There’s not a sin in listening to radio shows sponsored by those selling gold and silver. It’s quite another thing to actually act on their “recommendation.”
Tag "Daniel Milan"
If you’re a fiduciary of the acquiring plan, you want to make sure you’re not burdened with any unknown liabilities. If you’re a fiduciary of the acquired plan, you want to make sure the merger process doesn’t introduce new liabilities.
Just because you don’t have a fiduciary duty to other employees doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue to think like a fiduciary.
In the end, though, you must remember the PEP is brand new. Not all offerings will offer the same advantages. Some may be designed specifically to forego one advantage to emphasize another.
Here things get a little familiar for companies with pre-existing stand-alone 401k plans (but may need to be discovered by those without plans).
The Investment Policy Statement is a legal plan document. It needs to be treated accordingly. This means to deliberate it with diligence before adopting it. Even when it is adopted, it must be regularly inspected and revised as needed.
There are many different types of plans, particularly when plan sponsors pick a 3(21) or 3(38) adviser. Which service provider arrangement a plan sponsor chooses impacts how the IPS will be constructed – and how the relevant parties contribute to that draft.
Including these will make 401k plans safer for plan sponsors and more successful for plan participants.
Unlike a generic vendor agreement, the IPS is a formal plan policy document that defines the parameters between the plan and relevant vendors. This is why it can also be a terrible trap.
It’s important to remember that the 401k MEP is just a vehicle. Whether they truly meet the objective of employees saving more for retirement and doing so effectively and efficiently comes down to execution.
