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Episode Summary:
In this episode of In-House Counsel and HR Perspectives, host David Hall, Chief Administrative Officer at Hall Benefits Law, sits down with Erin Sak, a partner in the assurance practice at Smith and Howard CPA. Erin shares her journey from a math-loving student at the University of Georgia to becoming a specialist in employee benefit plan audits. The discussion covers how technology is transforming benefit plan audits, the role of CPAs in plan compliance, and the common pitfalls companies face—such as late remittances and eligibility errors. Erin emphasizes the importance of collaboration across HR, legal, finance, and service providers to maintain plan integrity. The episode wraps with actionable advice for plan sponsors to avoid fiduciary pitfalls. Whether you’re in-house counsel, an HR leader, or a service provider, this episode offers valuable insights into the financial oversight of employee benefit plans.
Transcript:
David Hall:
Hello and welcome to In-House Counsel and HR Perspectives. I’m your host, David Hall, the Chief Administrative Officer here at Hall Benefits Law. This podcast is dedicated to exploring how in-house counsel and other corporate leaders collaborate to drive compliance, innovation, and business success. At HBL, we help businesses maximize the value of their employee benefit plans while minimizing legal risk, and as such, we are very excited to present these conversations and viewpoints.
So today, I’m honored to welcome Erin Sak, partner in the assurance practice at Smith and Howard CPA. Erin brings a wealth of expertise in employee benefit plans, financial assurance, and compliance. As a CPA, she plays a critical role in guiding organizations across industries to ensure financial integrity and compliance with evolving regulations. Erin, welcome to the podcast.
Erin Sak:
Yeah, thanks for having me.
David Hall:
You are very welcome. I’m excited to talk to you today. Today, we’re going to talk about how CPAs contribute to employee benefit plan compliance, the challenges businesses face relative to financial reporting for benefit plans, and some best practices for collaboration between legal, HR, and other service providers. So Erin, I’ll just jump right in and ask you our first question.
How are you enjoying this crazy winter weather in Atlanta?
Erin Sak:
You know, it’s been crazy going from 10 degrees to summer weather last week. The air conditioning came on in my house over the weekend. My kids were loving the snow a few weeks ago, and then we were in shorts last week. It’s nice, but it’s definitely crazy.
David Hall:
We’re all grateful for a sunny day today. It is a roller coaster.
Tell us a little bit, Erin, about your path to becoming a CPA. What made you interested in that career path, and how did you grow into your current role as a partner in the assurance practice at Smith and Howard?
Erin Sak:
Well, I started out at UGA. I’m a Georgia Bulldog, Atlanta born and raised. I’m not really sure when I decided to become a CPA. I always gravitated toward math. I’ve been with Smith and Howard my entire career—about 16 years now. I started as an intern and got to experience both tax and audit sides. I chose audit and eventually specialized in benefit plan audits. I’ve always liked the compliance nature of the work and have a strong interest in audit technology, especially automation, which has made this type of work even more engaging for me.
David Hall:
Erin, if you don’t mind:
Could you give me an example of something that’s different today than when you started, especially around technology in your role?
Erin Sak:
Sure. One good example is remittance testing. We test 100% of payroll remittances rather than a sample, thanks to automation. We built a script using a tool called Idea that runs this test in about a minute. It compares payroll deductions to plan deposits—something we used to test manually using only a few samples. It’s a huge improvement in speed and scope.
David Hall:
So we shouldn’t imagine you at work with a pencil and paper doing long division?
Erin Sak:
No, definitely not.
David Hall:
Tell me a little bit about how your team at Smith and Howard collaborates with HR, legal, and finance departments—both within and outside of client organizations, like with service providers such as HBL—to ensure proper plan administration.
Erin Sak:
During the audit process, we like to think of ourselves as part of the client’s team. We’re not just the bad guys pointing out mistakes—we’re collaborators helping them improve processes, ensure proper controls, and fulfill fiduciary responsibilities. We work closely with clients and their other service providers, like TPAs and legal teams, to make sure the plan is administered correctly.
David Hall:
I love that idea of working as a team.
What are the biggest compliance challenges you’re seeing, and what types of plans are you typically auditing?
Erin Sak:
We primarily audit 401(k) and other defined contribution plans, along with some 403(b)s, DB plans, health and welfare plans, and ESOPs. The biggest issues we see are late remittances and errors in eligible compensation. These often occur in new plan audits, where problems go undetected for years. That’s when we tell clients to call you!
David Hall:
Do you see differences in how various industries approach benefit plan compliance, or is it more about checking the boxes regardless of industry?
Erin Sak:
Industries with high turnover tend to have more compliance issues—especially around eligibility and tracking. Workforce stability plays a big role. Also, plan design matters a lot. We’ve seen high-turnover companies with eligibility set at one month, which leads to all kinds of complications. It would be better for them to require a year of service.
David Hall:
That makes sense.
As we wrap up, what’s your best piece of advice for businesses that are required to have a benefit plan audit?
Erin Sak:
Make sure you have good service providers—and don’t rely on them entirely. You still need proper systems and controls in-house. Many plan sponsors assume their TPA is handling everything, but they still have fiduciary responsibilities. Know what those are and take them seriously.
David Hall:
Perfectly said. You can’t abdicate fiduciary responsibility. Often, when we get a call from you or a client, it’s because something was trusted but not verified. Thank you, Erin, for this fantastic discussion and your insights into employee benefit plan audits and compliance.
And thanks to Hall Benefits Law for sponsoring this podcast. Join us next time as we explore another success story in in-house counsel and leadership collaboration. Erin, have an awesome day.
Erin Sak:
Thank you.
Hall Benefits Law, LLC
