Our Blog - Surety Matters

  For retirement plan sponsors, a better question is whether they have been diligent or not, as judged by the high standards of ERISA. Shortcomings can not only be found by the Department of Labor…
Read Moreabout Naughty or Nice? 

ERISA Fidelity Bonds are a requirement of the U.S. Department of Labor for the protection of company sponsored retirement plans. All individuals with a role in handling the company sponsored retirement plan, must, by law,…
Read Moreabout ERISA Bonds Made Simple

  Employers who sponsor retirement plans are by definition fiduciaries under the high standards of ERISA law–and therefore open targets for lawsuits. While it is impossible to eliminate their risks, sponsors can take steps to…
Read Moreabout Mitigating ERISA Litigation Risks

  Thinking into the year ahead, plan sponsors across the country are looking at expanding investment lineups, maximizing services and enhancing participant education. According to the 2024 Morgan Stanley Retirement Plan Survey, these are the…
Read Moreabout 2025: Plan Sponsors Strategies 

  The possibility of living a longer life than previous generations makes it more important than ever to thoughtfully map out care and financial plans and scenarios. In fact, estate planning now goes way beyond…
Read Moreabout Safety Net for Older Age?

Reducing worry, protecting loved ones, being prepared in case of our own incapacity…All of these are good reasons to make an estate plan when life is going well. Still, however, most of us procrastinate. Here…
Read Moreabout Procrastinating? Estate Plan Motivation

  Unlike the assets placed in a trust, the assets left to beneficiaries in a will must pass through the public process of probate before being distributed. Although the expediency and privacy trusts allow can…
Read Moreabout Why Do Wills Go Through Probate?

  After making a will, setting up a trust, or putting other care and estate plans in place, most people instinctively look to relations and close friends to serve as the fiduciaries who take on…
Read Moreabout When A Professional Fiduciary Makes Sense

  Sooner or later, regulators discover ERISA Bond failures, and in addition to penalties, audits and investigations can follow. Anyone, with any role in handling a company sponsored retirement plan, must, by law, have an…
Read Moreabout ERISA Bond: Are You Compliant?