Whether you already have a retirement plan in place for your business or are just investigating your options, The Investment Connection can provide guidance and advice.  Adding a retirement plan to your business can be a great way to lower taxes and save for retirement as well as attract and retain qualified employees.  We can help you sort through different retirement plans with varied design options.

• What are the pros/cons of using qualified plans like a profit sharing plan, 401k, or cash balance plan versus non-qualified plans like a SEP IRA or SIMPLE IRA.
• Should the plan be funded by employer contributions, employee contributions, employer matching contributions, or some combination?

Qualified plans can be very effective – allow larger contributions with more customization – but are more costly and require more effort than non-qualified plans.  In large part, this is because qualified plans are covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, commonly known as ERISA.  To help sort through the myriad of ERISA rules, an independent pension consultant (aka third party administrator or TPA) is typically needed to assist with the ongoing administration.  We are happy to coordinate our efforts with your TPA or can recommend one.

Importantly, ERISA imposes a fiduciary duty on the employer to manage the plan responsibly.  Having The Investment Connection on your side can help you meet your fiduciary duty regarding the plan’s investments.

How we help with 401k plans:

• Provide ongoing recommendations on investment options, including the Qualified Default Investment Alternative (QDIA) and model portfolios.
• Offer investment options that are diversified across asset classes and investment style.
• Make sure that investment fees are reasonable (i.e. lower than average). 
• Create an Investment Policy Statement.
• Ensure plan participants are provided appropriate educational materials. 
• Offer plan participants one-on-one guidance regarding the plan’s investment options.

Nationwide is our preferred vendor for 401k services. In addition to providing high quality daily record-keeping services and enrollment materials for plan participants, the Nationwide 401k platform offers many investment options, including low-cost mutual funds from Vanguard Funds. See Nationwide Retirement Plans Overview

As a qualified plan sponsor, you have a fiduciary duty to invest plan assets prudently.  ERISA provides that you can delegate investment responsibility to a registered investment adviser (RIA), such as The Investment Connection.  As part of our investment management service, we develop and implement an appropriate investment strategy for the plan.  You only retain a residual duty to make sure we are performing reasonably.

Click here to learn more about our Investment Management Services.

Of course, our fee-only investment services are also appropriate for non-qualified retirement plans.