This month’s employee memo encourages employees to conduct a regular examination of their retirement plan to determine whether any changes need to be made. Download the memo from your Fiduciary Briefcase at fiduciarybriefcase.com. Please see an excerpt below. It is important to conduct regular check-ups on your retirement plan to make sure you are on … Continue reading Participant Corner: Retirement Plan Check-Up
Allowable Plan Expenses: Can the Plan Pay?
The payment of expenses by an ERISA plan (401(k), defined benefit plan, money purchase plan, etc.) out of plan assets is subject to ERISA’s fiduciary rules. The “exclusive benefit rule” requires a plan’s assets be used exclusively for providing benefits. ERISA also imposes upon fiduciaries the duty to defray reasonable expenses of plan administration. General … Continue reading Allowable Plan Expenses: Can the Plan Pay?
Collective Investment Trusts — The Fastest Growing Investment Vehicle Within 401(k) Plans
For almost a century, collective investment trusts (CITs) have played an important role in the markets. They were originally introduced in 1927. According to a 2020 study, they are now used in more than 70 percent of plans.¹ For the vast majority of their existence, CITs were available only in defined benefit (DB) plans. In … Continue reading Collective Investment Trusts — The Fastest Growing Investment Vehicle Within 401(k) Plans
It’s That Time Again! Back-to-School for Fiduciaries
Can you hear the bells ringing? It’s that time of year to review your to-do list of fiduciary responsibilities. Ask yourself the following questions to make sure you are on top of your responsibilities and liabilities. 1. Are you practicing procedural prudence when making plan management decisions? 2. Do you clearly understand the Department of … Continue reading It’s That Time Again! Back-to-School for Fiduciaries
Participant Corner: Good Health is the Best Wealth
This month’s employee memo encourages employees to make small lifestyle changes to reduce their out-of-pocket health costs. The memo shows the difference in savings between an average-managed patient and a well-managed patient. Please see an excerpt below. Believe it or not, staying healthy just might make you wealthy. With small lifestyle changes and healthy choices, … Continue reading Participant Corner: Good Health is the Best Wealth
What Constitutes Proper Documentation of Retirement Plan Committee Meetings?
With most retirement plans, the fiduciary responsibility of selecting and monitoring the plan’s menu of investments is designated to a retirement plan investment committee. This committee usually includes financial officers and human resources officers of the employer. The committee meets periodically (anywhere from annually to quarterly) to consider agenda items including investment due diligence, fees … Continue reading What Constitutes Proper Documentation of Retirement Plan Committee Meetings?
Why You Need to Communicate with Employees
Businesses understand how vital it is for employees to understand retirement options and are increasingly including employee education in fiduciary risk management, whether it’s in the form of one-on-one counseling or educational seminars. Take a look at these reasons why you should communicate with and educate your employees. Gossip Can Be Dangerous If retirement opportunities … Continue reading Why You Need to Communicate with Employees
Are Your Participants Experiencing a Fee Imbalance?
Subsequent to the 2012 implementation of ERISA fee reporting regulations (ERISA 408(b)(2) & 404(a)(5)), the Department of Labor (DOL) began to consider the appropriateness of the allocation of plan fees among participants. This is a subject that generally had not been on the radar screen of many plan fiduciaries, but once identified, tends to generate … Continue reading Are Your Participants Experiencing a Fee Imbalance?
How Can You Prepare for Healthcare Expenses in Retirement?
Rising healthcare costs are on everyone’s mind, even for affluent people. In fact, 69 percent of affluent pre-retirees cite rising healthcare costs as one of their top fears in retirement, according to a survey from the Nationwide Retirement Institute. In fact, 63 percent of these affluent pre-retirees describe themselves as “terrified” of what healthcare costs … Continue reading How Can You Prepare for Healthcare Expenses in Retirement?
How and When to Pay Plan Expenses with Plan Assets
Some retirement plan expenses can be paid for with plan assets — but many can’t. Which are the “reasonable and necessary” retirement plan expenses that can be paid out of plan assets?Generally, services required to maintain the plan’s compliance and administration can be paid from plan assets. Obvious examples include the annual nondiscrimination testing and … Continue reading How and When to Pay Plan Expenses with Plan Assets