA
Partner / Hancock Askew & Co, LLP , Peachtree Corners, GA

Randy M. Dummer
Henderson, Hutcherson & McCullough , Chattanooga, TN

Cover the areas of emphasis that peer reviewers are looking at in your EBP audits and review real-world examples of items noted on recent peer reviews.

2:30pm-3:45pm
E2- Investments and Form 5500 (A&A) Credits: 1.5 AA

Candace A. Jackson, CPA
Moore Colson CPAs and Advisors , Atlanta, GA

Melissa C. Herbert, CPA
Audit Manager / Warren Averett, LLC , Atlanta, GA

Does the plan hold complex investments? Whether a full scope audit or limited scope audit is performed, the steps to ensure complex investments are correctly valued and presented within the financial statements according to appropriate accounting principles remain the same. Review the unique characteristics and valuation methods for various investments, including common trusts, collective trusts, hedge funds, limited partnerships, and certain derivatives and learn how to identify complex investments in the custodial reports.

3:55pm-4:25pm
F - Conference Wrap Up and Phone a Friend (A&A) Credits: 0.5 AA

Gregory M. Clark, CPA, CGMA
Principal / BCCG Business Compliance & Controls Group , Fort Walton Beach, FL

Jeffery J. Seay, CPA, CIT
Managing Partner / Seay & Weissinger, LLC -- , Marietta, GA

Anne E. Morris, CPA
Windham Brannon, PC , Atlanta, GA

Bruce J. Burkholder, CPA
Robins, Eskew, Smith & Jordan - RESJ , McDonough, GA

Wrap up the day and get your most challenging questions on employee benefit plans answered by experts in the field. Our expert panel includes authorities in the plan areas most relevant to CPAs, including accounting, auditing and legal. Please submit your questions throughout the day or bring them to the session.