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What Your Compliance Testing Reports Really Mean

Webinars March 5, 2026 9:30 am PT

You've seen the numbers in your TPA's annual report—410(b), 401(a)(4), 401(a)(26), 416—but do you actually know what they're testing for? More importantly, do you know what triggers a failure and what your options are when it happens?
This session demystifies the "Section 4" testing that every ESOP goes through. You'll learn what each test is actually measuring, why certain plan designs are more likely to pass or fail, and how your ESOP's testing might interact with an affiliated 401(k) plan. When you can interpret these results and anticipate potential issues, you become a more valuable partner to both your plan sponsors and your TPA.

Learning objectives:

What each compliance test is really measuring—and why your TPA runs them in the first place
The factors that determine whether a plan passes or fails, so you can spot red flags early
How combined plan testing works when your ESOP clients also sponsor a 401(k

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Presenters

Jon Williams, QKA

Mr. Williams is a Vice President of Plan Administration for Blue Ridge ESOP Associates and has over 15 years of experience in employee benefits, with a focus on plan design, implementation, administration and consulting services for ESOPs. He is a member of The ESOP Association, the National Center for Employee Ownership and is a speaker at various ESOP conferences. Jon earned a Bachelor of Science in Business from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he majored in Accounting and minored in Economics.

Dolores P. Lawrence

Dolores Lawrence is a senior vice president of plan administration at Blue Ridge Associates, where she brings over 30 years of experience in plan design, administration, and consulting services for ESOPs, KSOPs, and 401(k) plans. Dolores holds the Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) designation from the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA). Her expertise spans the full range of retirement plan administration, from compliance to operational issues, with a particular focus on ESOP and KSOP plans.

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Presenters

Jon Williams, QKA

Dolores P. Lawrence

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