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.
Tag "liability"
“As far as adopting employers, I would recommend an ERISA attorney because an MEP isn’t the right fit and fiduciary solution for every plan sponsor.”
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.
Although we’ve seen a broader acceptance of using an IPS, their use is by no means universal and particularly lacking among smaller employers. Perhaps there’s a realization that, if you don’t get the IPS right, you’ll only increase your liability.
When you’re not an expert in an important job that you need done, what do you do?
It appears all but certain the floodgates will soon open wide, unleashing a torrent of trade association sponsored 401k MEPs. If you’re looking for the trigger that will open those floodgates, here’s what you should be paying attention to.
Not being able to easily monitor how former employees apply these tools, however, can increase the fiduciary liability of plan sponsors.
Here’s quick read with a surprise reveal. Can you find it?
The One Topic Every 401k Plan Sponsor Must Know Right Now: Fiduciary Education Curriculum (Part III)
Most 401k plan sponsors will readily admit they are not experts when it comes to retirement plans. They understand they have a role in the process. They understand that role carries with it certain fiduciary obligations. They understand (and accept) that role also exposes them to liabilities. This article shows how prudent delegation can mitigate much of that fiduciary liability.
