Can you hear the bells ringing? It’s that time of year to review your to-do list of fiduciary responsibilities. Ask yourself the following questions to make sure you are on top of your responsibilities and liabilities.

Compliance with section 404(c) of ERISA protects plan fiduciaries from liability for losses that result from the investment decisions made by participants. Conversely, failure to comply with 404(c) could result in liability for losses due to poor investment decisions made by plan participants.

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As of March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has made its impact throughout the United States. Not only has it had a significant effect to the economy, it has changed nearly every Americans way of life. It has most definitely made its mark on your company, which may present serious financial difficulties for your employees. Given the immediate financial impact that many individuals are facing, employers and retirement plan administrators should expect to receive inquiries from plan participants regarding access to retirement savings.

Many plan providers struggle with deciding how many investment options to offer in their retirement plans. While people generally like to have lots of options when making other decisions, having too many plan options can potentially lead to poor investment decisions by plan participants.

Many plan sponsors struggle with deciding how many investment options to offer in their retirement plans.

Do you have employees in a prior employer’s retirement plan? Should they transfer these assets to a personal IRA or into your employer-sponsored retirement plan?

With the recent market volatility, it’s understandable that you may be concerned about your investments. Volatile markets can make you wonder if you’re on track to meet your retirement goals. Don’t be discouraged and most of all, don’t panic. Instead, be proactive! Consider the following steps you should be taking in both up and down markets:

While cash fund due diligence can be intimidating, there are key differentiators among stable value funds that fiduciaries can review to document that a fund is a good fit for their participants.

For almost a century, collective investment trusts (CITs) have played an important role in the markets. They were originally introduced in 1927. A 2016 study showed that they are the fastest growing investment vehicle within 401(k) plans, with 62 percent of asset managers believing their clients will shift from mutual funds to CITs.¹