re: Dammit - I got an unexpected $3000 check in the mail

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I'm assuming this only happens in smaller companies?

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That's probably part of it, but it usually has more to do with companies that have a big pay gap between the owners/high managers and the staff.

I have several clients in the hotel/tourism business, and this is a problem just about every single year. The companies offer matches to the employees, but the employees don't really particpate, mainly because they can't afford to.

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I'm assuming this only happens in smaller companies?

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Nope. I have a friend that works at a publicly traded company with > 15k employees. In 2012 they capped him at $8k annual contributions and he definitely is not a HCE, although in his company he must be considered a baller. My wife makes almost as much as him working 4-days a week at a different company and is allowed to max out her 403b + has a defined pension plan.