RETIREMENT & CORPORATE PLAN SERVICES

More and more Plan Sponsors are being forced to “fit the box” of their provider. Our services are either all-encompassing or offered on an a’la carte basis. We utilize a personalized approach to help clients manage all aspects of their retirement Plan. First, we benchmark your current Plan to determine its competitiveness from an administrative, investment and cost effective standpoint. Next we establish a due diligence process to Plan and document fiduciary control activities and responsibilities. Finally, we recommend the appropriate investment selection(s) to optimize asset allocation. And, as part of this process, we develop an investment education program for your Participants as we are in the communication business. Employee communication is perhaps one of our greatest strengths.

Retirement Plan Services include:

• Regulatory Compliance Assistance
• Plan Provider Benchmarking
• Plan Fee Analysis
• Defined Benefit Plan Consulting
• Plan Budget Consulting
• Mergers & Acquisitions – Employee Benefits Plan Assistance
• Non-Qualified Plans

REgulatory compliance assistance

The world of qualified retirement Plans has changed, and continues to quickly change as a result of new legislation and compliance related issues.  Sponsors, Trustees, Committee Members, CEO's CFO's and Human Resources are dedicated to following ERISA and doing their jobs as effectively as possible, yet cannot possibly make it their "full time job" to keep up with these rapid changes.  However, the DOL and SEC state that it is a Sponsor's fiduciary responsibility to do so. 

We at EPIC work in conjunction with ERISA attorneys and with your Provider, facilitating access to the compliance services designed to help protect you, the Plan Sponsor, to manage liability.  To that end we provide:

• Plan Design Assistance:  We will continuously work with you to  review design and operational features and discuss potential enhancements.
• Compliance Assistance:  We monitor and educate clients on all DOL issued guidance  in an effort to address SEC/FINRA regulatory concerns regarding advice from “independent” parties.
• General Business Consulting: Since companies are finding that ERISA dramatically affects or impacts other aspects of the company’s business, EPIC is available to be relied on to review structure, costing, marketing and training programs to help you ensure they remain competitive, cost effective and up-to-date in the marketplace, always considering budgetary issues.
  
  
  

PLAN PROVIDER BENCHMARKING

Keeping Plans current and competitive are key components in attracting and retaining talent.  Plan Sponsors are often concerned about how their Plan compares to others in the marketplace.  We benchmark your current Plan to determine its competitiveness from a design, administrative, investment and cost effective standpoint.

EPIC takes a personalized approach when benchmarking.  In addition to utilizing industry benchmarking services, we gather information from Providers which includes existing, real-time services and fees.  In addition, we continually conduct on-site due diligence visits on the Provider level, verifying their operation and services and speaking with upper and middle management along with their service representatives.

PLAN FEE ANALYSIS

The DOL expects Plan Sponsors to know how much their Qualified Retirement Plan is "truly costing" in terms of both direct and indirect costs.  EPIC Retirement Services Consulting will provide you with an analysis of your Plan's total fees and analyze the effects of distribution and revenue sharing in terms of pricing and flexibility. Our review typically includes:

• An explanation and review of the current Plan fee structure, determining if the existing costing structure is "reasonable" in light of services being provided and other industry benchmarks.  We will uncover all various forms of revenue sharing, including the Provider's required revenue for your Plan.
• Our analysis will follow ERISA's general standards of fiduciary conduct that apply to all fee disclosure requirements.
• Responsible Plan fiduciaries must assure that the compensation paid directly or indirectly by the Plan is reasonable. As such, fiduciaries must obtain sufficient information regarding any fees or other compensation that affect the Plan as well as comparing them to appropriate costing benchmarks and industry standards. We can assist you to not only understand the types of Plan fees, but also provide an anlaysis of fees specific to your Plan so a determination as to "reasonable" can be made.
  
  

Fees and expenses are an important component in managing your retirement Plan. The DOL, more than ever, expects Plan Sponsors to pay attention to costs, analyzing and understanding them, and ensuring their reasonableness.

DEFINED BENEFIT PLAN CONSULTING

EPIC Retirement Services Consulting also specializes in Defined Benefit Investment and Advisory Services. The following are services we offer.

Financial Oversight

• Customized asset allocation, in large part determined by the over- or under-funded nature of your specific Plan and funding requirements
• De-risking strategies
  
  

Advisory Services for Active and Frozen Plans

• Impact of regulatory changes
• Obligations and duties under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code
• Oversight of funding status
• Comparison of soft, partial and hard freeze or Plan termination

Plan Termination Studies and Operational Compliance

• Assessment of business impact of termination
• Notification and reporting requirements
• Annuity quotes from multiple providers

We are absolutely independent and unbiased and offer no internal products. This ensures our total objectivity and unbiased advice. Above all, we understand the importance and consequences for the fiduciary with regard to investments and Plan continuation decisions.

PLAN BUDGET CONSULTING

Plan Sponsors often need guidance regarding Plan fees and expenses – what they are and how they are paid. EPIC Retirement Services Consulting can provide that guidance in the following areas:

1. Plan Forfeitures: The Internal Revenue Code (IRC) generally does not allow for forfeitures to be held in suspense accounts beyond the Plan year in which they arise. And, the IRC and relevant IRS guidance provide that forfeitures may be used to reduce employer contributions and/or pay Plan “reasonable and necessary expenses that benefit Participants.” While EPIC cannot provide legal or tax advice, we can provide information to help you determine expenses that may and may not be paid from Plan Forfeitures and best practices to ensure that outstanding balances in the forfeiture accounts are being used timely.

2. Plan Expenses vs Company Expenses: As with Plan Forfeitures, certain administrative expenses can be paid from the Plan and others must be paid from general assets of the Plan Sponsor. EPIC can help you identify administrative expenses associated with your Plan. Once expenses are identified, we can provide guidance to help you determine what can be paid from the Plan and the impact on Participants and what must be paid by the Plan Sponsor so that the appropriate funding can be budgeted.

3. Fee Policy Statement: This is a document that spells out how fees ought to be allocated among all the parties within a 401k Plan. Besides answering the question about who is paying for the administrative cost of running the Plan, a Fee Policy Statement also answers the following questions – Is there revenue sharing between the recordkeeper and the fund companies; and if so, how do Plan Sponsors account for it? Do the service providers restore any leftover revenue-sharing amounts after they have recouped costs and profits; and if so, where are those dollars being held? The document also details the Plan Sponsor’s duties with respect to fee oversight—namely, how often the Plan’s fees should be reviewed. EPIC can help you develop a Fee Policy Statement so that you understand the options for paying expenses and you have stated guidelines governing the operation of the Plan.

Sevices offered included:

• Assistance with Plan Document Review
• Assistance with due diligence required of Plan provision comparisons
• Comparative Fee Analysis
• Comparative Investment Review
• Employee Communication Campaign
• Retirement Plan Committee Guidance