This course covers qualified deferred compensation plans setting forth the current requirements and consequences of each of the many plans allowed by the federal tax law. Upon completion of this course, the practitioner should be able to: Recognize the key differences between qualified and nonqualified deferred compensation plans. Identify the requirements sponsors must satisfy in order to qualify for preferential tax treatment with respect to certain retirement and welfare benefit plans. Examine the restrictions that apply with respect to distributions made from qualified deferred compensation plans to participants. Identify the tax treatment applicable to both plan sponsors and plan participants when both contributions are made to, and distributions are made from, qualified deferred compensation plans. Recognize the basic types of employer-sponsored qualified deferred compensation arrangements and describe their features. Examine the types of retirement savings vehicles available to self-employed taxpayers and describe their features. Differentiate between traditional and Roth IRAs, explain how they operate, and understand how they are treated for income and payroll tax purposes. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of non-qualified deferred compensation plans as compared to qualified plans. Describe the tax preferential savings vehicles that are available for educational savings and their corresponding features. Understand the protection provided by deferred compensation plans in bankruptcy. Consider tax beneficial savings vehicles related to welfare benefits, including health insurance arrangements. Identify the tax credits available