Retirement Plan Committee – Comperio Retirement Consulting, Inc.

Navigating Conflicts of Interest in Investment Advisory Services

September 8, 2023

Fees, General, Retirement Plan Committee

Introduction In the realm of investment advisory services, the presence of conflicts of interest can pose significant challenges. One such scenario arises when an investment advisor offers an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to a participant within a retirement plan they also advise for the plan sponsor. This white paper delves into the complexities of this situation and sheds light on the pivotal issues at play. The Conflict of Interest At the core of this dilemma is a conflict of interest…

Are you benchmarking your recordkeeping fees?

April 26, 2023

Comperio Retirement Consulting

Fees, General, Retirement Plan Committee

Are you benchmarking your recordkeeping fees? If not, you could be missing out on an important opportunity to improve your plan and better serve your participants. Benchmarking your recordkeeping fees involves comparing your plan’s fees to those of similar plans in your industry, with similar plan sizes and features. This allows you to determine whether your fees are reasonable and competitive, and identify potential areas for improvement. By benchmarking your recordkeeping fees, you can: – Ensure that you are paying…

Do you find your 401(k) plan fee’s confusing?

April 28, 2021

Comperio Retirement Consulting

Fees, Retirement Plan Committee

Managing Your 401(k) Fees Retirement plans commonly include funds that engage in revenue sharing, which is crediting a portion of the fund expense ratio paid by participants back to the plan. Using revenue sharing to pay all or a portion of plan administrative expenses is an acceptable practice. On the surface, this practice does not seem unfair, but unfortunately, using revenue sharing to pay plan expenses can fall far short of fair. Let’s take a look at why. Most 401(k)…

OCIO Services – DISCONNECT BETWEEN TOP PLAN SPONSOR GOALS AND OCIO PROVIDER GOALS!

February 24, 2021

Comperio Retirement Consulting

Investments, Retirement Plan Committee

There is considerable confusion on exactly what OCIO services mean. Simply put, the primary difference in OCIO versus traditional consulting services is who owns final discretion for the selection of managers/funds and the execution of investment decisions. According to the PGIM survey, the top objective for plan sponsors is very different than OCIO service provider goals. All Plan Sponsors considering the benefits of implementing this type of service should begin by identifying internal goals and priorities before conducting due diligence…

OCIO/ERISA 3(38) Arrangements Increase

February 16, 2021

Comperio Retirement Consulting

Investments, Retirement Plan Committee

Why bring attention to a service 64% of Plan Sponsors have not evaluated yet? As the Great One said, Wayne Gretzky, “I skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.” Projections are that OCIO assets will rise from $1.1 Trillion to $1.7 Trillion in the next 3 years according to Cerulli Associates. Plan Sponsors are being approached by their current advisors/ consultants or new consultant touting the OCIO or ERISA 3(38). The OCIO/ERISA 3(38) term means…

CARES Act Distributions

February 2, 2021

Comperio Retirement Consulting

Retirement Plan Committee

Hot Topics for 2021

January 22, 2021

Comperio Retirement Consulting

Fees, Investments, Retirement Plan Committee

Recent changes continue to reshape the Retirement landscape due to Recordkeeper and Advisor/Consultant Consolidation. Plan Sponsors should be prepared to evaluate how these changes will affect their plans and participants.

Managed Accounts

January 22, 2021

Comperio Retirement Consulting

Investments, Retirement Plan Committee

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)

January 21, 2021

Comperio Retirement Consulting

Investments, Retirement Plan Committee

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…

Advisors/Consultants Consolidation

January 20, 2021

Comperio Retirement Consulting

Retirement Plan Committee

Advisors/Consultants Consolidation The consolidation craze has made its way to the Retirement Plan Advisor/Consultant marketplace. Private equity firms, large financial services organizations and national benefits firms have all entered into agreements to acquire retirement plan advisory/consulting resources. Examples include: With 401(k) and other types of retirement plans becoming more complex, Plan Sponsors have become reliant on their advisor/consultant to provide unbiased advice. The recent advisor/consultant consolidation is blurring the lines as firms, who were primarily focused on independent 401(k) consulting,…