Tag Archives: 401k compliance

Going Forward: Quantifying “Best Interest,” Reasonable Compensation and Suitability for Investment Professionals

With the DOL’s recent release of their new fiduciary rule (Rule)and the related Best Interest Contract Exemption (BICE), there has been an increased interest in the concepts of “best interest” and prudence, two of the key concepts involved with both … Continue reading

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“Best Interest,” BICE and Class Action Targets

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

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“Best Interest,” BICE and Liability Exposure for Plan Sponsors

I recently posted an article in various LinkedIn groups that addressed the need for various parties to address their duties and potential liability under the DOL’s new fiduciary standard. My comment that accompanied the post was Based on my personal … Continue reading

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Making BICE Meaningful – Reality vs. Illusion

I have had a lot of people ask me what I thought of the DOL’s new fiduciary standard. While I think there are some good points to the new fiduciary standard, in many ways the new standard reminded me of … Continue reading

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And Now the Fiduciary Radar Shifts to …

Now that the DOL has released its new fiduciary rule, advisers are wondering what could be “the next big thing” drawing upon the new rule. Canada has recently announced that it would conduct a sweeping investigation of the abusive marketing … Continue reading

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The 401(k)/404(c) Plan Sponsor’s Achilles Heels Redux

With the effective date for the DOL’s new fiduciary standard getting closer, I have been receiving questions and calls from plans and fellow attorneys regarding the various obligations under the new standard. For that reason, I am re-posting an updated … Continue reading

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What the New DOL Fiduciary Standard Will and Will Not Do

As many of you may know, I released my new book on fiduciary law last week. I was immediately flooded with emails asking me why I would release the book before the DOL’s announcement. There is so much misinformation and … Continue reading

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401K Mutual Funds Fail Fiduciary Prudence Test

Our recent analysis of the top ten mutual funds in 401(k) plans revealed that 7 of the 10 funds failed to pass our simple fiduciary prudence test. The funds were evaluated based on their five-year performance between 2011-2015. The findings … Continue reading

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Combining the Active Management Value Ratio 2.0™ and the Active Expense Ratio – A More Meaningful Evaluation of Fiduciary Prudence

“The two variables that do the best job in predicting [a mutual fund’s] performance are expense ratios and turnover.”- Burton Malkiel, “A Random Walk Down Wall Street” Registered investment advisers and their representatives are fiduciaries. The courts have consistently held … Continue reading

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ERISA, Fiduciary Duty and the Art of Skinnydipping

Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked. – Warren Buffett As followers of this blog know, I normally post once a month. However, I am making an exception due to the importance of the … 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, wealth management, wealth preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment