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.
- Are you practicing procedural prudence when making plan management decisions?
- Do you clearly understand the Department of Labor’s (DOL) TIPS on selecting and monitoring your QDIA in order to obtain fiduciary protection?
- Are you documenting each plan management decision and its support?
- Are you familiar with current trends in fiduciary litigation?
- Are you certain that your plan is being administered in accordance with your plan document provisions?
- What fiduciary liability mitigation strategies are you following? (Fiduciaries are personally financially responsible for any fiduciary breaches that disadvantage participants.)
- Are you kept abreast of regulatory changes?
- Are you appropriately determining reasonableness of plan fees, services and investment opportunities?
- How do you define “success” for your plan and what metrics do you use to track progress?
- Is your current plan design communicating the appropriate messaging to encourage success for your participants and plan fiduciaries?
- Is your menu efficiently designed for benefit of participants and plan fiduciaries?
- Are you certain you are providing all required communications and distributions to plan participants (including former participants with account balances)?
- Are you handling missing participants appropriately?
- Are you appropriately monitoring and documenting your fiduciary activities and those of your service providers?
- Are you maintaining plan records appropriately?
Many fiduciaries are unaware of their fiduciary responsibilities or do not understand them. If you need help uncovering the answers to any of these important questions, do not hesitate to reach out to your financial professional.
About the Author, Morgan Davis
Morgan is responsible for guiding plan sponsors through the intricacies of investment analysis and innovative plan design and making it easy to understand. Blending employer and employee objectives, Morgan encourages plan design initiatives to create optimal retirement plan outcomes for participants. Morgan is a graduate of Michigan State University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in marketing.
For more information on reaching your retirement plan goals, contact your plan’s financial professional Preston Englund at (402) 461-4893 or .
Securities offered through IFP Securities, LLC, dba Independent Financial Partners (IFP), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advice offered through IFP Advisors, LLC, dba Independent Financial Partners (IFP), a Registered Investment Adviser. IFP and Ridgeline Advisors are not affiliated.
The information given herein is taken from sources that IFP Advisors, LLC, dba Independent Financial Partners (IFP), IFP Securities LLC, dba Independent Financial Partners (IFP), and it advisors believe to be reliable, but it is not guaranteed by us as to accuracy or completeness. This is for informational purposes only and in no event should be construed as an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or products. Please consult your tax and/or legal advisor before implementing any tax and/or legal related strategies mentioned in this publication as IFP does not provide tax and/or legal advice. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and do not take into account the particular investment objectives, financial situation, or needs of individual investors.
