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Showing posts from December, 2015

Best Practices for Setting Up An Investment Committee for Corporate Retirement Plans

In our 2014 Retirement Survey Report , about 79% of survey participants said they have an investment committee. Given a complex environment of regulatory scrutiny and fiduciary liability exposure, a committee specifically charged with investment oversight is a sound risk management strategy for plans and organizations of all types and sizes. Although they will differ from one organization to the next, best practices suggest an investment committee’s responsibilities and duties include: developing an investment policy statement; establishing a formal process to manage the plan’s investment strategy; determining and implementing investment decisions; establishing procedures for selecting and monitoring investment options; selecting and removing fund managers and evaluating their performance; and reviewing investment management fees. As these duties suggest, it is also a best practice to ensure that an investment committee is appropriately empowered to make and carry out relevant investme

Using an Independent Investment Advisor for Corporate Retirement Plans

Best practices underscore the value of using an independent advisor with regard to developing, implementing, and overseeing a retirement plan. An experienced, independent advisor can offer valuable guidance and feedback to help ensure that a retirement plan is meeting the objectives of both the plan sponsor and participants. A plan fiduciary who lacks the expertise necessary to fulfill their fiduciary obligations must seek the advice of an expert. An independent advisor dedicated to retirement plans offers a broad range of services to assist a plan fiduciary. According to our 2014 Retirement Survey Report , Seventy-three percent of survey participants said they use an independent advisor for at least one of their retirement plans; nearly 25% indicated they do not use an independent advisor. Consistency was evident when respondents were asked to identify those services provided by their retirement plan advisors. Ninety-one percent of those responding said their advisor offered investmen