Deep Dive into DOL EBSA Enforcement Activities
When it comes to policing of retirement plans by the EBSA, the pace of settlements and corrections remains strong; experts pin this to the relative regional autonomy of...
EXCLUSIVES
Decreasing Plan Sponsors’ Fear of Making Certain Plan Changes
Adding automatic deferral escalation and stretching the match are settlor functions because they are plan amendments, so plan sponsors should not fear fiduciary litigation, even if to some...
Retirement Readiness Is Possible for Caregivers, But It’s Tough
It’s not hard to imagine why caregivers deprioritize their retirement savings; harder to figure out is how to support caregivers as they work to build their own financial...
Addressing Plan Leakage with Sidecar Accounts
Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the Senate to address retirement plan leakage; among the opportunities being discussed by industry stakeholders is the use of “sidecar” emergency savings...
Peering Through the Regulatory Kaleidoscope
Spend any significant amount of time in the retirement planning industry and, whatever the role, one will inevitably hear about the negative impact of “regulatory uncertainty.” Has it...
DISRUPTION: Talking Adviser Recruiting with LPL Leadership
As retirement specialist advisers shift away from commissioned service and towards relationship-based wealth management and plan design consulting, providers of brokerage and investment management services are making their...
Getting Serious About TDF Sequence of Returns Risk
The growth in target-date fund usage continues to be incredible; missing is a deeper discussion of sequence of returns risk and other potential challenges for participants associated with...
In Memoriam: How the Fiduciary Rule Changed the Retirement Industry
With the news emerging that the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has certified its ruling to vacate the DOL fiduciary rule, Scott Gehman, a retirement plan consultant...
Competing for Advisers With Tools and Services: Retirement Industry M&A Activity
Pressing industry trends and emerging opportunities are reflected in recent merger and acquisition activity among retirement plan advisers and service providers, and in the efforts of other firms...
Lessons from Litigation: Process Matters Most
When it comes to fiduciary liability insurance, having the broadest possible statement of coverage is generally best; this is because it is a functional test for determining whether...
Reflections on a Dramatic Year for Retirement Plan Regulation
From the unexpected derailment of the DOL fiduciary rule to the expanding debate about so-called ‘open MEPs,’ your plan sponsor clients face a tremendous amount of uncertainty in...
Roth Conversions Part of the Tax Diversification Tool Belt
Under IRS guidance, participants can select to convert their entire pre-tax balance or a portion of it; they often have a lot of questions about the right amount...
DISRUPTION: AssetMark Executive on Outsourcing and Practice Growth
Matt Matrisian, SVP of strategic initiatives at AssetMark, is passionate about the topic of advisory practice management, enough so that he wrote a 300 page book on the...
Opportunities Exist, But Future of CITs in 403(b) Plans Remains Murky
Higher education clients with very large 403(b) plans could theoretically benefit from new laws or regulations allowing them to invest participant assets through collective trust vehicles, but for...
‘Dilution’ Can Derail Outperformance in Institutional Factor-Based Portfolios
In conversation with PLANADVISER, Northern Trust Asset Management’s head of quantitative research steps through some of the pros and cons of using factor-based portfolios and so called smart-beta...