Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
Generic

Reketa S. Carter

Birmingham

Summary

Seasoned professional with 15+ years of experience in managing and administering pension and retirement benefits. Proven expertise in plan design, compliance, and employee education. Adept at analyzing complex benefit structures and ensuring accurate and timely disbursement of benefits. Seeking to leverage my skills to contribute to a dynamic organization dedicated to providing comprehensive retirement solutions.

Overview

24
24
years of professional experience

Work History

Group Retirement Specialist

McWane, Inc.
05.2022 - Current
  • Oversee all defined contribution tasks across 8 401(k) Plans and complete all tasks for assigned divisions.
  • Provide Customer Service for Fidelity 401k and Pension retirees over phone overnight when needed.
  • Daily administration of 8 401(k) Plans - includes correct use of definition of compensation, loan amortization, automatic enrollment, eligibility, forfeitures, nondiscrimination testing, ADP/ACP testing
  • Act as liaison between division administrators and Fidelity on extensive system errors.
  • Reconcile each divisions contribution schedule to payroll and Fidelity with each payroll run (range from weekly to monthly).
  • Correct all audit findings and develop internal controls among the various divisions to prevent compliance issues.
  • Prepare confirmations for auditors and process weekly internal audit of McWane Divisions.
  • Provide direction to Fidelity as needed to administer the plans.
  • Implement changes from union contracts and notify all parties (ERISA counsel, company personnel and Fidelity).
  • Provide customer service reports to all retirement plan by answering phones and responding to emails in timely manner.
  • Assist with plan design, amendments, and adoption/service agreements.
  • Monthly reporting for all retirement plans - includes enhanced loan delinquency, audit deferral change history, etc.
  • Monthly status calls with Fidelity on outstanding projects.
  • Maintain the Ultipro/Fidelity/UKG Interface.
  • Creation and distribution of monthly retirement newsletter.
  • Sit on the 401(k) Committee and produce meeting minutes following the meeting.

Pension Accountant

The City of Birmingham Human Resources
04.2008 - 05.2022
  • Establish eligibility for pension benefits including retirement and death benefits.
  • Provides information and advice to employees, supervisors, department heads, appointing authorities and the public on matters related to jurisdictional and departmental policies and procedures.
  • Includes performing benefit calculations, preparing and reviewing all applications and make sure paperwork meets state regulatory standards.
  • Prepares monthly financial statements.
  • Experience utilizing and HRIS system (e.g., Lawson, Kronos, or Similar)
  • Develop and implement financial/ pension policies and procedures required by law for retirement.
  • Monitors Pension laws and regulations to ensure compliance.
  • Create and maintain support for tasks performed, including journal entry support, work papers, and supporting calculations and estimates made.
  • Interact and assist with internal and external auditors in completing pension audits.
  • Interpret governmental regulations and laws that concerns the pension law on how to tax and calculation pension retirements.
  • Responsible for writing reports, business correspondence and procedure manuals.
  • Develop a comprehensive employee benefits program for retirees to included health, dental, vision, life insurance, accidental death, and other benefits plans in accordance with policies, contracts, federal/state regulations and laws.
  • Experience interpreting/explain retirement plans (e.g., vision, health, dental) to employees.
  • Experience applying laws and regulations that are relevant to work-related benefits (e.g., FMLA, HIPAA, COBRA)
  • Responsible for analyzing, preparing and correcting data needed to complete actuarial project yearly.
  • Assists in preparing active payroll and pension payroll journal entries.
  • Process W-2’s and 1099’s for employees as needed.
  • Process and create timely payments to employees in compliance with regulations and in accordance with policies and procedures.

Support Specialist IV

Regions Morgan Keegan Trust Tax
01.2005 - 04.2008
  • Resolve account discrepancies by investing documentation, issuing stop payments, and payment or adjustments.
  • Communicates with branches and other department on problem resolutions concerning branches and customer transactions as well as reporting and escalating any issues as they occur.
  • Reconcile complex suspense accounts including intercompany, bank accounts, wire clearing, and premium deposits.
  • Assist in processing cash management funding.
  • Process ACH reversal requests.
  • Reconciling invoices and bank accounts and month end statements/reporting.
  • Prepared the month end close reports, including journal entries and allocations, variance analysis, and balance sheet account reconciliations.

Treasury/Accountant Analyst

Books-A-Million Inc. Corp Office
06.2004 - 01.2005
  • Duties included balancing and preparing journal entries and general ledgers on a monthly basis for store accounts.
  • Responsible for special projects and Ad Hoc reporting.
  • Prepare sales tax reports.
  • Manage the petty cash fund.
  • Assist in maintaining subsidiary ledger accounting records.
  • Responsible for reading, analyzing and interpreting general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures or governmental regulations.
  • Prepare and review all bank and balance sheet reconciliations and provide guidance on expense policies including tax compliance.
  • Reviewed payroll accounts and ensure timely payment of payroll and corporate taxes.
  • Assist in accounting systems and account concepts and GASB.
  • Responsible for entering accounts payable and expense reports.
  • Working knowledge in SOX compliance when it comes to multiple deadlines monthly.
  • Responsible for ensuring the accurate and timely processing of accounts payable. Also, the submission of all record payables to accounts payable for processing.
  • Working knowledge of GAAP accounting principles which requires a level beyond just reporting numbers, able to identify and understand fluctuations, and unusual activity and/or errors.
  • Set up new store accounts with various banks within the location area.
  • Prepared monthly report by stores.
  • Assisted purchasing department and vendors in tracking orders and Payment requisitions and researching problems.

Cash Analyst, Currency Processor

Federal Reserve Bank
06.2001 - 05.2004
  • Completed annual budget reports and monitored productivity.
  • Oversaw daily financial operations and compliance, including the reconciliation of cash reports and accounts, to ensure adherence to government procedures and GAAP.
  • Managed the annual budgeting process, monitored productivity, and analyzed financial results from the Oracle accounting system to verify accuracy and reconcile variances. Reconciled cash reports and balanced cash accounts for Fed of Birmingham on daily basis to ensure compliance with government procedures.
  • Assisted in paying invoices by verifying transaction information, scheduling and preparing disbursements obtaining authorization of payments.
  • Ensured that all financial operations and cash procedures are in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles.
  • Analyze monthly results to verify that actual accounting results obtained from the Oracle Accounting System trail balance was reasonable and investigated/reconciled any differences in an efficient manner while meeting strict accounting closing deadlines.
  • Worked closely with and assisted Financial/Business officers on such matters as monitoring sizeable budgets, providing projections and cost, preparing grants and contracts maintenance of financial databases and the production of a wide array of financial reports.
  • Located counterfeit currency and worked with and notified FBI authorities with findings.

Education

Bachelor - General Studies

Samford University
Homewood, Alabama
05-2001

Associate of Applied Science - Computer Science

Lawson State Community College
Birmingham, Alabama
08-1999

Skills

  • Client relationship building
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Long-term care planning
  • Retirement transition support
  • Pension planning expertise
  • Retiree benefits consulting
  • Financial goal setting
  • Retirement savings plans
  • Customer service
  • Time management
  • Attention to detail
  • Multitasking Abilities
  • Retirement planning

Timeline

Group Retirement Specialist

McWane, Inc.
05.2022 - Current

Pension Accountant

The City of Birmingham Human Resources
04.2008 - 05.2022

Support Specialist IV

Regions Morgan Keegan Trust Tax
01.2005 - 04.2008

Treasury/Accountant Analyst

Books-A-Million Inc. Corp Office
06.2004 - 01.2005

Cash Analyst, Currency Processor

Federal Reserve Bank
06.2001 - 05.2004

Bachelor - General Studies

Samford University

Associate of Applied Science - Computer Science

Lawson State Community College

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