Category Archives: ERISA

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

ERISA at the Crossroads?: An Analysis of the 11th Circuit’s Home Depot Decision

I recently posted my initial impressions on the 11th Circuit’s Decision in the Pizarro v. Home Depot 401(k) case: It should be noted that the court granted HD summary judgment even though the court found that there were significant issues … Continue reading

Posted in ERISA, ERISA litigation, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, fiduciary liability | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Initial Thoughts on 11th Circuit’s Decision in Pizarro v. Home Depot

The 11th Circuit recently released its much anticipated decision in Pizarro v. Home Depot. The case is significant since it involves the question of which party has the burden of proof on the issue of causation in ERISA litigation. There … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, ERISA, ERISA litigation, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary liability, Fiduciary prudence, pension plans, plan sponsors, Supreme Court | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Written Testimony of James W. Watkins, III, J.D., CFP Board Emeritus™, AWMA® before the DOL – July 10, 2024

InvestSense, LLC Testimony of James W. Watkins, III, J.D., CFP Board Emeritus™, AWMA® re QDIAs and Annuities as QDIAs In my practice, I often refer to as the “fiduciary responsibility trinity” (Trinity). The Trinity consists of the Tibble v. Edison International1 (Tibble … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 401k plan design, 401k plans, 401k risk management, Annuities, consumer protection, cost consciousness, cost-efficiency, defined contribution, ERISA, fiduciary, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary duty, fiduciary law, fiduciary liability, fiduciary liability, Fiduciary prudence, fiduciary prudence, fiduciary responsibility, fiduciary risk management, investments, pension plans, prudence, retirement plans, risk management, wealth management | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fiduciary Prudence – Don’t Make the Process Harder Than It Is!

“Don’t make the process harder than it is.” – Jack Welch, former GE CEO When I meet with a prospective client, this is what I always tell them. Then I show them how their current plan is exposing them to … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 401k litigation, 401k plan design, 401k plans, 401k risk management, 404c, 404c compliance, Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, Annuities, asset allocation, compliance, consumer protection, cost consciousness, 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, risk management, securities compliance, wealth management, wealth preservation | 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

Fiduciary Risk Management 101: Beware the Retirement Crisis “Okey Doke”

James W. Watkins, III, J.D., CFP EmeritusTM, AWMA I recently received a call from the CEO of a corporation asking if I could meet with him. He said he had recently attended a conference where the major topics of discussion … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 401k plan design, 401k plans, 401k risk management, 403b, Active Management Value Ratio, Annuities, consumer protection, cost consciousness, cost efficient, cost-efficiency, ERISA, 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, retirement plans, risk management, wealth management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fiduciary InvestSense: Connecting the Regulatory Dots

James W. Watkins, III, J.D., CFP EmeritusTM, AWMA® In Tibble v. Edison International,1 SCOTUS noted the reliance of courts on the common law of trusts in resolving fiduciary matters, stating that We have often noted that an ERISA fiduciary’s duty … Continue reading

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

The Devil Is In the Details: Monitoring and Updating an AMVR Analysis

By James W. Watkins, III, J.D., CFP Board Emeritus™, AWMA® The first quarter of 2024 produced an interesting situation, resulting in an opportunity to demonstrate both the value of the Active Management Value Ratio (AMVR) and its nuances. The Fidelity … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 401k litigation, 401k plan design, 401k plans, 401k risk management, 403b, Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, closet index funds, compliance, cost-efficiency, defined contribution, ERISA, 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, wealth management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment