Are you at risk of being sued?
A recent Supreme Court ruling granted participants the right to sue plan fiduciaries.
ERISA 'authorize[s] recovery for fiduciary breaches that impair the value of plan assets in a participant’s individual account.'
— Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens
Clearly excessive fees can "impair the value of plan assets in a participant's individual account" and puts plan sponsors at risk of potential lawsuits down the road. To exercise care and diligence as a prudent fiduciary, plan sponsors should evaluate the pricing of their 401(k) plan at least annually relative to other alternatives in the marketplace. But dealing with all of the sales pitches from the product vendors can be a hassle.
Fortunately, the Department of Labor has released a standardized DOL form that plan sponsors should require ANY retirement plan vendor to complete before engaging them. But, to be a prudent fiduciary and protect yourself from potential suits over fees, you need to do more than know your current vendor’s costs, you need to evaluate it relative to what is available in the marketplace.
As an independent ERISA fiduciary we can help you comply with your fee due diligence, without the inconvenience of dealing with pushy product sellers by merely completing the simple form below or by calling 1-866-261-0849.
Your free "Fee Compliance Kit" comes complete with: