Some costs can’t be negotiated. These relatively fixed costs are the same no matter the size of the plan. Bigger plans can absorb these costs over a larger asset base, meaning the per participant cost is lower.
Tag "Jeff Coons"
It’s too easy for plan sponsors to get lost in the weeds when dealing with plan minutia. Yes, “the buck stops here” reality can overwhelm many. Delegation is the key. It’s also the Achilles Heel. This is where the magic word emerges.
For all the good intentions, however, what will happen when the rubber finally meets the road? Will the new DOL Fiduciary Rule really level the playing field?
Here’s where the greatest controversy of the new Rule, as with its predecessors, comes to a head.
You cannot understate the fiduciary aspect of lower fees. Most 401k plan sponsors, and especially those in smaller plans, don’t have the time or expertise to administer their company’s retirement plan. If they skimp on fees, are they also skimping on the fiduciary protection those professionals are supposed to provide?
Unlike previous definitions, this version takes a definitive step towards allowing plan sponsors to forgo traditional financial measures. Rather than relying on extensive academic studies, this new Rule represents a certain leap of faith.
Nobody’s perfect. It’s unfair to expect recordkeepers to be. Everyone makes mistakes—even recordkeepers. The problem is what happens when a mistake occurs.
How do you solve, for example, the problem of integration between the payroll software and the 401k recordkeeper’s website?
A few years ago, this might have been classified as a common “mistake.” Again, “mistake” is in quotes because this is less an issue for certain plans (usually small firms or particular industries) than others.
Common mistakes. Non-believing 401k plan sponsors. How many of these have you seen? What have you done to address the dilemma of what to do when the client isn’t always right?
