News

Denver, CO, March 31, 2009 -- AmCheck, a leading provider of outsourced payroll services, benefits and HR services, today announced the addition of Jim Gosselin as a partner in its franchising division, AmCheck National Franchise Corporation.

Mr. Gosselin, a Managing Partner of AmCheck's Denver office since 2000, brings with him 15 years of business experience in the fields of Telecommunications and Payroll Outsourcing. He will assume the role of Director of Marketing and Sales in support of AmCheck's growing franchise base.

Brad Johnston, ANFC Vice-President, commented:
"We are delighted to welcome Jim to the partnership, where I know he will make an excellent contribution to our business. His considerable sales and marketing expertise and experience will further strengthen AmCheck's already strong franchise group."

About AmCheck
AmCheck is a national provider of Payroll Services and Professional Employer Organization PEO services. Since 1996, AmCheck has grown into one of the country's largest independent Payroll Service Bureaus, with 10 offices in 10 major cities, serving thousands of clients, and managing every aspect of payroll, taxes, employee benefits, pension plans and worker's compensation. AmCheck is a leader in Web-based payroll technology, and is recognized for its skill in harnessing and applying the latest technologies in order to improve clients' internal and external processes. AmCheck's Services are currently offered to organizations with up to 3,000 employees. Employers may take advantage of a complete payroll solution or choose to pursue individual ala carte services available.

For more information about AmCheck call 1.888-AMCHECK (262-4725) or visit us at http://www.amcheck.com.

Phoenix, AZ, March 10, 2009 - AmCheck, a leading provider of outsourced payroll services, benefits and HR services, today announced that they will be offering the John Hancock College Savings plan to its customer's employees.

Important benefits of a 529 College Savings Plan
Earnings in 529 Plans grow completely free of federal income tax when used for qualified education expenses (tuition, books, room, and board). The 529 Plan contributor stays in control of all the funds even after the child/beneficiary is of legal age. Anyone can contribute (grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, etc.), as there is no age limit on the named beneficiaries, no age limit on the contributors, and no time limit on the account. Moreover, this plan allows the beneficiary to attend any accredited college in America and many international universities. Because 529 Plans are actually an asset of the parent, they have a very low impact on a child's financial aid eligibility and an employee's 529 account is creditor proof.

Why consider a 529 College Savings Plan?
In twenty years, the average four-year college education is expected to cost $145,000 for public schooling and $300,000 for a private education according to data from the Annual Survey of Colleges and the College Board and Data Base, 2008-2009.The Institute for Higher Education Policy says that parents, on average, save less than $10,000 for their children's higher education. Money magazine reported that nearly half of all parents save nothing at all!

Special Benefits of the AmCheck John Hancock College Savings Plan
- Automatic Payroll Deductions: Participants can contribute as little as $12.50 per week or $50.00 per month in the AmCheck 529 Plan. A family (employee/spouse) can contribute up to $26,000 per year for each child. Other contributions can also be made by family and friends (example: Grandparents, Aunts/Uncles, etc.) up to $13,000 per year per child.
- Higher Contributions: Maximum contributions to each beneficiary's 529 Plan can be as much as $320,000.
- Changes at any time: A change or stop in the participant's level of contribution can be made at any time.
- Invest at Net Asset Value (NAV): As a participant in the AmCheck John Hancock 529 Plan, participants get the opportunity to invest without paying any commissions or sales loads. This benefit translates into significantly lower expenses and ensures that every dollar goes towards your child's education. Additionally, the $25.00 annual fee is waived.
- Choice of Investment Strategies: Select from 4 investment strategies, which may be used individually or in any combination:
1. Enrollment - based Portfolios (6) targeted to the child's expected enrollment date
2. Static Portfolios (2) ranging from conservative to aggressive
3. Lifestyle Portfolios (3) based on your risk tolerance
4. Individual Portfolios (8) you choose the investments
- Investment Options: The AmCheck / John Hancock 529 Plan utilizes a multi - manager platform with access to over 30 of the leading money managers including T. Rowe Price, American Funds, Franklin/Templeton, Oppenheimer, PIMCO, and many more.
- Online Account Access: At http://www.johnhancockfreedom529.com, you will have access to tools & calculators, investment performance, information on 529 Plans, and your account.

"AmCheck is pleased to offer one of the lowest fee College Savings Plans in the country." said Dean Lucente, President, AmCheck. "In this economy, the consumer needs to realize more of the benefits and earning potential from these plans and the brokers and mutual fund managers should be entitled to less. This is areal gem for our customers".

According to the Internal Revenue Service:
A Qualified Tuition Program (QTP) also called "529 plan", formerly called a Qualified State Tuition Program (QSTP), is established and maintained to allow either prepaying, or contributing to an account established for paying a student's qualified higher education expenses at an eligible educational institution. States and eligible educational institutions can establish and maintain QTP(s). An eligible educational institution is generally any college, university, vocational school, or other postsecondary educational institution eligible to participate in a student aid program administered by the Department of Education.

Contributions to QTP:
Contributions to a QTP on behalf of any beneficiary cannot be more than the amount necessary to provide for the qualified higher education expenses of the beneficiary. Contributions made to a QTP are not deductible on your Federal tax return.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation
John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation (the Company), a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$405 billion (US$330 billion) as at December 31, 2008.

AmCheck's Services are currently offered to organizations with up to 3,000 employees. Employers can take advantage of a complete payroll solution or choose to pursue individual ala carte services available through AmCheck.

About AmCheck:
AmCheck is a national provider of Payroll Services and Professional Employer Organization PEO services. Since 1996, AmCheck has grown into one of the country's largest independent Payroll Service Bureaus, serving thousands of clients, and managing every aspect of payroll, taxes, employee benefits, pension plans and worker's compensation. In 2001, the company expanded its reach nationally by opening offices in other states. AmCheck is a leader in Web-based payroll technology, and is recognized for its skill in harnessing and applying the latest technologies in order to improve clients' internal and external processes. AmCheck has offices in Austin, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, Schaumburg and Tucson. (locations).

For more information regarding our College Plan please contact Paul Burns or Bradley Hughs with AmCheck Benefits at (602) 931-4460 or (866) 923-9744.

For more information about AmCheck call 1.888-AMCHECK (262-4725) or visit us at http://www.amcheck.com.

The massive economic stimulus package signed into law by President Obama Feb. 17, 2009, will have immediate and possibly long-term impacts on businesses and their HR functions. The goal of the stimulus bill is to create or save more than 3 million jobs.

The $789 billion compromise was developed by negotiators after the House and Senate passed their initial versions of the stimulus package (H.R. 1).The resulting final piece of legislation was posted online Feb. 13.

Many of the employment-related provisions were included in both the House and Senate versions. Much of the debate over the final proposal focused on the funding levels for provisions that will extend unemployment benefits and improve health care coverage for people who have lost their jobs.

Extending Unemployment and Health Coverage

The final bill includes a nine-month extension of a program that offers an additional seven weeks of unemployment benefits. Benefits would be increased by $25 per week.

A seven-week extension of jobless benefits, which provides unemployed workers up to 33 weeks of benefits, was set to expire on March 31, 2009, but the legislation will extend the expiration date until Dec. 31. The proposal would exempt the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits from federal income taxes.

The plan will appropriate nearly $20 billion to offer health insurance coverage to the unemployed under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). The coverage features a 65 percent subsidy of the health insurance premiums for up to nine months for laid-off workers who qualify for the program.

Health Care Technology

The stimulus package will provide $19 billion to improve the nation’s health care information technology (IT) systems. President Obama has been a strong proponent of passing legislation to fund health care IT and has pointed to research that suggests that improved technology would reduce errors and streamline administrative processes.

Trade Protection for Jobs

The final legislation includes a provision that would extend Trade Adjustment Assistance benefits for at least 160,000 more workers who lose their jobs because of increased imports or because employers move those jobs offshore. The compromise measure would extend the job assistance to service sectors hit by international trade and to workers who lose their jobs during offshoring moves to any country—not just to nations with which the United States has signed free trade agreements.

E-Verify

The House and Senate negotiators removed all provisions that refer to the government’s electronic employment verification system—known as E-Verify. The first House-passed version would have required any business that signed contracts with the federal government for programs funded under the stimulus bill to verify the work eligibility of their employees through E-Verify. In addition, the final version removed a five-year reauthorization of the E-Verify program. The program, which currently is voluntary for private sector employers, has been assailed by some business and employer groups as not being fully accurate and dependable.

The stimulus measure would require that businesses that receive funding under the government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) hire laid-off U.S. workers or show good cause before recruiting and hiring workers from overseas under the H-1B visa program for highly skilled workers.

Executive Compensation

The bill includes language that would place limits on the compensation packages that businesses receiving TARP funds can offer to their executive teams. The provision features a sliding scale that would place limits on compensation packages for the five to 20 highest paid executives, according to the amount of TARP funding the company has received.

Source: SHRM Online

Phoenix, Arizona, February 18, 2009 -- AmCheck, a leading nationwide provider of outsourced payroll services, employee benefits and HR services, today announced that it was awarded a $200,000 judgment as well as a Permanent Injunction against Jason Knight and Lisa Knight, Human Capital Strategies, Inc. for a settlement in which AmCheck alleged a breach of contract by Jason Knight.

Additionally, AmCheck was not required to pay back commissions that Knight had sought in the amount of $76,000, which it held from Knight once the breach was realized. Knight, who had contracted with AmCheck to sell Payroll and PEO services since 2003, left AmCheck in 2008 and proceeded to solicit AmCheck's client base when a non-compete agreement was intact.

The case was filed with the Superior Court in the State of Arizona. The Permanent Injunction and Judgment was signed by Judge Edward of The Maricopa County Superior Court on 12-29-2008 and filed on 12-31-2008.

"The permanent injunction and award sends a clear message to those who want to try to benefit from our company's success in an unethical manner", said AmCheck President Dean Lucente. "We of course, wish this event had never occurred; however we are pleased the judgment was in our favor. Additionally we are grateful to be awarded compensatory damages that total $272,000 for the breach that took place. Unfortunately we can not control the actions of others at all times; but by having enforceable legal agreements in place and taking prompt legal action when violated; we were able to minimize damages."

About AmCheck
AmCheck is a national provider of Payroll Services and Professional Employer Organization PEO services. Since 1996, AmCheck has grown into one of the country's largest independent Payroll Service Bureaus, with 10 offices in 10 major cities, serving thousands of clients, and managing every aspect of payroll, taxes, employee benefits, pension plans and worker's compensation. AmCheck is a leader in Web-based payroll technology, and is recognized for its skill in harnessing and applying the latest technologies in order to improve clients' internal and external processes. AmCheck's Services are currently offered to organizations with up to 3,000 employees. Employers may take advantage of a complete payroll solution or choose to pursue individual ala carte services available.

For more information about AmCheck call 1.888-AMCHECK (262-4725) or visit us at http://www.amcheck.com.

Phoenix, AZ, February 12, 2009 -- AmCheck, a leading provider of outsourced payroll, benefits and HR services, today announced the acquisition of Integrated Staffing Inc's client base. Integrated Staffing, Inc is based in Peabody, Massachusetts. The acquisition expands AmCheck's existing portfolio to now include a diversified client base in the Northeast United States area. This acquisition reinforces AmCheck's commitment to serving the needs of the market. Integrated Staffing's strong presence in the Northeast United States complements AmCheck's overall expertise and geographic reach.

"AmCheck is pleased to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement with Integrated Staffing, Inc." said Dean Lucente, President, AmCheck. "The acquisition of Integrated Staffing Inc.'s clients will be exceptionally valuable to AmCheck as we expand throughout the United States; however it will also be of equally valuable to those clients now using the AmCheck Payroll platform."

About Integrated Staffing, Inc:
With a dedicated team of professionals, a commitment to service excellence and a comprehensive suite of solutions, Integrated Staffing, Inc. has provided customized turnkey solutions to employers since 1998. Integrated staffing will continue to offer comprehensive Human Resource services to employers in the Northeast United States.

"This acquisition represents a significant win for our clients, as it will enable us to provide an increasingly broad portfolio of HR services backed by the world class service and resources of a high technology service driven nationwide company," said Laurie La Brie, President, Integrated Staffing, Inc.

AmCheck's Services are currently offered to organizations with up to 3,000 employees. Employers can take advantage of a complete payroll solution or choose to pursue individual ala carte services available through AmCheck.

About AmCheck:
AmCheck is a national provider of Payroll Services and Professional Employer Organization PEO services. Since 1996, AmCheck has grown into one of the country's largest independent Payroll Service Bureaus, serving thousands of clients, and managing every aspect of payroll, taxes, employee benefits, pension plans and worker's compensation. In 2001, the company expanded its reach nationally by opening offices in other states. AmCheck is a leader in Web-based payroll technology, and is recognized for its skill in harnessing and applying the latest technologies in order to improve clients' internal and external processes.

For more information about AmCheck call 1.888-AMCHECK (262-4725) or visit us at http://www.amcheck.com.