All Eyes On Potential Washington Policy Reforms
Advisers are “keenly aware of their clients’ moods and recognize that there are no ‘one size fits all’ retirement plans in the face of an unpredictable future,” research...
Tag: ERISA
Defining Reasonable Compensation Is a Team Sport
A new series of white papers from Fiduciary Benchmarks asks the challenging question, “Who has the job of determining whether an adviser’s compensation is reasonable?”
PBGC Issues Premium Filing Instructions for 2017
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation has released updated instructions on filing premiums required by sections 4006 and 4007 of ERISA during the 2017 plan year.
Employer Stock Drop Suit Victory Upheld by D.C. Circuit
To appreciate the riskiness of a stock intimately involves its market valuation, and to argue that the ESOP fiduciaries should have been able to outguess the market’s valuation...
SEC Offers Guidance on DOL Fiduciary Rule Compliance
Since the DOL conflict of interest rule’s publication, mutual fund providers and their adviser-intermediaries have also been asking the SEC extensive questions about sales loads, fee schedules, etc.
EBSA Seeks Damages from Money Purchase Plan
Two plan trustees are accused of breaching their fiduciary duties by failing to take action to recover funds owed to a money purchase plan, which was loaned in...
ERISA Safe Harbor Introduced for Municipally Sponsored IRAs
The DOL and EBSA announced a final rule to assist large cities and other political subdivisions establish payroll deduction IRAs for private-sector workers.
Federal Court Decision Again Denies Fiduciary Rule Injunction
The National Association for Fixed Annuities has failed again to win an injunction in a DOL fiduciary rule challenge that was previously defeated in a federal district court...
Fiduciary Rule May Push Advisers Out of DC Business
As implementation of the DOL’s fiduciary rule approaches, advisers may have to choose between remaining in the DC business and pursuing traditional wealth management.
DOL Secures Settlement Over Improper Asset Liquidation
A Chicago-based ophthalmologist was accused by the DOL of improperly diverting money from a DB plan’s investment accounts.
Consultants Reflect on Fiduciary Rule Progress
Consultants from Grant Thornton suggest they have already seen strong business impacts coming out of the DOL fiduciary rule.
Investment Industry Must Double Down on Fairness and Transparency
In the retirement planning and investment industry of the near- and long-term future, providers’ motivations will play a deep role in determining success.
Advisers Looking to Technical Solutions Ahead of DOL Rule
A new survey finds that as implementation of the DOL’s fiduciary rule approaches, more than half of advisers expect to increase investment in client service and compliance technology.
'Church Plan' Cases to Be Heard by Supreme Court
The cases for which petitions for writs of certiorari were granted include Dignity Health v. Rollins, Saint Peter’s Healthcare System v. Kaplan and Advocate Health Care Network v....
Wells Fargo Self-Dealing Suit Questions Committee Practices
The latest example of retirement plan fee litigation questions the offering of an “easy enrollment” function that favored investment into the company’s own TDF mutual funds.
Investment in Sequoia Fund Target of Another Retirement Plan Suit
The lawsuit claims retirement plan fiduciaries breached their ERISA duties by continuing to offer the fund, because it was not diversified.
Capital One Eliminates Commission-Based IRAs
As the implementation date for the Department of Labor (DOL)’s Conflict of Interest rule approaches, Capital One Investing will be moving away from commission-based products within its retirement-account...
Second Suit Targets Edward Jones Over Self-Dealing Claims
Edward Jones is being accused by another set of plaintiffs of favoring the investments of its “preferred partners” in its 401(k) plan, enriching the firm at the expense...