FAQ 573: Sources--Description numbers vs. source numbers

Problem: What is the correct way to code sources and source descriptions?

Solution: The sources in each plan are always numbered 1 through 20. Source 1 is deferrals, source 2 is profit sharing and source 3 is match. The remaining sources are optional and are typically coded differently for each user. A source is named by assigning it a Source Description number in the source specifications. These numbers are stored in a global source description file. You can see what descriptions are available in this file by clicking on the magnifying glass next to the Source Description box. Because there are thousands of source descriptions available, any one source in a plan can point to a specific source description. For example, source 1 can use source description 1 ("Employee Deferral") or a user-input description under a different number, such as "20=Employee Pre-tax". What appears in this source description global file is user-input, so you can add as many descriptions as you want via Access-Global Specifications-Source Names.