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Envision A Different Kind Of Retirement Solution

Welcome to a dramatically lower cost pooled employer retirement solution

Focusing on the power of Small Business

The Small Business Association of Michigan has done extensive due diligence to find a retirement solution that saves members money, reduces their fiduciary risk, and outsources more than 90% of their duties. Introducing SBAM 401(k) Pooled Employer Plan powered by TAG Resources, Transamerica, Graystone Consulting, a business of Morgan Stanley.

About SBAM.

The Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) is the only statewide and state-based association that focuses solely on serving the needs of Michigan’s small business community. We have been successfully serving small businesses in all 83 counties of Michigan since 1969. Our mission is the success of Michigan’s small businesses. 

We do this through:

• Advocating for small business
• Bringing business owners together to share knowledge
• Creating collaboration and partnerships
• Delivering group buying power

When small businesses band together through SBAM, they achieve more than they could on their own.

What do your administrative duties look like with and without this new solution?

Many employers are unaware of the actual list of responsibilities that befall them when they take on their own retirement plan.

TAG performs over 90% of administrative duties.

A better fit for you and your employees

Less risk for you also means more security for the employees you manage. This can lead to better and more qualified employees.

Cost Effective

Pooling hundreds of companies together provide scale that allows The SBAM Pooled Employer Plan to provide members a lower-cost solution with expanded services.

Outsource Administration

Over 90% of your administrative tasks will be handled through the outsourcing of administrative duties to retirement professionals.

Outsource Liability

Simply failing to file a 5500 tax form on time can cost as much as $2,140 Dollars PER DAY! Plans administered through the SBAM Pooled Employer Plan are designed to meet IRS and DOL regulations.

Not a member but want to achieve this excellent benefit?

By becoming a valued member of The Small Business Association of Michigan, you get access to this cutting-edge Retirement Plan powered by TAG Resources, Transamerica, and Graystone Consulting, a business of Morgan Stanley. By virtue of being a member, you get instant access to the solution.

Our Partners

Our industry-leading partners behind the associations solution.

Connecting participants to the power of their solution

With more than 85 years of experience helping people prepare for retirement, Transamerica is one of the most recognized, trusted names in financial services. As a pioneer in pooled-plan solutions, we equip plan sponsors with the tools, resources, and professional support to help their employees pursue a healthier, more secure future.

Graystone Consulting, a business of Morgan Stanley

For over 35 years, Graystone Consulting – Farmington Hills has delivered insightful solutions and best-in-class service to institutional investors, small business owners, and corporate leaders. Mark J. Rogers, CIMA®, and Gary W. Jbara, CIMA®, CRPS®, lead a collaborative team of eleven investment professionals. The group offers advanced resources and fiduciary services for the administration of retirement plans. Graystone Consulting – Farmington Hills is supported by a large and experienced team of investment, financial wellness, legal, and compliance, and risk professionals at Morgan Stanley working to help improve retirement outcomes for employees while helping employers adhere to rigorous ERISA standards. The team helps small business owners integrate their company into their retirement and wealth transfer plans. © 2021 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. Graystone Consulting is a business of Morgan Stanley.

The largest "end to end" bundled provider in the U.S.

TAG Resources ensures your plan reaps long-term rewards with easier day-to-day operations. As the largest end-to-end retirement plan provider in the US, TAG is recognized nationally for pioneering unique pooled Retirement Programs, bundling retirement plans together in a service model previously only available for very large companies.

Ready for a better 401k Plan?

Jbara and Rogers Financial Management Group at Morgan Stanley

The companies identified above are separate and unaffiliated organizations. Logos and trademarks are the intellectual property of their respective owners.

Retirement Plan Exchange® is a registered service mark of Transamerica. The Exchange is not a multiple employer plan (MEP). Unlike a MEP, certain plan qualification and ERISA requirements are applied at the individual plan level. An employer participating in an Exchange retains certain fiduciary responsibilities, including responsibility for retaining and monitoring the 3(16) plan administrator, for determining the reasonableness of its fees, and for periodically reviewing the Exchange as a whole.

Responsibilities Without TAG

  • 3(38) Investment Manager Appointment
  • 402(g) Limit Reporting
  • 404(a)(5) Notice Distribution
  • 404(c) Notice Distribution
  • 408(b)(2) Notice Distribution
  • Annual Discrimination & Coverage Testing
  • Audit Completion Support
  • Audit Firm Hiring & Monitoring
  • Auto Enrollment Notice Distribution
  • Beneficiary Designation Form Maintenance
  • Beneficiary Determinations
  • Blackout Notice Distribution
  • Census Review
  • Corrective Distributions
  • Death Benefit Approval
  • Distribution Reporting
  • DOL and IRS Issue Resolution Assistance
  • Eligibility Calculations
  • Eligibility Notifications
  • Employer Contribution Monitoring
  • ERISA Bond Review
  • Error Correction Monitoring
  • Fiduciary Insurance Coverage Review
  • Force Out Processing
  • Form 5330 Preparation, Signing, & Filing
  • Form 5500 Preparation, Signing, & Filing
  • Form 8955 Preparation, Signing, & Filing
  • Fund Change Notice Distribution
  • Hardship Withdrawal Approval
  • Loan Approval & Reporting
  • Loan Default Monitoring
  •  Loan Policy Administration
  • Lost Earnings Calculations
  • Participant Enrollment Assistance
  • Payroll Aggregation
  • Payroll File Aggregation
  • Plan Design Review
  • Plan Document Interpretation
  • Plan Document Preparation & Archiving
  • Plan Irregularity Notification
  • QDIA Notice Distribution
  • QDRO Determinations & Reporting
  • Quarterly Investment Review Meetings
  • Rate Changes Monitoring & Reporting
  • Required Minimum Distributions
  • Safe Harbor Notice Distribution
  • SAR Production & Distribution
  • SMM Notice Distribution
  • SPD Production & Distribution
  • Spousal Consent Approvals
  • Termination Date Verification & Maintenance
  • Termination Withdrawal Approval
  • Top Hat Preparation, Signing, & Filing
  • Trustee Duties
  • Vesting Verification & Tracking
  • Year End Data Collection & Review

These are your responsibilities with TAG

Upload Payroll Files to TAG

Monitor TAG

Provide Year-End Data for Testing