Category Archives: DOL

ERISA 404(a) vs. NAIC Rule 275 -Wake-Up Call or Ticking Fiduciary Litigation/Liability Time Bomb for Plan Sponsors?

James W. Watkins, III, J.D., CFP EmeritusTM, AWMA® As a fiduciary risk management counsel, I’m often asked about my opinion as to the biggest risk management mistake plan sponsors make. To me, the answer is simple. The biggest and most … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 401k litigation, 401k plan design, 401k plans, 401k risk management, 401klitigation, 404(a), Annuities, best interest, DOL, ERISA, ERISA litigation, ERISA litigation, fiduciary liability, ERISA litigation, ERISA, ERISA litigation, fiduciary responsibility, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary duties, fiduciary litigation, 401k, 401k plans, plan sponsor, plan sponsors, fiduciary law, fiduciary, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary duty, fiduciary law, fiduciary liability, fiduciary liability, Fiduciary litigation, Fiduciary prudence, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary responsibility, fiduciary risk management, fiduciary standard, fiduciarylitigation, pension plans, plan sponsors, risk management | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“And Their Beneficiaries”: Annuities, Commensurate Return, and Fiduciary Liability

James W. Watkins, III, J.D., CFP EmeritusTM, AWMA® ERISA Section 404a-1 provides as follows: 2550.404a-1 Investment duties. (a) In general. Sections 404(a)(1)(A) and 404(a)(1)(B) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA or the Act) provide, … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 401k litigation, 401k plans, 401k risk management, 401klitigation, 404(a), Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Annuities, consumer protection, cost-efficiency, defined contribution, DOL, elderly investment fraud, ERISA, ERISA litigation, ERISA, ERISA litigation, fiduciary responsibility, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary duties, fiduciary litigation, 401k, 401k plans, plan sponsor, plan sponsors, fiduciary law, fiduciary, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary duty, fiduciary law, fiduciary liability, fiduciary liability, Fiduciary prudence, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary responsibility, fiduciary standard, Mutual funds, pension plans, plan sponsors, prudence, retirement planning, retirement plans, risk management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Chief Judge of the 5th Circuit Calls Out His Brethren on Decision to Stay the DOL’s Retirement Security Rule

Congress passed ERISA in 1974 as a “comprehensive statute designed to promote the interests of employees and their beneficiaries in employer benefit plans.”1 The past fifty years has seen significant changes in the market and in the number and types … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 401k litigation, 401k plan design, 401k plans, 401k risk management, Annuities, Conflicts of Interest, consumer protection, DOL, DOL fiduciary standard, ERISA, ERISA litigation, fiduciary, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary duty, fiduciary law, fiduciary liability, fiduciary liability, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary responsibility, fiduciary standard, investment advisers, IRA, IRAs, pension plans, plan advisers, plan sponsors, prohibited transactions, wealth management | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Deja Vu All Over Again?: Is the Annuity Industry Serving a Second Round of Annuity Misrepresentations Kool-Aid?

Bradley Campbell of Faegre Drinker recently commented on the unusual strength of the language in the Fifth Circuit’s “Memorandum Opinion and Order” staying the DOL’s Retirement Security Rule.1 Given distristrict court Chief Judge Lynn’s earlier well-reasoned analysis and opinion in … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k litigation, 401k plan design, 401k risk management, Annuities, best interest, compliance, Conflicts of Interest, consumer protection, DOL, DOL fiduciary rule, DOL fiduciary standard, ERISA, ERISA litigation, fiduciary, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary duty, fiduciary law, fiduciary liability, fiduciary liability, fiduciary prudence, investment advisers, investments, IRA, pension plans, plan advisers, plan sponsors, retirement plans, SCOTUS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bugielski v. AT&T Services, Inc.: Another Key Case Toward Defining the Future of 401(k) Litigation

James W. Watkins, III, J.D., CFP EmeritusTM, AWMA® SCOTUS may soon have yet another ERISA-related case to review. AT&T Services, Inc. recently petitioned SCOTUS for a writ of certiorari to review the Ninth Circuit’s decision in Bugielski v. AT&T Services, … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k litigation, 401k plans, 401k risk management, 403b, compliance, defined contribution, DOL, ERISA, ERISA litigation, fiduciary, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, fiduciary liability, fiduciary liability, Fiduciary prudence, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary responsibility, fiduciary risk management, fiduciary standard, pension plans, plan advisers, plan sponsors, prohibited transactions, retirement plans, SCOTUS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Avoiding the Annuity “Noise”: A Fiduciary Prudence Guide to Annuities

James W. Watkins, III, J.D., CFP EmeritusTM, AWMA® Last week I posted the following post online in X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn: There is no requirement, legal, moral, or otherwise, that requires plan sponsors to offer annuities or any other … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 401k plan design, 401k plans, 401k risk management, 403b, Active Management Value Ratio, Annuities, compliance, cost consciousness, cost efficient, cost-efficiency, defined contribution, DOL, ERISA, fiduciary, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary duty, fiduciary law, fiduciary liability, fiduciary liability, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary responsibility, fiduciary risk management, fiduciary standard, investment advisers, pension plans, plan advisers, plan sponsors, prudence, retirement plans, risk management | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Curious Paradox: “Meaningful Benchmarks,” Fiduciary Prudence, and the Active Management Value Ratio

James W. Watkins, III, J.D., CFP EmeritusTM, AWMA® Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing has happened.Winston Churchill Some courts continue to attempt to justify premature dismissals of … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 401k litigation, 401k plan design, 401k plans, 401k risk management, 403b, 404c, 404c compliance, Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, best interest, closet index funds, compliance, consumer protection, cost consciousness, cost-efficiency, defined contribution, DOL, ERISA, ERISA litigation, evidence based investing, fiduciary, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary duty, fiduciary law, fiduciary liability, fiduciary liability, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary responsibility, fiduciary risk management, fiduciary standard, investments, Mutual funds, pension plans, plan advisers, plan sponsors, prudence, retirement plans, risk management, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, trust realtionships, wealth management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment