Fiduciary. Broker. Same thing, right? Wrong. In a series of blog posts, Fiduciary Financial Partners is here to help clarify the key points of difference. “Look. I’ve worked tirelessly for decades to accumulate the kind of life savings that came with a lot of sacrifice in the form of working weekends. I missed a child’s…
For the majority of future retirees, medical expenses pose significant risk to any retirement plan, and they are only projected to rise. Medical cost estimates for couples throughout their full retirement, assuming both partners are 65, has increased $15,000 from 2016 to 2017, bringing total projections to $275,000, after Medicare coverage.[1] Even for professionals with…
Frightening headlines abound today about Turkey. Fears about how the plunging Lira could pose a risk to the country that serves as a geographic buffer between Europe and Syria, President Erdogan threatens that Turkey may go searching for “new friends” like Russia and Iran if the US doesn’t start showing some respect and terms like…
A Marathon for Everyone Recently, I went to cheer on a friend running in her first marathon. The excitement of watching thousands of people accomplish such an amazing goal was an experience like no other. I waited at the last bend before the finish line so I’d have a good vantage point for cheering my…
What’s the real cost of financial stress for employees? These eye-popping statistics on the weight of financial worries within the latest infographic from Fiduciary Financial Partners are hard to ignore. Fortunately, there are real things that employers can do to help their people have a more positive perspective in regard to the road ahead. It starts with…
Locating missing plan participants can be a headache for any employer, but simply ignoring them is not an effective solution. Regulatory agencies in previous years have published guidance on this topic relating to missing “retired” employees. With the increase in the number of “pre-retired” missing plan participants, governmental bodies are now taking additional measures to…
Are you aware of how 401(k) contribution limits are different from last year to this year? If not, today’s infographic from Fiduciary Financial Partners has you covered. Take a closer look at how such areas as defined contribution limit, maximum contributions and defined benefit limit among others have changed. For a more in-depth conversation about 401(k) contributions,…
Keeping proper documentation is a good way for plan sponsors and fiduciaries to show compliance with applicable laws and regulations. If the Department of Labor (DOL) or Internal Revenue Service (IRS) knocks on your door, there are certain documents that should be complete and on file. So, what should you have in your fiduciary vault? Take…
Managing a company 401(k) is a big responsibility and understanding all of the potential features and possibilities is almost like another full-time job. As evidenced by our infographic, there are 5 major responsibilities a fiduciary can have. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your fiduciary responsibility, let’s talk more about it today. Call Nick Economos and…
401K REFUNDS: NOT AS GOOD AS THEY SOUND With tax season fresh on our minds, many hear the word refund and begin running down their imaginary wish list of ways to spend this extra money. However, when it comes to 401(k) refunds, or corrective distributions, the excitement should be dialed back. Corrective distributions are a…
If you are an employer or employee who has decision-making authority over your company’s retirement plan, there is a strong chance that you are a 401(k) plan fiduciary. You have a legal obligation to operate the plan solely in the interests of the plan participants (people with retirement account balances) and their beneficiaries (people who…
Benchmarking is a retirement plan best practice that allows plan sponsors the opportunity to “take a peek under the hood” of their 401(k). The process allows you to compare your plan to similar plans, measuring key metrics such as participant saving and participation rates, fee reasonableness and service providers. Benchmarking should be a key part…