We audit over 1,000 employee benefit plans annually — you can depend on our experience

Plante Moran has a team of CPAs that specializes in employee benefit audits. We audit over 1,000 plans annually and are the 6th largest auditor of plans in the nation. This experience with large and small plans translates to vast experience addressing all kinds of plan and audit issues.

We have experience auditing plans with investments of less than $1 million to more than $24 billion, and master trusts of up to $50 billion in investments. We audited over $125 billion in plan assets annually. 

The U. S. Department of Labor advises: "One of the most common reasons for deficient accountants’ reports is the failure of the auditor to perform tests in areas unique to employee benefit plan audits. The more training and experience that an auditor has with employee benefit plan audits, the more familiar the auditor will be with benefit plan practices and operations, as well as the special auditing standards and rules that apply to such plans."

Whether you have one benefit plan or 20 plans, you can take advantage of our experience and dedication to client service. We routinely survey our benefit plan audit clients so that they can assess our performance. The results indicate a very high level of satisfaction. 

You will appreciate a smooth transition

Don’t let concerns about start-up time keep you from engaging us to conduct your employee benefit plan audits. We realize that the time and energy expended during a transition are concerns and we have developed a methodology that makes the change worthwhile. We can make that promise because we have a dedicated staff that is specifically trained to conduct employee benefit plan audits – they know what they are doing and ask targeted, relevant questions. 

You can benefit from our commitment to quality

To demonstrate our commitment to quality benefit plan audits, we have joined AICPA's Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center (EBPAQC). That means we subject ourselves to additional scrutiny so that we can ensure we maintain the highest level of audit quality. 

We’ll cover the important issues

For timely resolution to issues, we can draw on long-term, professional relationships with the Department of Labor (DOL), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).

Because we’re one of the nation’s largest accounting, tax, and management consulting firms, we have relationships with the large investment, insurance, and record-keeping companies, banks, and actuarial firms. This allows us to efficiently secure necessary audit information. 

Hot Topics for 2010 New 403(b) Audit Requirements  Changes to the Form 5500 — Our Employee Benefits Consulting Alerts can guide you through the changes

Our focus on benefit plan audits translates into deep expertise

We’re committed to benefit plan audits. We allocate substantial resources to ensure our staff is trained in audit procedures and disclosure requirements unique to the benefit plan industry. We provide extensive training for new staff and continuing education for experienced staff.

Because of this emphasis and our firm culture that leads to high staff retention, you can expect to see continuity in the staff assigned to your audit.

The audit team also can rely on the consulting services of the firm. Our benefit plan consultants include tax consultants, attorneys, and actuarially trained experts who can review and model plan design alternatives, develop and install qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, and evaluate third-party administrators. Unlike other benefit consulting companies, our creative, multidisciplinary approach incorporates tax, accounting, and legal compliance perspectives.

"Plante Moran accountants are both knowledgeable and easy to work with. When they come across something they are not familiar with they are willing to do the necessary research. And I appreciate that they are very considerate of my time when asking for the information they need to perform our audit." Benefits Administrator National Insurance Company