DOL Sues Contractors over Prohibited Loans, Investments
The Department of Labor (DOL) has filed a lawsuit against a Lilburn, Georgia contracting firm, on behalf of the firm’s retirement plan participants, to recover losses resulting from prohibited loans and investments.
The lawsuit, Perez v. Burgess Baird Jr (docket number:
1:14-cv-00282-CAP), was recently filed in the U.S. District Court, for the
Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division. It names Burgess Baird Jr., the
fiduciary of the employee profit-sharing retirement plan, and DSI Contracting
Inc. as defendants.
Through the suit, the DOL seeks to have the defendants restore
all plan losses, including interest or lost opportunity costs to the plan,
which occurred as a result of the defendant’s breach of their fiduciary
obligations. The suit also asks the court to reverse each prohibited
transaction. In addition, the DOL asks that the court permanently enjoin the
defendants from serving as fiduciary, administrator, officer, trustee,
custodian, agent, employee, representative, or having control over the assets
of any employee benefit plan subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act (ERISA), and to appoint a successor fiduciary at defendant Baird’s expense.
An investigation by the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security
Administration (EBSA) found that after establishing a profit-sharing retirement
plan for its employees in March 1980, DSI Contracting Inc. and Baird failed in their
fiduciary responsibility to the plan, committing prohibited transactions by
causing the plan to purchase real estate contiguous to property DSI was
developing, known as the Stonebrook division.
The EBSA also found that Baird issued loans to participants
in amounts that exceeded the amounts allowed under the terms of the plan
document. The proceeds of the participant loans were used to invest in
Stonebrook. Baird also issued a $490,000 loan from the plan to a real estate
company, called Burge Realty LLC, which in turn, used the proceeds of the loan
to buy 10 lots in the Stonebrook development. Finally, Baird failed to attempt
to collect on the participant loans or the loan to Burge Realty, resulting in
large losses to the plan.
The full text of the complaint can be downloaded
here.
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Employees would embrace retirement saving and they would
accept their money being locked away until retirement age. They would manage their personal finances in
a responsible way and they wouldn’t have any need to borrow against their
retirement accounts.
However, until the world becomes perfect, loans are pretty
much a necessary plan design feature. But just because we need to include the
feature, doesn’t mean plan loans should be encouraged.
We’ll admit to the shameless promotion of the loan feature
when we are doing enrollment presentations to younger audiences. In our experience, the knowledge that the
money may be accessible to the employee way before the [unimaginable] age of
retirement, makes the idea of giving up take-home pay more acceptable. Nobody likes feeling trapped. Knowing they could gain access to a portion of their savings, in the event of an
emergency or opportunity, makes it seem like a smart idea to have a nest egg
growing.
Promoting the existence of a loan feature has helped us
recruit thousands of participants into their employers’ plans. In our view, the end justifies the means.
Post-enrollment, though, perhaps the loan message should
change. There has been a proliferation
of retirement plan loans in recent years, many of which have or will result in
defaults. A defaulted loan is
financially damaging for the employee and it creates work and possible hard
feelings for the employer.
Maybe we, as an industry, should provide loan education,
either proactively or to accompany each loan request. The theme could be, “Yes, loans are
available, but fully understand what you’re getting into.”
Make employees understand:
Loans must be repaid with after-tax money, generally
within five years, notwithstanding any leaves of absence;
While it’s true the interest paid goes back into the
employee’s account, the outstanding loan balance is out of the market while on
loan, possibly causing opportunity loss;
Commonly, employees reduce their savings rates while
making loan payments, so in the long run, they may achieve a less favorable
retirement outcome; and
In the event they
separate from service, most loans become due.
If not repaid at that time, the outstanding loan balance will be
taxable, subject to penalty and will no longer be part of their retirement nest
egg.
One of the most important hats advisers wear is their educator hat. Most people make better decisions when they
fully understand the potential pros and cons of a given action, and we are in
the best position to provide that education.
Jim
Phillips, President of Retirement Resources, has been in the investment
industry for more than 35 years, the past 18 of which have been focused in the
area of qualified retirement plans. Jim
worked for major national investment firms for 14 years before “going
independent” in 1990. Jim is an
Accredited Investment Fiduciary, has contributed to two books on 401(k), and
his articles have been published in Defined Contribution Insights, PLANSPONSOR’s
(b)lines and ASPPA’s 403(b) Advisor, and Jim is a RetireMentor on
MarketWatch.com. His work has been acknowledged with multiple Signature Awards
from the PSCA, he has been named to the 2012 and 2013 list of Top 100
Retirement Plan Advisers, by PLANADVISER Magazine, and he was a finalist in
2012 for the Morningstar/ASPPA 401(k) Leadership Award. Jim has been a frequent
speaker at national conferences, including SPARK, ASPPA, AAO and the
PLANSPONSOR and PLANADVISER National Conferences.
Patrick
McGinn, CFA, Vice President of Retirement Resources, is a CFA charterholder and
has been in the securities industry since 1993. In addition to the Chartered
Financial Analyst designation, he is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary and a
member of the Boston Security Analyst Society. Together with Jim, Patrick has
co-authored a number of articles which have been published in industry
publications on topics about managing successful 401(k) and 403(b) plans. His
work has been acknowledged with multiple Signature Awards from the PSCA, and he
has been named to the 2012 and 2013 list of Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisors,
by PLANADVISER Magazine. He was a finalist in 2012 for the Morningstar/ASPPA
401(k) Leadership Award.
NOTE:
This feature is to provide general information only, does not constitute legal advice,
and cannot be used or substituted for legal or tax advice.