QPA Insights
Welcome to QPA Insights, where we’ll share knowledge and insights into ERISA 3 (38) qualified plans. Here our highly experienced team will write on topics plan sponsors and advisers alike will be interested in such as the regulatory environment, tools, plan management, and more.
Feel free to reach out to us at any time if you have questions about what you’ve read or would like to contact the author.
Can You Help With Falling Retirement Confidence?
Have you taken time to consider whether your employees are confident regarding their future retirement prospects? A recent survey reminds us that, across the country, those confidence levels have fallen. It also reminds us that people still prefer to work with people....
DOL Finalizes Expected 60-Day Delay
As expected, the DOL has delayed the effectiveness of the new Fiduciary rule and the corresponding Prohibited Transaction exemption guidance. The DOL published official notice of a 60-day delay within yesterday's Federal Register. As a result, the applicability date...
National Fiduciary Day Is Here
Today is an important day for fiduciaries. So was yesterday and so is tomorrow. Although we appreciate that any “National ______ Day” might bring awareness to the issue that fills in the blank, we’ve been talking over the last five days about the ongoing nature of...
Fiduciary Wellness Series: Part 5 of 5
Step 5 Toward Fiduciary Wellness: Participant Interests First Over the last few days we have talked about fiduciary wellness steps that could, at first glance, be considered to serve the primary purpose of mitigating fiduciaries’ risk. It is true that those steps...
Fiduciary Wellness Series: Part 4 of 5
Step 4 Toward Fiduciary Wellness: Vendor Benchmarking Much of the 401(k) plan fee litigation involves allegations of two distinct levels of unreasonable fees: (1) the plan’s investment options; and (2) recordkeeper/vendor fees. Concern about litigation is one reason...
Fiduciary Wellness Series: Part 3 of 5
Step 3 Toward Fiduciary Wellness: Fiduciary Education & Training The need for your trustees and committee members to receive fiduciary education and training is quite apparent when we take a step back and consider their day-to-day responsibilities that...
Fiduciary Wellness Series: Part 2 of 5
Step 2 Toward Fiduciary Wellness: Your IPS and Process We opened yesterday’s entry with a reminder that fiduciary responsibilities are ongoing and process-based. Best practices suggest that fiduciaries achieve greater wellness when they follow three distinct steps:...
Fiduciary Wellness Series: Part 1 of 5
Five-Step Process Toward Fiduciary Wellness National Fiduciary Day is next week – March 23rd. If you subscribe to any employee benefits industry newsletters, blogs, or listservs, you may see a lot about it next week. But why wait for one day? Is it sensible to...
DOL Publishes Proposed 60-Day Delay
The Department of Labor (DOL) has published a proposed rule that will delay the application of the fiduciary rule. As was expected, the proposal would delay the fiduciary rule's effectiveness by 60 days - from April 10 to June 9. . What happens now? Well, we first...
DOL Secretary Nominee Withdraws From Consideration
In yesterday's Qualified Plan Advocate Newsletter, we described the DOL's intention to delay the effective date of the Fiduciary regulation as it investigates various potential effects outlined in an Executive Order. It now appears that such an investigation will...