This broader definition of fiduciary may impose a potential hardship on a segment of the retirement industry that has been trying hard to gain a foothold in plan infrastructure.
Compliance
The DOL seems to use the same metric that it earlier employed in its statement on the Fiduciary Rule. Still, the Advisory Opinion is very precise in what it allows. Citi will have to tread carefully to not cross the line into the realm of fiduciary.
It’s clear, then, that there’s a problem. In order how to best come up cure for Covid-related leakage, we have to zero in on exactly when the trouble lies.
The DOL’s guidance on missing plan participants appears just as effective as its week 2012 Mutual Fund Fee Disclosure Rule. Yes, it’s there, but it has no viability. Still, that doesn’t mean 401k plan sponsors can ignore the issue, even if they have not lost participants.
So what if a few very high net savers end up with bigger retirement plans? Good for them. The point is to make it easier for more people to save more.
This week is all about those wayward 401k features that are well beyond their expiration date. Careful, though. In the process, you’ll see what’s garbage to one is a work of art to another.
Well, if we’re thinking outside the box, why not go big? It turns out, retirement planning isn’t just about accumulating sources of future funds.
This week we’ll be focusing on those favorite features as judged by the retirement plan professionals we interviewed. Don’t be surprised if over the next few weeks you discover that one provider’s treasure is another provider’s trash.
This dilemma isn’t new. Trust officers have had to face it for generations. It’s called a “split-interest” trust. Multiply this split interest problem by the number of beneficiaries in a typical retirement plan and you can see how this conflict grows more complex.
By far, there’s almost universal agreement that 401k fiduciaries should be less concerned about investment performance than you might have seen a generation ago. Why is this so?