In 2004, Phillips Financial created the Market Index Solution™, or MIS™, for qualified retirement plans. One of the cornerstones of MIS™ is the core strategy of using well-defined asset allocation models as the investment options for plan participants. Studies1 regularly show that asset allocation has the greatest impact on your long-term investment returns – much greater than security selection and/or market timing.
At Phillips Financial, our goal is to become your “go-to” advisor for anything related to your retirement plan. Not only will we be involved in the enrollment and education of your plan participants, we will assist you in all aspects of your plan. Our retirement plan associates have earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) designation through the fi360 organization. This expertise will help all parties stay in compliance with the fiduciary duties associated with an ERISA retirement plan, which include: 404(c) compliance, Investment Policy Statement creation and review, QDIA, fee disclosure, 408(b)(2) and 404(a)(5).
As we are at least a co-fiduciary with the plan sponsor, we will require a minimum of one annual meeting to discuss and document these fiduciary duties.
We will take the time to understand the objectives of the plan sponsor and the retirement plan itself to help craft a plan design that seeks to best meet those objectives.
1 “Determinants of Portfolio Performance” by Brinson, Hood and Beebower, Financial Analysts Journal, January-February 1995; “The Global Case for Strategic Asset Allocation”, Vanguard, August 2012
5 Questions to Consider About Your 401(k) Plan
- Have you made a conscious decision to retain ALL of your fiduciary liability?
- Do you know what the main objective of your plan is? Is your plan accomplishing its objective?
- Have any of your employees unintentionally disinherited their intended beneficiaries?
- Do you have any “Landmines” in your investment line-up?
- Are any of your employees paying a disproportionate share of the plan’s expenses?