Employee Benefit Resources

Meeting Your Fiduciary Responsibilities

This easy-to-read guide from the Department of Labor provides an overview of the basic fiduciary responsibilities applicable to retirement plans under the law.

Easy 401(k) Review

This easy one page questionnaire will help you gauge the state of your plan and shed light where improvements in this valuable service can be made.

Blackrock Guide for Retirement Plan Sponsors

As a plan sponsor, understanding your fiduciary responsibility and the decisions that come along with it is no easy task. However, having a disciplined approach around your key activities and decision-making process can help. Use this guide regularly as a resource to assist you in maintaining a disciplined process and documenting your key fiduciary activities.

Administrative Committee Duties

This document provides an overview of the use of an Administrative Committee to address fiduciary obligations of a retirement plan sponsor.

Thornburg Fiduciary Best Practices

This document provides a thorough presentation of the role of a retirement plan administrative committee, formation of an investment committee, structure of committee minutes and maximizing protection for fiduciaries.

Committee Minutes Template

Use this template to document administrative committee meeting activities and action items.

Department of Labor New Fee Disclosure Requirements

This is a summary of the new Department of Labor fee disclosure regulations 408 (b) (2) and 408 (a) (5), suggestions for setting a plan in place to comply and consequences for non-compliance.

Financial Planning Resources

Personal Net Worth Worksheet

Helps you to determine your net worth by taking an inventory of your assets and liabilities.

Financial Inventory Worksheet

Helps you to take a full inventory of your personal and business investment and banking accounts as well as insurance policies and other financial information.

Retirement Planning Guide

This guide helps you plan the perfect retirement and provides an overview and action plan for topics including: developing an income plan, being sure of your insurance, securing an estate plan, managing withdrawals and enjoying the rewards of charitable giving.

Bilingual Budget Form and Accountability Card

The beginning of any financial plan is budgeting and saving. This easy-to-use bilingual form helps you to gather the information you need to get a picture of where you’re spending and where you can save for your future goals. Use the Accountability Card to make a visible commitment to improve your financial future.

Callan Periodic Table of Investment Return

This chart shows the investment returns for the various asset classes over time and makes a case for diversification and asset allocation as tools to minimize the risk of your investment plan.

Nobel Prize Winners

While Fama, Shiller, and Hans, 2013 Nobel Prize winners for Economic Science, have different views on “beating” the stock market, their work validates that it is difficult to predict stock market outcomes over the short run even for professional investment managers. It also notes that it is much better to invest in a broadly diversified portfolio of shares.

Is your Advisor Friend or Foe?

In this candid AARP article, Allan Roth, an industry insider, pulls back the curtain on how advisors really work and warns to “beware the good adviser who does bad things with your money.” Further, he gives guidance on how to choose a Financial Planner.