Why You Need a QDRO for the Curtis Media Group 401(k) Plan
If you or your spouse has a retirement account through the Curtis Media Group 401(k) Plan, it’s important to understand what happens to that account during divorce. A qualified domestic relations order, or QDRO, is the legal tool used to divide retirement benefits like 401(k) accounts. Without a QDRO, the plan administrator cannot legally make any disbursement to a non-employee spouse, even if the divorce decree awards you part of the account.
At PeacockQDROs, we’ve completed thousands of QDROs from start to finish. That means we don’t just draft the order and leave you to figure out the rest—we handle the drafting, preapproval, court filing, plan submission, and follow-up. That’s what sets us apart from firms that only prepare the document and hand it off to you.
Plan-Specific Details for the Curtis Media Group 401(k) Plan
Before drafting a QDRO, it’s essential to gather as much plan-specific detail as possible. Here’s what we know about the Curtis Media Group 401(k) Plan:
- Plan Name: Curtis Media Group 401(k) Plan
- Sponsor: Curtis media group, Inc..
- Sponsor Address: 20250514105746NAL0018738273001, 2024-01-01
- Industry: General Business
- Organization Type: Corporation
- Status: Active
- Plan Type: 401(k) Retirement Plan
- EIN and Plan Number: Unknown (these are required for the QDRO, so they must be confirmed through plan statements or communication with the administrator)
- Plan Assets, Participants, and Effective Dates: Currently unknown—must be confirmed during QDRO preparation
While some of these data points remain unknown, they can usually be confirmed through account statements or by contacting the plan administrator once the divorce is underway.
How a QDRO Works for a 401(k) Plan
A QDRO is a special court order that allows a retirement plan like the Curtis Media Group 401(k) Plan to pay a portion of the account to someone other than the employee spouse—typically, the non-employee (alternate payee) ex-spouse. Once the order is finalized, it authorizes the plan administrator to divide the benefits according to the QDRO terms.
For 401(k) plans, the QDRO must clearly address several issues:
- How much of the account is going to the alternate payee
- Whether the amount is based on a percentage or fixed dollar figure
- The date of division (called the “valuation date” or “assignment date”)
- Whether investment earnings and losses from the valuation date to the date of distribution will be included
- How loans, Roth contributions, and unvested funds will be handled
Employee and Employer Contributions: What Gets Divided?
With 401(k) plans like the Curtis Media Group 401(k) Plan, both employee and employer contributions can be included in the QDRO—but only if they are vested. Typically, employee contributions are always 100% vested, while employer contributions vest over time according to a plan-defined schedule. If the employee spouse isn’t fully vested at the time of the divorce, then some of the employer match may not be available for division.
It’s crucial to determine the vesting schedule for the Curtis Media Group 401(k) Plan so that the QDRO reflects only the portion of the account that’s legally divisible.
Loan Balances Can Create Issues
Many employees borrow against their 401(k)s. When there’s an outstanding loan, that balance may reduce the account value available for division. Here’s what you need to know for the Curtis Media Group 401(k) Plan:
- The QDRO must clarify whether the loan balance is to be treated as part of the employee’s share or split proportionally between both parties.
- Loan repayments continue to be the responsibility of the employee spouse unless the QDRO specifies otherwise (and the plan supports such a structure).
- The total account value should be calculated net of any loan, unless otherwise agreed in the divorce settlement.
Not addressing loans correctly is one of the most common QDRO mistakes—see more at our Common QDRO Mistakes page.
Roth 401(k) vs. Traditional 401(k): Know the Difference
Many 401(k) plans—possibly including the Curtis Media Group 401(k) Plan—allow both traditional (pre-tax) and Roth (post-tax) contributions. These are separate subaccounts within the same plan. For QDRO purposes:
- The QDRO must specify which type(s) of funds are being divided.
- Distributions to the alternate payee from a Roth subaccount are tax-free if age and holding requirements are met.
- Distributions from a traditional 401(k) subaccount are typically taxable to the alternate payee unless rolled into an IRA.
If the QDRO lumps these subaccounts together without distinction, it could create tax issues or result in the wrong distribution type. We always analyze the account breakdown before drafting.
Confirming the Administrator and Submission Procedures
Because the Curtis Media Group 401(k) Plan is offered through a corporation in the general business sector, it could be administered by a third-party provider such as Fidelity, Vanguard, or Principal. We’ll work to confirm exactly who handles the plan and follow their procedures, which often include optional pre-approval of the QDRO before submitting it to the court.
Each plan has unique formatting, language, and submission requirements. PeacockQDROs handles all that for you—we don’t just prepare a template and expect you to finish the job. We draft, submit for pre-approval (when allowed), handle court acceptance, and complete submission to the plan.
How Long Does the QDRO Process Take?
For most people, timing is everything. While some plans process QDRO approvals in 3-5 weeks, others take months. It depends on multiple factors, like court availability, pre-approval policies, and administrator response times. See our breakdown of factors that determine how long it takes to get a QDRO done.
We guide our clients through the entire process, start to finish, so you’re never left wondering what happens next.
Why Choose PeacockQDROs?
QDROs are all we do—and we do them right. At PeacockQDROs, we’ve completed thousands of QDROs with near-perfect customer reviews. We pride ourselves on doing things the right way from start to finish.
We understand the short-term stress and long-term importance of dividing retirement accounts during divorce. That’s why we focus on accuracy, clarity, and service.
Want to see what we offer? Visit our QDRO services page or go straight to contacting us here.
Final Thoughts: Get It Right the First Time
Whether you’re the employee or the alternate payee, a properly prepared QDRO for the Curtis Media Group 401(k) Plan is essential to protect your financial interests. Retirement accounts are often one of the most valuable assets in a divorce—and they’re too important to mishandle. With little margin for error, the help of an experienced QDRO team like PeacockQDROs can make a major difference.
If your divorce was in California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, or North Dakota, and you have questions about qualified domestic relations orders or dividing retirement assets like the Curtis Media Group 401(k) Plan, contact PeacockQDROs. We specialize in QDROs and have successfully processed thousands of orders from start to finish.
Get the answers you need—explore our QDRO resources or reach out for personalized help if you’re in one of our service states.