When a plan sponsor has multiple plans, there are several questions that you will likely have:

• How do I set up multiple plans?
  
  These are easily specified when first creating a sponsor in the New Sponsor Wizard screen where you can create up to 3 plans (each with their own three-digit plan number). If you need to create an extra document after the sponsor was created, open the Plan Sponsor and choose Add after right-clicking Plan Documents in the sponsor's tab.
• When are multiple plans required?
  
  In general, you should always try to minimize the number of plans to set up under a sponsor. You should only set up multiple plans if necessary. In general, you should have a separate Plan Document in DB Precision for each valuation report that is produced for a sponsor. Examples for when you would have separate plans include when a sponsor has a separate hourly and salaried plan, or both a qualified and non-qualified plan.
  
• When should plans be set up as multiple sponsors?
  
  You should avoid putting data for a single sponsor into multiple sponsors. The only time participant data should exist in separate sponsors is when there is truly a separate sponsor with a different Employer Identification Number (EIN) and different hire dates for each plan.
  
• How are participant hire dates handled for each plan?
  
  When loading data for a sponsor that has multiple plans, there is only one true initial hire date. This date is the earliest date that they are hired in any plan. Transfers between plans are then handled by either using a reported amount to indicate group or by using the Plan Entry Date type of historical date to indicate plan status. Transfers to a different plan should not be handled by importing a new hire date.
  
• How is data imported when there a multiple plans?
  
  Importing data when there are multiple plans is no different than importing data when there is only one plan. If there is data for the same participant in multiple files and there are differences in what is reported, you will need to ask the sponsor to resolve such differences. Through this process, DB Precision can help identify any inconsistencies in what is reported.
  
• How do I identify which plan each active participant is in?
  
  This depends upon whether there are transfers between plans. If there are rarely any transfers, you should create a Reported Amount that identifies the plan that each participant is in (PlanCode for example). You should then create a Reported Amount lookup in each plan for that amount, and then code a filter in the Participation Service eligibility screen of each plan that only allows people with a specific plan number to be eligible (lookup_PlanCode = 1 for example).
  
  If however transfers are common, you should instead add the same group code Reported Amount described above (for identifying plan) but then code both participation and credited service to only accrue service while a Reported Amount equals some value (see the Service Definition screen). With this approach, people that transfer between plans will then appear as active in one plan and non-accruing in all other plans. It is common for such plans to also create a reported amount for storing frozen benefits under other plans and reference this amount in the Valuation Extract. When coded properly, the credited service and benefit amounts will also then show as the amounts accrued under that plan.
  
• How are terminated and participants in active payment status separated in to each plan?
  
  Each participant benefit payment has its own three-digit plan number. These should be specified on import or when manually adding a benefit.
  
• Why are the participants in each plan on the Valuation Extract?
  
  When running a Valuation Extract, all people of the sponsor will appear in the extract. However, you can remove these people when running a snapshot by selecting the option to not extract records for ineligible participants.
  
• Are sponsors with multiple documents able to be on the pension portal?
  
  Yes. When a sponsor has multiple documents, portal screens such as the calculation screen will ask users for plan name when performing plan-specific actions.