Deals & People May 3, 2011

Employee Benefits Law Firm Announces Promotions

Mohler, Nixon & Williams (MNW) have promoted senior managers Ryan Koch and Brad Wall to audit partners. 
Reported by

According to the announcement, Koch and Wall will continue to focus on employee benefit plan audits and assisting clients with their Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) requirements.

“Ryan and Brad are talented professionals who have distinguished themselves through commitment to client service and dedication to excellence,” says Steve Vidlock, managing partner. “During their MNW careers they have become specialists in the unique requirements of employee benefit plan audits. Their contributions to our client base in the Silicon Valley and Bay Area have been exceptional, and I know that they will continue to build on their successes in the coming years.”

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Koch specializes in all aspects of employee benefit plan audits, including 401(k) plans, pension plans, health and welfare plans and the Form 11-K filing requirements with the SEC. He has presented at the annual ERISA conference sponsored by the American Institute of CPAs, and is also one of the firm’s specialists in the audit of venture capital funds, including SBIC funds. According to the announcement, he is well-versed in a wide range of venture fund accounting issues, working with clients that range from startup funds to more established funds. Koch graduated with a degree in Business Economics with an emphasis in Accounting from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and started his career with another accounting firm before joining MNW in 2003. He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the California Society of CPAs.

Wall has over 10 years of experience in employee benefit plan audits. He has experience in audits of 401(k), pension, employee stock ownership, health and welfare benefit plans and the Form 11-K filing requirements with the SEC. He works closely with human resources and finance personnel as well as third party administrators and trustees in planning, performing and completing these audit engagements. Brad has been a featured speaker in webinars and conferences. Prior to joining MNW in 1999, he started his career with another accounting firm. He is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and the California Society of CPAs.

Mohler, Nixon & Williams provides audit, tax, outsourced accounting and employee-benefit plan audit services.  More information is available at http://www.mohlernixon.com. 

In Practice May 2, 2011

1 in 4 Advisers Do Not Use ETFs

A kasina and Horsesmouth survey found that 26% of advisers do not include exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in their clients’ portfolios.  
Reported by

Of those advisers that have adopted ETFs, about 15% of their clients’ assets are in the funds. In that group of advisers, 40.1% indicated they did not increase their allocation in the prior 12 months, with 3.9% decreasing their allocation over the same period.

“Although there has been tremendous growth with this product, our survey reveals that there is still a sizeable market that has yet to adopt ETFs within their client portfolios,” says Hari Krishnaswami, FA Vision Product Manager. “Even those advisers who have adopted this product have yet to allocate significant assets.”

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The survey also revealed the following:

  • Adoption rates of ETFs varied by channel; 94.9% of advisers with traditional wirehouses have adopted ETFs versus only 36.8% of advisers with insurance companies.
  • Independent registered investment advisers (RIAs) were the most comfortable committing client assets, putting an average of 26.7% of assets under management in ETFs.
  • Holding times on average are 1/3 less for ETFs than mutual funds. Advisers, on average, hold ETFs for 22.2 months versus an average of 36.0 months for mutual funds.

“Overall, while it is clear that ETFs have taken hold with advisers, there is still plenty of opportunities for ETF providers to win new business and increase existing allocations,” Krishnaswami added. “60.3% of advisers who use ETFs believe they are a fit for both growth and income portfolios, highlighting the potential to move beyond a niche allocation.”

The results are based on kasina’s and Horsesmouth FA Vision survey, which gathered 768 responses between March 15 and March 23, 2011.
 

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