Defined Contribution Consulting

Investors need to keep their administration procedures current in order to comply with regulations, especially when it comes to oversight of their investment programs. This need is now more urgent than ever.

Regulations such as the Pension Protection Act of 2006 have introduced a series of new requirements in the areas of plan administration, compliance and plan investments. These requirements, as well as the recent Department of Labor regulations on fee gathering, analysis and disclosure for defined contribution (DC) plans, make now a good time for investors to examine plan architecture.

We identify strengths and weaknesses of client’s investment programs by:

  • Reviewing or creating investment policies and guidelines and general governance of the plan
  • Analyzing each investment option in terms of asset class, objective, return, risk profile, investment style, consistency with other options being offered and popularity among plan participants
  • Ensuring that the current investment lineup is consistent with the established goals and objectives of the plan and is current with industry trends
  • Reviewing performance of existing funds
  • Reviewing the procedure for monitoring investments
  • Ensuring that vendor contracts meet industry standards for clear language, service guarantees, handling of special issues, etc.
  • Uncovering all administrative and investment fees and expenses associated with the plan and assisting in their assessment for reasonableness as defined by the Department of Labor

Segal Rogerscasey also offers the following investment consulting services with regards to DC plans:

Click here to see a list of questions that plan sponsors should consider when assessing their current investment program.

DC-Assessment

DC-Assessment, a combined service offered by Segal Rogerscasey and Sibson Consulting, provides independent consulting advice that:

  • Addresses the implications of new and emerging plan requirements
  • Helps clients develop an action plan for enhancing current processes and procedures
  • Assists with ongoing plan compliance
  • Ensures that the plan's investment offerings meet the changing needs of the participants and are in compliance with all regulations

We work closely with our DC-Assessment clients to help with:

  • Development and ongoing monitoring of the investment policy statement
  • Review and analysis of the plan’s structural design and effectiveness
  • Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the investment options
  • Analysis of the administrative and investment expenses to identify opportunities for reductions of plan and participant-born expenses
  • Creation of customized retirement date funds
  • Evaluation of investment advice providers
  • Searches for custodians and record keepers
  • Compilation of customized quarterly fact sheets

Additional DC Services

In addition to Segal Rogerscasey’s review of investment strategies and processes, Sibson Consulting can provide a review of the three other key aspects of DC plan management: Administration, Compliance and Communication. To learn more about Sibson Consulting's offerings, click here.