Category Archives: securities

4Q 2022 AMVR “Cheat Sheets”: Correlation of Returns, “Closet Indexing,” and Fiduciary Liability

James W. Watkins, III, J.D., CFP Board EmeritusTM, AWMATM First, note the new URL address. After years of having to explain the old “iainsight.wordpress.com” URL, we finally worked with WordPress to accomplish the re-branding. Kudos to WordPress for working with … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 401k plan design, 401k risk management, Active Management Value Ratio, AMVR, closet index funds, compliance, consumer protection, cost consciousness, 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, prudence, retirement plans, risk management, SEC, securities, securities compliance, trust realtionships, wealth management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Whoa Nelly”*-Reg BI and That Other “F” Word

*Yes, I am old, Yes, I used to love listening to the late Keith Jackson call college football games. I miss his “whoa Nelly” calls. As the debate over the SEC’s proposed Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) rages on, people … Continue reading

Posted in AMVR, best interest, consumer protection, cost consciousness, cost efficient, cost-efficiency, fiduciary compliance, prudence, Reg BI, SEC, securities, securities compliance | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Emerging Asset Allocation “Trap?”

As both a securities/ERISA attorney and a CFP® professional, I realize that I often see things from a different perspective that other in those professions. Some would say that is an advantage, others say it’s a disadvantage. I have definitely … Continue reading

Posted in 401k compliance, 404c compliance, compliance, DOL fiduciary standard, elder law, elderly investment fraud, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, fiduciary standard, financial planning, investment advisers, investments, IRAs, pension plans, RIA Compliance, securities, special needs advice, wealth management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fiduciary Standard vs. Suitability Standard: The “Gotcha” That Won’t Go Away

There is currently a lot of speculation on how and if the new Trump administration will attempt to undo the DOL’s new fiduciary rule. Opinions range from an attempt to delay the effective date of the new rule to a … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 403b, 404c, 404c compliance, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, fiduciary standard, investment advisers, investments, pension plans, retirement plans, RIA, RIA Compliance, securities, securities compliance, wealth management | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Best Interest,” BICE and Class Action Targets, Part II

Much has been written about the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new fiduciary rule and the accompanying Best Interest Contract Exemption (BICE). Several writers have suggested that the group that will benefit the most from the rule and BICE are class … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 404c, compliance, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, investments, IRAs, pension plans, retirement plans, securities, securities compliance, wealth management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2016 So Far and the Levy Decision

I recently posted an article on my blogs about the fact that not everyone is losing money in 2016. I had several people respond negatively, some rudely so, suggesting that I did not understand the cyclical nature of the stock … Continue reading

Posted in compliance, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, investments, RIA, RIA Compliance, securities, securities compliance, wealth management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Protecting Your Practice with the Active Management Value Ratio 2.0™

RIAs often have mock audits performed. These audits generally focus on the various regulatory requirements for RIA, including the various documents and internal procedures of an RIA. More often than not, these mock audits do not include a forensic fiduciary … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 404c, 404c compliance, compliance, evidence based investing, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, investments, pension plans, retirement plans, RIA, RIA Compliance, securities, securities compliance, wealth management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Four Faces of Fiduciary Prudence

In defining prudence, ERISA’s rules and regulations state that [A] fiduciary shall discharge his duties with respect to a plan solely in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries…with the care, skill, prudence, and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing … Continue reading

Posted in 401k, 401k compliance, 401k investments, 404c, 404c compliance, compliance, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, investments, pension plans, securities, wealth management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quantum Meruit and “Other” Compliance Challenges

When I was a compliance director, my biggest frustration was not being able to share certain legal information with the broker-dealer’s registered representatives and those who maintained independent RIAs. I understood the BD’s position, namely that volunteering such information potentially … Continue reading

Posted in compliance, fiduciary compliance, fiduciary law, investments, RIA, RIA Compliance, securities, securities compliance, wealth management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment