SchARP Instruction Manual Secure Payroll Upload & Loan Dashboard ALLIANCE BENEFIT GROUP OF ILLINOIS ADMINISTRATORS, CONSULTANTS, ACTUARIES 456 FULTON STREET, STE 345, PEORIA, IL 61602 www.abgil.com
Welcome to SchARP...3 Contribution Uploads: Before your first upload to SchARP...4 SchARP Upload Instructions...5 SchARP Upload Errors...11 Notice of Deposit (NOD) Instructions...13 File Upload & NOD Confirmation...15 File Upload Confirmation...16 Loans: Loan Dashboard...17 Loan Approval Process...20 Loan Emails...22 2
Welcome to SchARP We recommend using our site with: SchARP (Schwab Automated Retirement Process) is a secure website used by ABG-IL clients to upload contributions, submit full census data, and view/approve participant loans. The information uploaded to SchARP feeds directly into ABG s recordkeeping system, which is also supported by Schwab. This manual provides information on a wide variety of topics, from uploading contribution files to approving loans to troubleshooting error warnings. The right-hand side of this page shows the recommended browsers for optimum functionality. Please contact your Account Manager with any questions. 3
Before your first upload to SchARP SchARP has particular guidelines that must be met in order for the file to process correctly in a timely manner. Before you upload your file, please check for the below items: Remove any password protection and verify it is saved in the.xls format. There should be no dollar signs ($) or negative numbers in the file. o If a correction is needed, contact your Account Manager for the best way to handle it. (e.g., do not put a negative number in the file to remove an incorrect contribution.) The worksheet tab (bottom left-hand corner of spreadsheet) should only include alphanumeric characters. Do not add or remove any columns in the spreadsheet. Adding or removing columns will cause contributions to process incorrectly. o Adding or removing rows to add or delete participants is acceptable. NO: Password Protection $ or other symbols Negative numbers DO NOT: Add/Remove Columns 4
SchARP Upload Instructions 1. Log in to the SchARP website below using your Username and Password provided by ABG: https://ill.retirement.schwabrt.com/scharp Note: Please type the above address into your web browser each time you access the SchARP website. Do not add the link to your internet browser favorites, as this could cause login and/or processing issues when upgrades are made to the website. 2. Click on Plan Center Payroll Upload Payroll File in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. The Payroll File Upload screen will appear. If a window pops up asking Are you sure you want to leave this page? click on Leave this page in order to advance to the next screen. 5
SchARP Upload Instructions (cont d) 3. Choose your plan from the Select a Plan dropdown box. 4. Select the desired payroll date from the Pay Date drop-down box. If it is an off-cycle payroll (e.g., a profit sharing contribution for the end of the prior plan year being made on March 1 st ), click Off Cycle Payroll and type in the desired date. 5. Select the division for the file you are uploading, or click Select All Divisions. 6. To upload the payroll file, click Browse and select the file from where it is saved on your computer. 7. Once the file is selected, click Upload Payroll File (do not click the Skip New Participant Threshold Check box). 6
SchARP Upload Instructions (cont d) 8. Verify that the correct worksheet tab is showing in Select Excel worksheet. If the tab is not correct, then select your tab from the drop down menu and click Apply Templates. 9. If your plan uses multiple templates, make sure to select the correct one for the contribution file you are uploading. Once you select the new template, click Apply Templates to refresh the system. 10. Review the sampling of the uploaded file to ensure that the columns match the order in the Template area of the screen. Note: This section is intended to show a sample of the file information only. Depending on the size of your plan, it may not show all the information. 11. Click on the I agree that my data looks correct check box and then click Submit File for Edit. 7
SchARP Upload Instructions (cont d) The Contribution Source Totals in the Contribution column will automatically populate from the spreadsheet and cannot be edited. 12. Check the Contribution totals against the totals on the file. If your totals do not agree with your file or you need to make other corrections, make the necessary changes to your file, save it and click on the Re-Upload Payroll button. 8
SchARP Upload Instructions (cont d) The Forfeiture column can be populated if you have forfeitures to offset your deposit. The Adjustment column can be populated if there is cash at ABG to offset your deposit (e.g. loan remaining amounts). 13. When using the Forfeiture and/or Adjustment columns, place the dollar amount in the row for the affected source(s). This reduces the Funding Amount of the deposit. NOTE: These are negative fields; do not use a minus sign when entering these numbers. 9
SchARP Upload Instructions (cont d) 14. When the totals match, hit Validate Payroll Data to submit the file. You can check the box to Show validation results even if there are no errors if you wish, but it is not necessary to do so. If a window pops up asking Are you sure you want to leave this page? click on Leave this page in order to advance to the next screen. 10
SchARP Upload Errors 15. The Payroll Validation will appear if there are any errors in the file upload. If there are any critical errors, you can review them on this screen. If there are no critical errors, the top left section will show as yellow. Click Submit for Review in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen to continue. o NOTE: If your custodian is Charles Schwab Bank and you are set up to submit a Notice of Deposit (NOD), please follow the instructions on page 13. Otherwise, skip to page 15. Critical errors will show as red, meaning that there are issues that must be addressed on the file that was uploaded. o Click the.csv file (opens in Excel) to view the errors that must be addressed. 11
SchARP Upload Errors (cont d) In this example, the ADTFinErrors.csv file shows that not all divisions were selected on the first page of the upload process (refer to page 6, number 5 of this manual). Contact your Account Manager to have this file archived, and start the upload process again this time selecting All Divisions. This example also shows a participant on the file that is not yet in the recordkeeping system. If you are not using the FFCD (Full Financial and Census Data) spreadsheet, you will need to submit enrollment information for this participant before the contribution can be processed. If you are using the FFCD spreadsheet, the new participant will automatically be added to the recordkeeping system and will not show up on the Errors file. Contact your Account Manager with any questions. They will advise whether the file must be archived and a new file uploaded. 12
Notice of Deposit (NOD) Instructions (if applicable) The Notice of Deposit screen will appear. You will be required to enter in the SRC Username and SRC Password. This will only be required the first time you use the NOD process for each client. The Notice of Deposit Records will appear. Review the Effective Date of the pull. To add a new NOD record: Click on Add NOD Record to enter the information for the NOD. To change the effective date of an existing NOD record: Double-click the Effective Date field and change it to the correct date. If you are submitting the deposit in an alternate way, click Skip NOD. Or, Save NOD Data on next page. 13
Notice of Deposit (NOD) Instructions (cont d) When all changes are complete, click Save NOD Data at the bottom right corner of the screen. Click OK. 14
File Upload & NOD Confirmation This confirmation page will appear if the file is uploaded successfully. Click Print at the bottom of the page to print a copy for your files if you wish. After the file is submitted, a confirmation email is sent to the payroll upload contact email address(es) you provided, and to the ABG cashier. 15
File Upload Confirmation Before logging out of SchARP, click Home in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. This will take you to the Payroll Events page. Confirm that the Status column for the file you just uploaded shows as a yellow box. This indicates the file was uploaded successfully and will be processed once the funds arrive. If the box in the Status column is not yellow, contact your Account Manager to ensure the file uploaded properly. This helps ensure the file will be processed in a timely manner. If you submitted an NOD, click on the file once and then go to the Notice of Deposit tab. Check to see that a confirm number generated. If it has, no further action is needed. If one does not generate, check again in a few minutes. Contact your Account Manager if no confirmation number generates so that the Notice of Deposit can be submitted another way. 16
Loan Dashboard (if applicable) If your plan allows loans, the Loan Dashboard within SchARP is the central location where all loan activity is saved. You can view active loans, approve/decline loans, and look up paid-off loans. Log in to the SchARP website below using your username and password provided by ABG: https://ill.retirement.schwabrt.com/scharp/ aspx/authenticated/loans/ loandashboard.aspx SchARP may also be accessed from the Plan Sponsor website, as it is a single login for both sites. Click on Plan Center Loans Loan Dashboard in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. The Loan Management Dashboard will appear. 17
Loan Dashboard (cont d) Choose your plan by clicking the box next to the Plan ID and click Search. Loans awaiting approval can be found in the Requires Action section at the top of the page. Click the [+] next to Informational to expand the list. Once expanded, you will see all the available options for viewing. Click the checkbox next to the item(s) you wish to view, and click Search. To save the item(s) you wish to pull up each time you log in to the Loan Dashboard, make your selections and then click Save Criteria. The list of the loans selected in the prior screen (Active, Paid Off, etc.) will then show. Click on any loan to view additional details. 18
Loan Dashboard (cont d) There are several tabs that provide information on the loan you selected: Loan Details: Provides details of the loan including payoff date, payoff amount, last payment actually made, etc. Remaining Balance is the remaining principal balance with no interest applied. Look for Payoff Amount for the actual loan payoff amount. Participant Details: Address and payment info. Documents: Electronically-signed loan documentation, including a printable amortization schedule. This PDF lives here indefinitely, and additional documentation can be uploaded (e.g., additional documents the plan administrator requires to approve a loan, etc.) to keep all the information in one location. Payment History: Shows the amortization schedule, and the last column indicates whether the payment has been made. Note: This shows the payment made according to the amortization schedule due date; not the actual date the payment was made. Please refer to the Loan Details tab to see the actual date of the last payment. Status History: Information on the processing of the loan request. 19
Loan Approval Process Under the Required Action section, you will see one loan pending approval. Click Search to view the loan information. Click on the loan you wish to approve or decline. Click on the drop-down box for Select an Action and select the option you want to go with. Click Submit. 20
Loan Approval Process (cont d) An alternate method to approving a loan is to click on the loan you wish to approve. The default tab Action is shown. In the Actions drop-down box, select the action you wish to take. A Comments box will appear if you wish to add additional information, and a Submit button will appear. Once you have made your selection, click Submit. The pending loan should then disappear from the screen. When you click on [+] Informational to expand the section, you will see the loan you approved in the Ready to Process section. This indicates that the loan was successfully approved and is being processed by ABG. 21
Loan Emails Loan Approval Notification email: Sent when a participant in the plan has requested a loan and your plan is set up to approve loans before they are processed. Emails are sent daily until the loan is approved or declined. Loan Notification email: Sent after a loan has been approved and is being processed. This notifies the Plan Administrator to log in to the Loan Dashboard to get the payment information and amortization schedule to set up loan payments through payroll deduction. Email sent once, but a New Loan Report generates at the end of the week and is sent to the Plan Administrator. 22