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Recent Posts
- Terminal Wealth: The True Fiduciary Prudence Paradigm with Regard to the In-Plan Annuity Scam
- Is the DOL/EBSA Trying to Serve Two Masters? ERISA Section 404(a)’s Independent Investigation and Evaluation Requirements and the DOL/EBSA Proposed Rule on Alternative Investments
- Much Ado About Nothing?: The DOL’s New Alternative Investment Rule vs. the Administrative Procedure Act
- Reasserting ERISA’s Private Enforcement Design: A Rebuttal to EBSA’s “Frivolous Litigation” Narrative
- When Income Is Not Enough: Why the Continued Inclusion of In-Plan Annuities May Breach ERISA Duties When Compared to Capital-Preserving Income Alternatives and Strategies
The Prudent Investment Adviser Rules
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Author Archives: jwatkins
“Best Interests” For Fiduciaries 101
Facts do not cease to exist simply because they are ignored. – Aldous Huxley With the release of the DOL’s proposed fiduciary regulations, there has been a considerable amount of discussion about what “best interests” really means and how to … Continue reading
Oil and Water: Fiduciaries and Variable Annuities
The financial services industry continues to try to convince investment advisers and other financial fiduciaries to sell variable annuities. Smart RIAs and other financial fiduciaries ignore these pleas, as they realize that variable annuities are liability traps for fiduciaries, blatant … Continue reading
Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, compliance, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, investments, retirement plans, RIA, RIA Compliance, securities compliance, wealth management, wealth preservation
Tagged 401k, 401k compliance, 404c, 404c compliance, compliance, fiduciary, fiduciary investing, fiduciary law, financial plans, FINRA, investment advisers, pension plans, retirement plans, RIA, RIA compliance, securities compliance, suitability, wealth management, wealth preservation
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A Closer Look At The “Top” 401(k) Mutual Funds
Each year various publications put out their lists of “top” or “best” mutual funds. I always enjoy going through such lists and performing a forensic analysis of the funds on such lists to get a better analysis of each fund. … Continue reading
Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 404c, 404c compliance, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, investments, pension plans, retirement plans, wealth management, wealth preservation
Tagged 401k, 401k compliance, 404c, 404c compliance, compliance, ERISA, fiduciary, fiduciary investing, fiduciary law, investment advisers, retirement plans, wealth management, wealth preservation
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Done Deal: The SEC, NASD and FINRA on the Fiduciary Standard
SEC – As we have frequently pointed out, a broker’s recommendations must be consistent with his customer’s best interests. (Wendell D. Belden, Exchange Act Rel. No. 34-47859, 2003) – As we have frequently stated, a broker’s recommendations must be consistent … Continue reading
Robo-advisors: Much Ado About Nothing?
I just finished reading an article about a recent debate between noted financial advisor Ric Edelman and Adam Nash, CEO of robo-advisor Wealthfront. Interestingly, Edelman suggested that robo-advisors would put many financial advisors out of business. My position is simple. … Continue reading
Posted in 401k, 401k investments, 404c, fiduciary law, investments, pension plans, retirement plans, robo-advisors, roboadvisors, wealth management, wealth preservation
Tagged 401k, asset allocation, fiduciary, fiduciary investing, fiduciary law, financial planning, financial plans, investment advisers, investment analysis tools, pension plans, portfolio optimization, retirement plans, RIA risk management, risk management, robo-advisors, roboadvisors, suitability, wealth management, wealth preservation
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The Fiduciary Standard – It’s “Best Interests,” Not “Like Everyone Else”
During a recent deposition of an investment adviser, the adviser told me that was doing the exact same thing as everyone else in the industry and asked me why I was “targeting” him. Not the first time I have heard … Continue reading
Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 404c, 404c compliance, compliance, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, investments, pension plans, retirement plans, RIA, RIA Compliance
Tagged 401k, 401k compliance, 404c, 404c compliance, Compliance Gauntlet, fiduciary, fiduciary investing, fiduciary law, investment advisers
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Whoomp, There It is! – The New Prudent Fee Fiduciary Standard
“Essential to the plausibility of plaintiffs’ claims was the allegation that the Affiliated Funds ‘charged higher fees than those charged by comparable Vanguard funds-in some instances fees were more than 200 percent higher than those comparable funds’”. With those words … Continue reading
Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 404c, 404c compliance, compliance, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, investments, pension plans, retirement plans, wealth management, wealth preservation
Tagged 401k, 401k compliance, 404c, 404c compliance, ERISA, fiduciary, fiduciary investing, fiduciary law, investment advisers, pension plans, retirement plans, suitability, wealth management, wealth preservation
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Citigroup Decision’s Warning for 401(k) Fiduciaries
U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein recently ruled that the participants in the Citigroup 401(k) excessive fees case had filed their action within the required time period. Judge Stein’s opinion was based primarily on a finding that absent “actual knowledge” … Continue reading
Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 404c, 404c compliance, compliance, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, investments, pension plans, retirement plans
Tagged 401k, 401k compliance, 404c, 404c compliance, compliance, ERISA, fiduciary, fiduciary investing, fiduciary law, modern portfolio theory, pension plans, retirement plans
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Three Investment Adviser Fiduciary Traps to Avoid
My last post advising advisers not to prepare and distribute financial plans resulted in several emails, some nice, some not so nice. With over nineteen years of experience in RIA law, both as a director of RIA compliance for FSC … Continue reading
Financial Plans v. Investment Policy Statements: One, None or Both?
As an investment adviser consultant, one of the first things I ask new adviser clients is whether they prepare financial plans for clients. If so, I advise them not to do so going forward. Simply put, a financial plan in … Continue reading
Posted in compliance, fiduciary compliance, RIA, RIA Compliance, securities compliance
Tagged compliance, fiduciary, fiduciary investing, fiduciary law, financial planning, financial plans, investment advisers, investment analysis tools, portfolio optimization, RIA risk management, risk management, suitability, wealth management, wealth preservation
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The Prudent Investment Fiduciary Rules 
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