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PlanManager Purpose

Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA PlanManager allows you to transmit instructions for the amount and timing of each employee's salary reduction contribution and/or company matching or non-elective contribution to each participant's SIMPLE-IRA within your company's SIMPLE-IRA plan and obtain forms needed to add employee participants.

In order to help ensure that contributions to your Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA plan are made on a timely basis, Fidelity must receive your complete contributions by midnight (Eastern time), two business days before the intended contribution date.

First Time Entering Contributions?

If this is the first time you are entering contribution instructions, remember your Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA Funding Account must be established with valid bank information before you can enter instructions. Please refer to the Electronic Funding Service Section in the Plan Establishment kit to establish bank instructions. The Retirement Service Team is available to answer your questions at 1-800-544-5373 Option 3.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is Plan Manager?

Plan Manager is designed to make it easier for employers who have adopted the Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA Plan to deposit SIMPLE contributions to each participant's Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA account. Instead of sending Fidelity a paper check in the amount of your total SIMPLE Plan contributions, use Plan Manager each payroll period to tell Fidelity how much money to debit from your company's bank account and how to allocate the contributions to each participant's Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA account.

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How does Plan Manger work?


When you sign up for Plan Manager, you direct Fidelity to establish a Funding Account in your company's name to act as a conduit for the funding process. The Funding Account is linked to the Automated Clearing House (ACH) banking network. Based on your instructions, Fidelity uses the ACH to electronically debit your company's designated bank account and credit your company's Funding Account in the total SIMPLE contribution amount indicated by you. Once your SIMPLE contribution amounts are received in the Funding Account, the total contribution amount is allocated among your employees' Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA accounts, in the amounts instructed by you.

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How to Use PlanManager?


'Make a Contribution' Screen Set-Up

Once you have logged in to the site, you will see the Make a Contribution Screen Set-Up page. Use this page to:

  1. Choose the contribution year for the pending SIMPLE contribution, and
  2. Choose whether you want the Make a Contribution Screen that follows to display the dollar amounts of your previous SIMPLE contribution instructions for each participant.
  • Choose "Yes" if your SIMPLE contribution amounts are the same (for most participants) each time you make a contribution. By choosing "Yes" this can reduce the amount of data entry. You should also choose "Yes" if you want to review a pending SIMPLE contribution that was entered during an earlier session.
  • Choose "No" if you want to enter new SIMPLE contribution instructions on a blank screen. (Your employees' names, account numbers, and year-to-date contribution information will already be entered for you.)

Click "Next" to access the "Enter Contribution Instructions" Screen.

"Enter Contribution Instructions" Screen

PlanManager's primary screen is the "Enter Contribution Instructions" Screen. Your company's name, a list of participating employees, their Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA account numbers, and year-to-date contribution information (as of the end of the immediately preceding business day) will already appear on the screen.

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How to Enter SIMPLE Contribution Instructions?


The "Enter Contribution Instructions" Screen has two sections:
  • The top section of the screen is where you specify (1) the total SIMPLE contribution amount to be debited from your company's bank account, and (2) the intended date of the contribution.
  • The bottom section of the screen is where you specify the employee and/or company SIMPLE contribution amounts for each employee/participant. This section displays a list of employee/participants, their Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA account numbers, fields for employee salary reduction contribution amount and company contribution amount, and year-to-date employee and company SIMPLE contributions.

The following tables explain how and where to enter your Plan's SIMPLE contribution information.

Contribution Timing
Debit my company's bank account for a total SIMPLE contribution of $______ Use this field to enter the total dollar amount of the SIMPLE contribution to be debited from your company's designated bank account
Select intended contribution date ______ (mm/dd/yyyy) Enter the date the SIMPLE contribution should be made. The intended contribution effective date may be up to 90 days in the future. However, Fidelity must receive your contribution information at least two business days before the day the contribution is scheduled to be made. If you request a date that falls on a weekend or holiday, PlanManager will prompt you to reschedule your intended SIMPLE contribution for a date that is a business day.
Contribution Allocation
Employee Name This field provides the name of each employee/participant in your Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA Plan who has established a Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA account. The list of employees is arranged in alphabetical order by the employee's last name and can be rearranged by clicking on the small arrows located beside the field.
Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA Account # This field provides the Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA account number for each employee/participant who has established a Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA.
Employee Contribution Use this field to enter the amount of the employee's salary deferral SIMPLE contribution for the applicable payroll cycle (if the employee participant did not elect to make a salary deferral contribution for the applicable payroll cycle, set this field to $0.00).
Company Contribution Use this field to enter the amount of your company's matching or nonelective SIMPLE contribution amount (if your company is not making a contribution during the applicable payroll cycle, set this field to $0.00.
Employee YTD Contribution This field provides the employee's total year-to-date salary deferral SIMPLE contribution made in the current calendar year as of the end of the immediately preceding business day. This figure does not reflect the pending contribution for which you are providing instructions. This is a fixed field, and cannot be changed by the user.
Company YTD Contribution This field provides the company's total year-to-date matching or non-elective SIMPLE contribution made in the current calendar year as of the end of the immediately preceding business day. This figure does not reflect the pending contribution for which you are providing instructions. This is a fixed field, and cannot be changed by the user.
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What if If Hourly Employees and Salaried Employees are on Different Payroll Cycles?


Many companies have more than one payroll cycle. For example, they may have different payroll schedules for their hourly and salaries employees. You can use PlanManager as frequently as required to transmit SIMPLE contribution instructions for all employees. The contribution amount for those employees who are not making elective deferrals or for whom a matching or non-elective contribution is not being made for the applicable contribution date should be set to $0.00.

Example: Let's say that you are processing a payroll that covers your hourly employees, but not your salaried employees. In this case, enter the relevant SIMPLE contribution amounts for your hourly employees, and set the SIMPLE amounts to $0.00 for your salaried employees.

Please Note: The IRS requires that employees' elective deferrals be deposited into each participant's SIMPLE-IRA as soon as possible, but no later than the 30th day following the last day of the month in which the deferrals are withheld from the employees' compensation. Consult your tax advisor for more information.

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What if SIMPLE Contribution Amounts Do Not Change From Payroll to Payroll?


If the SIMPLE contribution amounts for each of your employees' salary deferral and company's SIMPLE contributions do not change from payroll, to payroll, click on "yes" on the Make a Contribution page. The contribution amounts for the immediately preceding contribution instructions will default into the employee and company contribution fields on the Enter Contribution Instructions Screen. Before you submit the information to Fidelity, verify:

  • The total dollar amount of all SIMPLE contributions;
  • The intended contribution date;
  • The dollar amount of each employee salary reduction contribution; and
  • The dollar amount of each company matching or non-elective contribution.

Press the "Submit" button at the bottom of the screen. You will have another opportunity to verify the instructions, at which point you should click on "Submit" to send your SIMPLE contribution instructions to Fidelity. If any information is incorrect, click on "Make Changes" and this will take you back to the previous screen. If there are any errors, such as errors in addition or an individual contribution amount that would make an employee's aggregate year-to-date salary deferral or company SIMPLE contribution amount greater than the allowable amount for that plan year, PlanManager will display an error to correct. Once your (corrected) instructions have been received by Fidelity, the Verification Screen will appear.

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What if SIMPLE Contribution Amounts Change Each Payroll?


If the SIMPLE contribution amounts for each of your employees' salary deferral and/or company's SIMPLE contributions vary from payroll, to payroll, simply enter or change the following information on the Enter Contribution Instructions Screen:

  • The total dollar amount of all SIMPLE contributions;
  • The intended contribution date;
  • The dollar amount of each employee salary reduction contribution; and
  • The dollar amount of each company matching or non-elective contribution.

Each time you use PlanManager, you can elect to have the Enter Contribution Instructions Screen display the dollar amounts of your immediately preceding SIMPLE contribution transaction, so as to minimize data entry.

When you have finished entering the contribution information, press the "Submit" button at the bottom of the screen.You will have another opportunity to verify the instructions, at which point you should click on "Submit" to send your SIMPLE contribution instructions to Fidelity. If there are any errors, such as errors in addition or an individual contribution amount that would make an employee's aggregate year-to-date salary deferral or company SIMPLE contribution amount greater than the allowable amount for that plan year, PlanManager will display an error to correct. Once your (corrected) instructions have been received by Fidelity, the Verification Screen will appear.

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When is the SIMPLE Contribution Instructions Deadline?


You can use PlanManager to schedule SIMPLE contributions up to 90 days in advance of the intended contribution date. Keep in mind, however, that the deadline for sending contribution instructions is two business days before the contribution is scheduled to be made, and contribution instructions cannot be modified or deleted after the deadline.

Example: If your intended contribution date is Wednesday the 15th, then Fidelity must receive your contribution instructions by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern) Monday the 13th. If Monday or Tuesday is a holiday, however, Fidelity must receive your contribution instructions by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern) Friday the 10th.

Of course, it is important not to wait until the last moment, since it is possible that the Internet's telecommunications infrastructure may be unavailable from time to time. In addition, Fidelity's computer system may be unavailable for periods of time, due to daily file updates, after 9:00 p.m.

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What if a Holiday or Weekend Contribution Date is Selected?


If your requested SIMPLE contribution date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, you will receive an error message that requests you to change the date to a business day. This is important to remember, since the IRS has established deadlines for making SIMPLE contributions. (See "IRS SIMPLE Contribution Deadlines" below.)

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How to Verify your SIMPLE Contribution Instructions with Fidelity?


Verify Your Contribution

The Verify Your Contribution Screen lets you know that your SIMPLE contribution instructions have been received by Fidelity. The screen displays the pending instructions for employee and company SIMPLE contributions for the current transaction. You may want to print this screen for your records as you will not be able to access it again after you leave the program.

If all information on the screen is correct, click the "Submit" button. If you notice an error and need to modify any contribution amounts on the screen, click the "Make Changes" button to return to the Enter Contribution Instructions Screen and correct the information. After correcting the necessary information, click the "Submit" button to send the corrected information to Fidelity.

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What if I need to correct my SIMPLE Contribution Instructions?


If you have sent inaccurate or incomplete SIMPLE contribution instructions, you may send corrected instructions at any time before the SIMPLE Contribution Instructions Deadline. To correct information and re-submit it to Fidelity, enter the correct data in the Make a Contribution Screen and click the "Next" button to send the revised SIMPLE contribution instructions. The SIMPLE Contribution Instructions Deadline is two business days before the contribution is scheduled to be made, but keep in mind that it is possible that the Internet's telecommunications infrastructure may be unavailable from time to time. The Plan Manager will use the most recent set of instructions entered and received by Fidelity before the deadline. Contribution instructions cannot be accepted or corrected over the phone.

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How do I make changes to my Fidelity SIMPLE-IRA Plan?


Changing your Company's Bank Account Information

Please call the Retirement Service Team at 1-800-544-5373 option 3 for instructions on how to send us the new bank account information. Once we receive your written instructions, it will take approximately 10 business days to set up the new information.

Correcting or changing Company, Plan, or Employee Information

Please call the Retirement Service Team at 1-800-544-5373 option 3 for instructions on how to change the information on file at Fidelity regarding

  • Your company's name or address
  • The name of your plan's Authorized Representative or Contact Person
  • Your plan elections (e.g., changing the company contribution percentage, changing the eligibility rules for your employees, etc.)
  • The name(s) of any of your employees
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When are the IRS SIMPLE Contribution Deadilines?


Employees' elective deferrals must be contributed to the employee's SIMPLE-IRA account as soon as possible, but no later than the 30th day following the last day of the month in which the deferrals are withheld from the employees' compensation. Employer matching contributions and non-elective contributions must be made by your company's tax filing deadline, including extensions, for the taxable year for which the contributions are made. The responsibility for meeting these deadlines is the employer's. Consult your tax advisor for more information.

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What are some Security tips?


Maintaining the privacy and security of plan and account information is a responsibility that Fidelity and its customers share. That is why the PlanManager site incorporates electronic security measures using industry-standard technology. These include

  • Requiring users to enter a password
  • 2-way data encryption technologies
  • Proprietary systems to monitor access to Fidelity data and information

Equally as important as the technology are the measures customers take to maintain security. Fidelity recommends that users of electronic systems take the following security steps

  • Create a hard-to-guess password. A general rule for creating a password is the longer the better. Do not use sequential or repetitive characters, or passwords such as your phone number or date of birth.
  • Do not tell anyone your password. Ideally, your password will be easy for you to remember so you will not have to write it down, but difficult for others to guess.
  • Change your password frequently. For instructions, see "Changing your password" above.
  • Be aware that if you leave your desk during or after an online session, another user may be able to use your browser's "Back" button to view information. While this potentially viewable information does no include your password or bank account information, we recommend that you exit your browser on completion of online activity to minimize this type of security risk.
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Checklist for Success


For best results when using PlanManager, use this checklist to help you remember to check

  1. Is the total SIMPLE contribution amount (the dollar amount entered at the top of the Enter Contribution Instructions Screen) correct?
  2. Have you checked your math? Does the total of all employee and company SIMPLE contributions equal the dollar amount entered at the top of the Enter Contribution Instructions Screen? (The screen will prompt you to recheck your math if the numbers do not add up.)
  3. Have you entered a contribution date at least two business days from today?
  4. Have you entered $0.00 in the employee contribution column for any employee who is not making a salary deferral contribution at this time?
  5. Have you entered or cleared (as appropriate) the company contribution column for each employee?
  6. Have you printed the Verification Screen for your records? After you log out you will not be able to retrieve the time and date that Fidelity received your instructions-- information that appears only on this screen. Of course, you will still be able to view pending SIMPLE contributions during subsequent online sessions.