The Plan Cycle Tab

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As Plan details can vary from year to year—particularly since many of these details must be reported annually on the Form 5500—PensionPro utilizes the Plan Cycle tab to store this information. Although simple to use, the Plan Cycle tab contains some interesting functionality, and this article will serve as a starting point for finding and using it.

 

For information on creating and using Plan Cycle records, refer to the article Plan Cycles.

 

Opening a Plan Cycle tab

 

  1. Use the Search bar to search by Plan name.
  2. Expand the Plans result list and select the desired Plan. The corresponding tab opens.
  3. Select the Plan Cycles view from the list on the left.
  4. In the Plan Cycles grid, double-click the record representing the desired time period.

 

Tier Availability: Track, Team, Business

 

Note: During the process of managing Plan information, many input fields populate their dropdown options by pulling in List Values. More information on List Values can be found in the article List Values.
Note: Some features and views may not be available in all tiers.

 

Article Contents

 

 

 

The Plan Cycle Tab Header

 

The tab header is displayed at the top of the tab, above any selected view. The header contains the following items, presented from left to right:

 

  • The Plan Name that the Plan Cycle has been added under. Selecting the Plan Name returns the user to the Plan tab.
  • The Plan Cycle Period.
  • The Helphelp.png icon, which opens this article in a new browser window.
  • The Moremore_options.png icon, which contains menu options for ftwilliam.com Navigation Assistance.

 

 

Navigating Plan Cycle Views

 

The Views panel on the left side of the Plan Cycle tab includes yearly Plan details and offers the following views: General, Participant, Filings, Milestones, Test Results, Actuarial, Financial, Files, Data Collection, To-Dos, Time, Notes, and Projects.

 

 

Editing Attributes

 

Requires Security Rights: Add/Edit Plan Cycles

 

Some views, such as the General and Test Results views, contain attributes and information that define the Plan. To edit these attributes:

  1. Select Editedit.png at the top-right of the view. The corresponding window displays.
  2. Make any necessary changes.
  3. Select Save.

 

Note: After field data is populated via Plan Cycle Integrations, PensionPro may restrict the ability to edit these fields.

 

 

Adding Records

 

Other views, like the Files and To-Dos views, contain lists of records attached to the Plan. In these views, records can be added by performing the following steps:

 

  1. Select Addadd.png at the top-right of the view. The corresponding window displays.
  2. Complete the required fields.
  3. Select Save.

 

 

Plan Cycle Integrations

 

Throughout the Plan Cycle tab, PensionPro can populate many fields with data retrieved from the following sources:

 

  • The 5500 filed with the Department of Labor (DOL)
  • Information entered into ftwilliam.com

 

This article will note in general terms the areas where this integration takes affect. For more specific details, refer to the article Plan Cycle Data Syncing.

 

 

Views on the Plan Cycle Tab

 

The aim of this guide is not to provide an exhaustive list of Plan Cycle fields and properties. However, any items of particular note are covered in each view's section, below.

 

 

General

 

The General view contains basic information about the current Plan Cycle, such as the Plan Period that the cycle is relevant to and whether or not the Plan had Safe Harbor status during that cycle. Use Editedit.png at the top-right of the grid to make changes to this information.

 

For Business tier users, this view also contains a selection of fields from the 5500, such as those relating to plan type, business code, and fidelity bonds. This information can be filled automatically from the DOL.

 

The Moremore_options.png menu for this view contains the following options:

 

  • Add Data Collection: (Team tier) If the Plan Cycle record was created without an annual data collection element, one can be added using this option.
  • Refresh Plan Cycle Data: Can be used at any time to manually refresh data that can be populated using the Plan Cycle Integrations.

 

 

Participant

 

Tier Availability: Business

 

The Participant view contains a selection of fields to record beginning and end of year participant counts. This information can be filled automatically from the DOL.

 

Use Editedit.png at the top-right of the grid to make changes to this information.

 

 

Filings

 

The Filings view records an assortment of dates relating to the completion of the Form 5500, including when it and related forms were signed, filed, and accepted. Signer names can also be recorded here.

 

For Business tier users, this view also contains a selection of fields to indicate which schedules were attached to the filed 5500.

 

Some fields in this view can be filled automatically from the DOL and/or ftwilliam.com.

 

Use Editedit.png at the top-right of the grid to make changes to this information.

 

 

Milestones

 

Tier Availability: Track, Team

 

The Milestones listed in this view are used to follow a Plan through its annual administration, tracking when various aspects of administration have been completed and indicating what steps still need to be performed. These are the dates that appear on the Milestones Dashboard.

 

Use Editedit.png at the top-right of the grid to make changes to this information.

 

 

Test Results

 

Tier Availability: Team, Business

 

The Test Results view can be used to record the results of various types of testing performed for that cycle, such as ADP/ACP and Top Heavy testing. This information can be filled automatically from ftwilliam.com.

 

Use Editedit.png at the top-right of the grid to make changes to this information.

 

 

Actuarial

 

Tier Availability: Business

 

The fields in the Actuarial view are used to record information pertinent to performing funding calculations and projections. Much of this information can be filled automatically from the DOL.

 

Use Editedit.png at the top-right of the grid to make changes to this information.

 

 

Financial

 

Tier Availability: Business

 

The Financial view is used to record various monetary amounts, such as net assets and employer/participant contributions. This information can be filled automatically from the DOL.

 

Use Editedit.png at the top-right of the grid to make changes to this information.

 

 

Files

 

Tier Availability: Team

 

The Files view contains any files that have been uploaded and stored alongside the Plan Cycle. This view is only available if Data Collection has been added.

 

Use Addadd.png at the top-right of the grid to add a new file, or hover over any entry to display the Editedit.png and Deletedelete.png options on the right-hand side. To view archived files, select Moremore_options.png > Show Archived.

 

For more information on using Files, refer to the article Files & Documents.

 

 

Data Collection

 

Tier Availability: Team

 

If the Plan Cycle is using Data Collection to obtain annual administration data, the relevant views will appear under this grouping. Otherwise, the Data Collection grouping will not be available. For more information on these views, refer to the article Overview of Web Data Collection.

 

 

To-Dos

 

Tier Availability: Team

 

The To-Dos view displays any To-Do items that relate to the Plan Cycles. These are reminders or directions that assist in tracking and completing unexpected work. This view is only available if Data Collection has been added to the Plan Cycle.

 

Use Addadd.png at the top-right of the grid to add a new To-Do, or hover over any entry to display the Editedit.png and Deletedelete.png options on the right-hand side. For more information, refer to the article To-Dos.

 

 

Time

 

Tier Availability: Team, Business

 

The Time view displays all Time Slip entries that are linked to the Plan Cycle. This view is only available if Data Collection has been added (Team) or if the Plan Cycle is associated with an Annual Administration Project (Business).

 

Time Slip records cannot be manually created within this view; instead, the grid automatically populates when Employees add new Time Slip entries. For more information on timekeeping, refer to the article Recording & Tracking Time.

 

 

Notes

 

Tier Availability: Team

 

The Notes view is used for recording any miscellaneous information that pertains to the Client. This could be confirmation of communications, instructions for special handling, or simply information that doesn't fit anywhere else. This view is only available if Data Collection has been added to the Plan Cycle.

 

Use Addadd.png at the top-right of the grid to add a new Note, or hover over any entry to display the Editedit.png and Deletedelete.png options on the right-hand side. To view archived Notes, select Moremore_options.png > Show Archived.

 

For more information, refer to the article Notes.

 

 

Projects

 

Tier Availability: Business

 

The Projects view displays Projects that are connected to the current Plan Cycle. In practice, this will act as an easy means for accessing the cycle's associated Annual Administration Project.

 

Double-clicking a Project will open it in a new Project tab.