-
Join 234 other subscribers
Meta
-
Recent Posts
- 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 Active Management Value Ratio as a Cost-Benefit Framework: Integrating AI into Fiduciary Prudence Analysis
- Battle of the Best Interests – Whose Are the EBSA and the DOL Supposed to Serve, and Whose Are They Really Serving?
- Guest Article On Supreme Court’s Decision to Hear the Intel Case
- Fair Dinkum: A Critique of the EBSA’s Amicus Brief in Pizarro v. Home Depot
The Prudent Investment Adviser Rules
-
Join 234 other subscribers
Author Archives: jwatkins
“Piddle, Twiddle and Resolve”
I just finished Bob Clark’s excellent article, “Dear SEC Chairwoman: About That Pesky Fiduciary Issue…” (http://www.advisorone.com/2013/06/28/dear-sec-chairwoman-about-that-pesky-fiduciary-iss). In the article, Mr. Clark suggests that the SEC be reminded of various statements listed on its web page, including its mission statement to … Continue reading
Posted in fiduciary compliance
Leave a comment
New “Barron’s Advisor” List-Potential Compliance and Fiduciary Issues
Barron’s recently released a new list, the “Barron’s Advisor” list. While advisors obviously enjoy being placed on such “top” or “best” lists, Barron’s list raises various issues that can serve as a lesson in addressing potential compliance and fiduciary issues … Continue reading
Posted in fiduciary compliance
Leave a comment
Upon Further Review: Do We Already Have a Universal Fiduciary Standard?
The debate over a universal fiduciary standard for the financial services industry continues. To date, as John Adams lamented in “1776,” “piddle. twiddle and resolve, not a damned thing do we solve.” Several studies have conclusively shown that the American … Continue reading
Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 404c, 404c compliance, compliance, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, investments, retirement plans, securities compliance
Tagged 401k, 401k compliance, 404c, 404c compliance, compliance, ERISA, fiduciary, fiduciary law, FINRA, retirement plans, securities compliance, suitability
2 Comments
How “Safe” Are ERISA 401(k)/404(c) Safe-Harbors?
Like so many others, I provide consulting services to pension plans. Unlike others, I focus on the risk management aspect of pension plans instead of the fundamental, or administrative, aspects of a plan. I chose to focus on the risk … Continue reading
Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 404c, 404c compliance, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, investments, retirement plans, securities
Tagged 401k, 401k compliance, 404c, 404c compliance, ERISA, fiduciary, fiduciary law, investment advisers, investment analysis tools, retirement plans, risk management, securities compliance
1 Comment
The Tibble Decision – 3 Valuable Lessons for Plan Sponsors and Other Plan Fiduciaries
Reading the Ninth Circuit’s recent decision in Tibble v. Edison International, I could not help but notice three issues that I believe will significantly impact ERISA plan sponsors and other plan fiduciaries going forward. First, the Court correctly pointed out … Continue reading
Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 404c, 404c compliance, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, investments, retirement plans
Tagged 401k, 401k compliance, 404c, 404c compliance, compliance, ERISA, fiduciary, fiduciary law, investment advisers, investment analysis tools, retirement plans, RIA risk management, risk management
2 Comments
Has Schwab Opened Pandora’s Box for RIAs? – Part Two
In a recent post, I suggested that the recent court decision upholding Schwab’s class action waiver in customer’s contracts could have potential liability implications for RIAs and other fiduciaries that recommend or use Schwab, or for that matter any other … Continue reading
Has Schwab Opened Pandora’ Box for RIAs?
Schwab’s recent victory upholding its class action waiver provision in its customer contracts raises a number of potential issues for fiduciaries, especially since most B/D’s can be expected to follow suit with similar provisions if Schwab’s waiver provision withstands the … Continue reading
Posted in fiduciary compliance
2 Comments
Gifts and Conflicts of Interest
I received a call yesterday from an RIA firm that had been providing magazine subscriptions and other gifts to clients that referred new clients to the firm. The managing member of the RIA firm said that he had attended a … Continue reading
“The 401(k)/403(b) Investment Manual”
My new book, “The 410(k)/403(b) Investment Manual” is now available from both Amazon and CreatSpace. The manual is intended to provide both plan participants and plan sponsors with valuable information to allow them to properly evaluate the investment options within … Continue reading
Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 404c, 404c compliance, compliance, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, investments, retirement plans, RIA
Tagged 401k, 401k compliance, 404c, 404c compliance, asset allocation, compliance, ERISA, fiduciary, fiduciary law, investment advisers, investment analysis tools, retirement plans, risk management
Leave a comment
Your RIA, Their Money!
As an RIA consultant, I continue to be amazed at those firms who do not take the time to properly inform themselves about the regulatory and liability aspects of engaging in RIA activity. Ignorance and/or good intentions are simply not … Continue reading
Posted in fiduciary compliance
Leave a comment
The Prudent Investment Fiduciary Rules 
You must be logged in to post a comment.