Finding the Right OCIO Partner

Finding the Right OCIO Partner

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As financial regulations and global markets become increasingly complex, more organizations have decided to conserve their in-house resources by outsourcing the role of the Chief Investment Officer. Organizations that partner with an outsourced CIO (OCIO) find it to be an effective solution for dedicated expertise, sophisticated research and analytics, and faster investment decision making. However, finding the right OCIO provider is becoming more difficult given the growth in the number of firms providing OCIO services and the complexity of their solutions. Managing the assets of an organization is mission-critical so it’s important not to rush into choosing an OCIO provider that may not be the right fit for your business.

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Ongoing Plan Sponsor Concerns

Ongoing Plan Sponsor Concerns

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Managing a thoughtful retirement plan while trying to keep up with the ever-changing legal and regulatory environment can be challenging. Often, concerns over managing a retirement plan can vary, and plan sponsors are unsure of what needs to be addressed. Below, we review five ongoing plan sponsor concerns that sponsors should keep in mind to guarantee they have an effective retirement plan in place not only to ensure the retirement readiness of their employees, but to avoid liability should an audit occur.

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Breaking Down 3(21) vs. 3(38) Fiduciary

Breaking Down 3(21) vs. 3(38) Fiduciary

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While most are familiar with the term, many plan sponsors are uncertain of what it actually means to be a fiduciary. In fact, a recent JP Morgan survey stated 43% of company fiduciaries do not identify themselves as fiduciaries. This reflects the fact that many plan sponsors are uncertain about what a fiduciary exactly is.

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Building an Ideal Investment Fund Lineup

Building an Ideal Investment Fund Lineup

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Plan sponsors know that offering a retirement plan is important not only to attract and retain loyal employees, but to ensure they are retirement ready. There are many moving parts to the retirement plan, including enrollment, plan education efforts, building the investment fund lineup, staying compliant with the DOL and ERISA, and making distributions. Particularly, building an ideal investment fund lineup is a multi-stage process, and for many sponsors, the prospect of selecting the investments to be offered in a plan can seem overwhelming. With thousands of investment funds available to choose from, creating the right mix for your employees can be difficult.

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What is a Safe Harbor 401(k) Plan?

What is a Safe Harbor 401(k) Plan?

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There are a few types of 401(k) plans available to plan sponsors: the traditional 401(k), the Roth 401(k), the SIMPLE 401(k), and the Safe Harbor 401(k). Each plan has different benefits and drawbacks, but they all share one common feature: a requirement that the plan sponsor abides by that specific plan’s rules and regulations. Most 401(k) plans face an annual nondiscrimination test defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which ensures that the plan does not excessively favor highly compensated employees (HCEs) and that their contributions do not exceed the average contributions of non-highly compensated employees (NHCEs) by set limits. Failing to adhere to the IRS’s rules can risk the loss of the 401(k)’s preferable tax status and can be subject to penalties.

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