Contents

Introduction to the ftwilliam.com software. Top

Logging In. Top

You will need the company code, login name and password you received when you signed up for the ftwilliam.com system.

General ftwilliam.com website features available after log-in:

  • Getting Help: at the top of every page you should find links for 'help' (links to this guide once you are in the document software pages) and a link to contact 'support' (via email). You can also call us during regular business hours at (800) 596-0714 (we are located in the Central Time Zone). This number can also be found at the bottom of every page in your account.
  • Admin Menu: a link to the 'Admin Menu' is provided at the top of every page. It provides the following options (not all options may appear depending on your subscription with ftwilliam.com):
    • Print Blank Checklists
    • Print Blank Adoption Agreements for Prototype-Style Plans
    • Print IRS Letters for Prototype & Volume Submitter Plans
    • Print Compliance List (provides lists of Safe Harbor, Cross Tested, Hardship Plans, among many others)
    • Print List of Deleted Plans
    • Edit Document/SAR/AFN Print Settings
    • Portal Settings
    • 5500 WorkFlow
    • SAR/AFN Defaults
    • Edit Company Profile
    • Edit Divisions (allows the Master Admin User to set-up containers which hold one or more companies (Plan Sponsors))
    • Edit User(s) (designated administrators can set permissions for users, log-in and password information)
    • Download all plan information by checklist (downloads entire document checklist for a particular plan type into Excel format)
    • Extract selected plan information for all plans (download into Excel basic information for all plans on the system (plan name, EIN, etc.)
    • Mandatory Cash Out Sample Customer Letter
    • Extract selected Year 5500 information for all plans | (Links for prior years) (Excel download includes participant counts and total plan assets)
    • Download 'Tell a Friend' form (This form is for informing ftwilliam.com that you've referred a friend or colleague to us. If your referral signs up within 60 days, ftwilliam.com will give you credit toward your next purchase.)
    • View Online Usage Agreement

Select Company. Top

After log-in, you will be taken to the "Select Company" page where you can Add Company / Select Company / Delete Company. First time ftwilliam.com users will need to add a company to get started. The 55AutoFill feature will import company information from 5500 form filings. All you need to do is enter the plan sponsor's taxpayer identification number and basic plan and company information for that plan sponsor are automatically imported for your use - even if you did not use our software in any previous year. (Patent pending).

ZZZ - Default Plans

A Company that will already be in place when you first log (and have added at least one company) in is the Company "ZZZ - Default Plans". (It is named "ZZZ" so that it will appear last in your list of Companies.) You may want to start by opening the default company plans and reviewing the plan specifications (select the ZZZ-Default Plans" company and then select the particular plan type you want to review/set defaults). These specifications will be used whenever you add a new plan to the system of the same type (unless you clone a plan).

In addition, the 'Select Company' page includes 'Quick links' to many batch features, links to all our recent technical updates, recent email announcements, a link to our 'Upload Center' (contact support for more information if you are interested in the Upload features), and User Guides.

Select Plan. Top

After selecting a Company, you will be taken to the "Select Plan" page. First time ftwilliam.com users may need to add a plan to get started.

Note that you can only add plans related to your current document subscription. For example, if you have a retirement documents subscription but not welfare documents, you will be able to add any plan in the retirement document subscription but will not see options to add cafeteria or other welfare plans. Contact us at any time to add subscriptions to your account.

Go to Documents/IRS Forms/5500 forms/1099s/Admin/Portal. Top

After selecting a Plan, you will be taken to the "Edit/Print Menu" page. The different sections of the checklist will appear in the 'Select Section' box. Click on each section to enter relevant plan specifications. Make sure to click 'Update' to save your changes and trigger any applicable edit checks.

  • Select Section

    No matter what type of subscription you have, you should see Section A 'General Information'. Click on 'General Information' to edit the plan name that appears in drop down lists in the software.

    If you have a document or admin subscription, the more sections of the checklist will appear. Click on each section to enter relevant plan specifications. To edit the checklist options click on the appropriate link under "Select Section". Once you click on the link, the "Edit Plan Information" page will open where you may edit the applicable responses. Make sure to click 'Update' to save your changes and trigger any applicable edit checks.

    The last item under "Select Section" is "Show History". When you click on this link, a new page will open that will display all of the actions taken with respect to the plan including the user name and date.

  • Print Menu

    At the bottom of the page, under the "Print Menu", are options to access specific software features for this plan: Documents/IRS Forms/5500 forms/1099s/Admin/Portal. Items where you do not have an subscription will appear as 'N/A' instead of having a "Go" button. Click on the "Go" button under Proposal to access ftwProposal Pro.

    The page shown at right displays what it looks like if you have a plan documents subscription with ftwilliam.com. It may look different and have different options under the "Print Menu" depending upon the subscriptions you have with ftwilliam.com.

  • Details on each of the relevant software features are provided in separate user guides. The links to those user guides is provided below:

    Overview of ftwProposal Pro Top

    Participant data, calculations and reports are located at the top of the screen. Calculations will be based upon the plan information and specifications that are entered lower on the page.

    You must first set up your proposal specifications (in the large box titled 'Proposal Specifications') for as many options as you have selected under the "General Information" box and any applicable new comparability groups must be set up under the bottom box ('Profit Sharing - New Comparability Groups'). Then census information can be collected (at the top of the screen).

    The proposals must be recalculated each time participant or plan specification data changes.

    Participant Data/Calculate/Reports Top

    Work with Census This link allows the user to enter participant data. The data may be manually entered, uploaded or imported from the current census in the Administration System.
    • To enter participants via a spreadsheet, click to "Download" the grid (from the screen shown at right). Open the file and enter your data. Then click to 'Upload" and browse for the file.
    • If you are using the admin system for this plan, you can simply click to "Copy Census From Admin (Then Click 'Refresh')". As the button indicates, you must click to "Refresh the Grid" once you have copied the census (link located above the copy button). You will then see names and information copied over from the most recent year in the Admin system. This data can be further modified for purposes of the proposal system.
    • To manually enter a participant, type in the employee number, first name and last name and click "Add Participant".
    The "Pref" (Preferred) column (between 'HCE' and 'Comp') indicates if the participant will be separately report in the preferred section of the report. At least one preferred participant should be selected.

    Hint! To have the system calculate HCE and Key status, we suggest uploading the census data into the Administration System and running the data scrub. Then return to the proposal screen and 'Copy Census from Admin'.

    Note: All participants in the census on the proposal system are assumed to be eligible for all sources.

    Calculate This link will calculate allocations and run applicable tests for all options and gives a result screen with allocations and test results.

    The proposals must be recalculated each time participant or plan specification data changes.

    Print Report Clicking on this link will generate a report showing proposal results. First two pages shown below.


    Print Settings This link will allow users to set print settings such as font type and whether a cover page is generated. It also allows a user to upload a company logo.

    As shown in the sample above, you may upload two different logos for the report. The cover logo shown above is centered. The page logo shown on the second page above and is also centered.

    General Information Top

    This data relates to the proposal as a whole. You can choose to display 2-3 plan options.

    Plan Year End - Year: The year selected will determine the compensation limit and 415 limit for allocations and testing purposes.

    Plan is Top Heavy as of the Determination Date: If the top heavy status is set to "yes", the system will allocate a top heavy minimum for all participants. This top heavy minimum contribution will appear in the Profit Sharing Contributions column. If match contributions are made, the match contributions will offset any top heavy minimum needed for a given participant. Set this option to "No" to prevent ftwProposal Pro from allocating a top heavy minimum contribution.

    Proposal Specifications Top

    Enter the specifications for each proposal. If only two options are to be presented under the 'General Information' box, the responses to the third option will be inactivated.

    You may import specifications from either the Plan Document System (if purchased) or the Administration System (if purchased) into the first option. See the links just above the "Proposal 1" heading.

    Note that safe harbor nonelective contribution percentages are located at the bottom of the "Safe Harbor Allocations" section (and not under "Profit Sharing").

    Note regarding matching formulas: To enter a safe harbor match with additional non-safe harbor match, you will need to enter information in both the "Safe Harbor Allocations" and "Non Safe Harbor Allocations" sections.

    To enter a traditional safe harbor formula:

    • Number of Safe Harbor Matching rates: 2 rates
    • Enter rate of Matching Contributions on first tier (without % sign): 100
    • Enter maximum amount of Employee Contributions matched on first tier (without % sign): 3
    • If two tiers, enter rate of Matching Contributions on second tier (without % sign) If one tier, enter zero: 50
    • If two tiers enter maximum amount of Employee Contributions matched on second tier (without % sign): 5

    Additional non-safe harbor tiers can be entered under the "Non Safe Harbor Allocations" section. Tiers will be added on top of any safe harbor tiers entered above (for example if you have a traditional safe harbor match and enter an additional tier of 50% up to 6% of compensation, the additional tier will only affect contributions above 5% of compensation - up to 6%).

    Profit Sharing - New Comparability Groups Top

    If any of the profit sharing options provide for New Comparability, enter the allocations each group should receive.