Investments

Managed Accounts All 401(k) Plan recordkeeping firms are experiencing margin compression in their core business and seeking ways to increase their revenue in other areas, such as selling Managed Accounts. It is critical that Plan Sponsors realize Managed Accounts are NOT a service but an investment product. Why the distinction? A Managed Account as an investment product means you have a fiduciary duty to conduct due diligence to evaluate the benefits. As with any fiduciary decision, it is important for…

OCIO/ERISA 3(38) As this consolidation has occurred on the advisor side, Advisor firms are actively positioning OCIO (Outsourced Chief Investment Officers), ERISA 3(38) or Discretionary Asset Management services to Plan Sponsors. The three terms are used interchangeable and relate to hiring an advisor/consultant to take fiduciary responsibility from the Retirement Committee for all investment related decisions including hiring and firing investment managers/funds in your retirement plan. Generally, Committees are utilizing this service due to: Plan Sponsors considering the implementation of…

S&P 500 Price Returns during Presidential Elections Years It’s Super Tuesday! Heading into the year, all eyes were on the upcoming Presidential Election.  Impeachment, trade disputes, and Brexit were all seemingly behind us and the only unknown on the horizon was the election.  Then along came Corona… the Virus.  Ahem. But here’s what we were thinking about before the pandemic.  Below is a chart showing the price return (return excluding dividends) of the S&P 500 Index during each Presidential Election…