ERISA Fiduciary Duties: How to Help Your Clients

11/19/18

Whether you are an accountant, lawyer, banker, business consultant or investment advisor, many of your business clients will have a 401(k) or other qualified retirement plan. You may not specialize in retirement plans, but consider the following as the kinds of things you might do to ...

Are No Fee Funds A No-Brainer?

10/24/18

No fee mutual funds are here!

Fidelity recently announced domestic and international “index” funds that would charge no management fees – and no transaction fees when purchased directly from Fidelity.

The no fee structure appears to be more than a come on, and industry sources report that Fidelity ...

Beyond Investments: The Other 401(k) Responsibilities

9/17/18

We’ve all read about the lawsuits questioning an employer’s 401(k) investment fund selections and related claims of excessive fund costs. And typically a plan’s professional investment advisor (yes – you should have one unless you have an investment professional on staff) meets with company ...

Is Illinois Secure Choice Your Best Option?

8/6/18

Employers with 25 or more employees in Illinois will be subject to the Secure Choice Savings Program Act (the “Act”) if they do not already have an employer sponsored retirement arrangement like a 401(k) plan. For such employers with 500 or more Illinois employees that have ...

Fund Options That Protect 401(k) Fiduciaries

6/29/18

Fiduciaries who handle investments for 401(k) and other self-directed retirement plans (such as 403(b) plans for not-for-profit organizations) are increasingly exposed to liability for their investment decisions. Those fiduciaries, including employers and any individuals charged with investment decision making, are being second guessed for the ...

Are You A "Checkbook Fiduciary?"

5/10/18

There are judicial decisions holding that a business owner can be personally responsible when the owner has control over company finances and exercises such authority by paying company creditors instead of making required payments to a welfare benefit plan. But a recent decision of the U.S ...