Strategic Benefit Services Offers M&A Due Diligence

Strategic Benefit Services’ (SBS) retirement plan business expanded its offerings to include a focus on mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

With the long list of complex regulations and requirements involved in the completion of mergers and acquisitions, the implications for retirement plans are often not fully considered, the firm says. With mergers and acquisitions at a record high level in 2015, many plan fiduciaries may have put their plans at risk for failure to recognize protected benefits, service issues, or Internal Revenue Service restrictions on forgotten retirement plans.

The SBS approach will supplement and complement existing Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) counsel or other professionals engaged in providing guidance and expertise to the new organization. SBS will add the requisite layer of due diligence to retirement plan administration that is often missing from merger and acquisition projects.

Services include:

• Pre-Acquisition Analysis;
• Investment Analysis; and
• Post-Merger Transition Management.

“When mergers and acquisitions occur, retirement plan regulatory requirements and fiduciary responsibilities need to be addressed.” says James J. Kelley, president of SBS. “The goal is to provide strong support and attention to detail that may often be overlooked, as it is often the small things that lead to more significant failures.”

Strategic Benefit Services has been providing retirement services to health care, not-for-profit, and corporate organizations for more than four decades. It provides advisory services including plan design, vendor management, investment selection and monitoring, operational oversight, and onsite education and communication.