by Robert C. Lawton | Oct 19, 2019 | Fiduciary Compliance, Plan Sponsor Insights
As a 401k investment adviser who is also an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF), I have worked with investment committees for decades. During that time, I have found the following three fiduciary responsibilities to be most important for every 401k investment committee.
by Robert C. Lawton | Oct 3, 2019 | Fiduciary Compliance, Plan Sponsor Insights
As an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF), I am a retirement plan fiduciary compliance expert. Following are answers to the eight fiduciary questions I hear most often from employers.
by Robert C. Lawton | Aug 18, 2018 | Fiduciary Compliance, Investments, Plan Sponsor Insights
Difference in returns is huge for investors working with a fiduciary.
by Robert C. Lawton | Apr 28, 2018 | Fiduciary Compliance, Plan Sponsor Insights
Anyone who hoped the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) might do the right thing and issue a uniform fiduciary standard holding brokers, bankers, insurance company advisors, and investment advisers working for Registered Investment Advisers (RIAs) to the same...
by Robert C. Lawton | Mar 30, 2018 | Fiduciary Compliance, Investments, Plan Sponsor Insights
Are you working with the right 401k investment adviser? Do you want to find out? Ask your adviser the following eight questions and then see how the answers compare with the generally desired responses outlined below.
by Robert C. Lawton | Feb 3, 2018 | Fiduciary Compliance, Plan Sponsor Insights
Are you following a prudent decision-making process in your 401k plan? Do you always put the interests of plan participants first when considering plan issues? After more than 30 years of working on the 401k plans of companies as large as Apple and as small as a new...
by Robert C. Lawton | Jan 20, 2018 | Fiduciary Compliance, Plan Sponsor Insights
Making sure you are paying reasonable 401k fees for your plan is one of your major fiduciary responsibilities as a plan sponsor — especially if you are using plan assets to pay 401k fees. The Department of Labor (DoL) does not mandate that you pay the lowest...
by Robert C. Lawton | Sep 19, 2017 | Fiduciary Compliance, Plan Sponsor Insights
Provider reviews are important. As part of your fiduciary compliance responsibilities as a plan sponsor, you should regularly conduct provider reviews for all the providers that work with your 401k plan. The Department of Labor (DoL) suggests plan sponsors conduct...
by Robert C. Lawton | Aug 8, 2017 | Fiduciary Compliance, Plan Design, Plan Sponsor Insights
If you intend to review your 401k plan fees and/or providers this year, now is the time to get started. Most plan sponsors who decide to make 401k plan changes like to have those new features in place by January 1 of the new plan year. Following are a few things to...
by Robert C. Lawton | Jun 27, 2017 | Fiduciary Compliance, Investments, Plan Sponsor Insights
Does your 401k plan have an updated investment policy statement (IPS)? Although you aren’t required by law to have one, the investment policy statement is one of the primary documents the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of Labor (DoL) request...
