In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson emphasizes the importance of ERISA plan committee members and retirement plan professionals reviewing their plan documents and investment policy statements (IPS). He notes that forfeiture lawsuits can arise from non-compliance with plan documents.  In addition to forfeiture issues, compensation definitions, eligibility, and auto-enrollment provisions of a plan document can be problematic if not observed correctly.  Dyson outlines the four fiduciary duties under ERISA: prudence, loyalty, diversification, and adherence to plan documents. He advises regular reviews of these documents and IPSs, including understanding benchmarks, modern portfolio theory, and metrics like the Sharpe ratio. Dyson encourages a 12-month rolling agenda for committee meetings to ensure these reviews are conducted regularly.

Connect with Eric Dyson: 

Website: https://90northllc.com/

Phone: 940-248-4800

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/401kguy/ 

The information contained herein is general in nature and is provided solely for educational and informational purposes.

It is not intended to provide a specific recommendation of any type of product or service discussed in this presentation or to provide any warranties, financial advice, or legal advice.

The specific facts and circumstances of all qualified plans can vary, and the information contained in this podcast may or may not apply to your individual circumstances or to your plan or client plan specific circumstances.