Monthly Archives: April 2023

The Active Expense Ratio: Fiduciary Risk Management’s “Little Secret”

By James W. Watkins, J.D., CFP Board Emeritus™, AWMA® When I created the Active Management Value Ratio (AMVR) metric, the goal was to create a simple tool that would allow investors, investment fiduciaries, and attorneys to quickly and easily evaluate … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 401k plan design, 401k risk management, 403b, Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, asset allocation, closet index funds, compliance, cost consciousness, cost efficient, cost-efficiency, Cost_Efficiency, ERISA, ERISA litigation, fiduciary, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary duty, fiduciary law, fiduciary liability, fiduciary liability, Fiduciary prudence, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary responsibility, fiduciary risk management, fiduciary standard, investment advisers, investments, Mutual funds, pension plans, plan advisers, plan sponsors, prudence, retirement planning, retirement plans, risk management, SCOTUS, wealth management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Common Sense and Fundamental Fairness: The Matney Case and the Future of 401(k)/403(b) Litigation

By James W. Watkins, J.D., CFP Board Emeritus™, AWMA® I have referenced the Matney v. Briggs Gold of North America (Matney) case1 in a number of recent posts. In my opinion, the significance of Matney lies in the fact that … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 401k plan design, 401k risk management, 403b, Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, consumer protection, cost consciousness, cost efficient, cost-efficiency, Cost_Efficiency, ERISA, ERISA litigation, fiduciary, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary duty, fiduciary law, fiduciary liability, fiduciary liability, Fiduciary prudence, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary responsibility, fiduciary risk management, fiduciary standard, investments, Mutual funds, pension plans, plan advisers, plan sponsors, prudence, retirement planning, retirement plans, risk management, SCOTUS, SEC, wealth management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

1Q 2023 AMVR “Cheat Sheets”: How Much Active Management Do Actively Managed Funds Really Provide?

By James W. Watkins, J.D., CFP Board Emeritus™, AWMA® The words that I rememberFrom my childhood still are trueThat there’s none so blindAs those who will not see– Justin Hayward/Moody Blues – “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” I know … Continue reading

Posted in 401k plan design, 401k risk management, 403b, Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, closet index funds, compliance, cost consciousness, cost efficient, cost-efficiency, ERISA, ERISA litigation, fiduciary, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary duty, fiduciary law, fiduciary liability, fiduciary liability, Fiduciary prudence, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary responsibility, fiduciary risk management, fiduciary standard, investment advisers, investments, Mutual funds, pension plans, plan advisers, plan sponsors, prudence, retirement plans, risk management, SCOTUS, SEC, Supreme Court, wealth management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment