Inflation & the Federal Reserve The Federal Reserve held rates steady at a range of 5.25-5.5% in its March meeting. The Fed noted a solid economy and low unemployment, and while inflation remains above the Fed’s 2% target, it is easing.
It’s fee benchmarking season here at Multnomah Group, which means that we are reviewing scads of fee disclosure documents to ...
In the intricate world of retirement planning, the distinction between a consultant and a fiduciary has never been more critical. ...
We are pleased to share we have been included on the National Association of Plan Advisors’ (NAPA) Top DC Plan Advisor Teams list ...
We are excited to share that for the second year in a row, six of our advisors have been included on the 2024 PLANADVISER Top ...
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On March 7, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a measure that would permit 403(b) retirement plans to include Collective ...
Inflation & the Federal Reserve The Federal Reserve held rates steady in their December meeting as they continued to monitor ...
SECURE 2.0 introduced a variety of optional provisions that allow individuals to make penalty-free withdrawals from their ...
Your retirement plan consultant can play a helpful role in assisting you with your plan’s yearly plan audit. Retirement plan ...
We are pleased to share our latest plan sponsor guide, focused on simplified practices of effective and efficient retirement plan ...
In recent years, a significant shift has been observed in the financial services landscape as private equity firms increasingly ...
Season's Greetings from all of us at Multnomah Group! Wishing you and your loved ones a joyous holiday season filled with warmth, ...
As the New Year is quickly approaching, we wanted to share a reminder about 2024 retirement plan contribution limits. Breion ...
We are excited to share that Multnomah Group has been included in the 2023 Best Places to Work in Money Management awards ...
2023 marks the second year of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Our Committee serves as an authentic and proactive ...
Each year, our Technical Services Committee creates a Regulatory Update covering the legislative, regulatory, and litigation ...
A robust fiduciary governance structure allows employers to proactively manage their retirement plan to ensure its ongoing health ...
Each year, our Technical Services Committee creates a Regulatory Update covering the legislative, regulatory, and litigation ...
On October 31, the Department of Labor published its long-awaited proposed fiduciary rule titled the Retirement Security Rule. ...
Today, November 3, marks Multnomah Group's 20th anniversary! Founding principals Erik Daley and Scott Cameron reflect on the last ...
The IRS announced 2024 dollar limits on benefits and contributions for qualified retirement plans.
Each year, our Technical Services Committee creates a Regulatory Update covering the legislative, regulatory, and litigation ...
Each year, our Technical Services Committee creates a Regulatory Update covering the legislative, regulatory, and litigation ...
Our Technical Services Committee has released the 2023 Regulatory Update! Our annual Regulatory Update provides an overview of ...
Last week, we took part in the first annual We Believe in Portland clean-up with AdoptOneBlock, Thesis and Boly:Welch. It was ...
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court’s summary judgment decision in favor of AT&T in the case Bugielski v. ...
In his latest Timely Topics video, Breion Rollins walks through the different types of retirement plan fees. Plan sponsors must ...
A new entrant in the political showdown related to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) focused investing exists. An ...
The IRS issued Notice 2023-62 on August 25 which provides an extension to the enforcement date for the new Roth catch-up ...
There has been another well-deserved victory for defendants in the multitudes of lawsuits filed against large retirement plans ...
Two of the hot topics in the SECURE 2.0 legislation are two provisions related to after-tax Roth-type savings. We’re covering ...
In our Fiduciary Facts video series, we provide quick and comprehensive answers to the most common questions we receive from ...
This new case study explores the challenges faced by small organizations in the management of their retirement plans and how ...
Recordkeepers often offer managed account services to participants. This training material walks your committee through what a ...
Determining an investment menu for your retirement plan has a long-lasting and meaningful impact on the retirement readiness of ...
Two of the hot topics in the SECURE 2.0 legislation are two provisions related to after-tax Roth-type savings. In this two-part ...
Cyberattacks have continued recently, including one major cyberhack on Equifax, which reportedly resulted in the stolen personal ...
In the retirement plan industry, conducting regular 401(k) or 403(b) audits is essential to ensuring compliance and optimizing ...
A few weeks ago, I hopped out of my car and strolled up the walkway at a client’s place of business. For a moment, I was less ...
The benefits of conducting a vendor search substantially outweigh the potential short-term inconveniences. This two-part series ...
This last blog in our series on advisor independence includes key action items for plan sponsors. To understand the context of ...
Earlier this year, The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that household debt balances set a record high of $17.05 ...
SECURE 2.0 provides two optional opportunities for plan sponsors to provide participants access to funds for emergencies that ...
The U.S. economy rose at an annualized pace of 2.0% in the first quarter of 2023, a decrease from the fourth quarter of 2022 when ...
The Yale University case is one of the first excessive fee suits filed against a university 403(b) plan, and it has finally been ...
In our second blog in this series, we will dive deeper into the litigation surrounding managed accounts. When advisors and ...
Conducting a vendor search can be a detail-laden, time-intensive process that takes up to six months to complete. If the vendor ...
This blog is the first in a series of three exploring advisor independence in managed account services and the role of a ...
Automatic enrollment in retirement plans has become increasingly popular in recent years, with many employers choosing to ...
A successful retirement plan depends on plan design and administration but can significantly benefit from participants' active ...
We are excited to welcome two interns to Multnomah Group for our 2023 summer internship program! This year’s program is running ...
SECURE 2.0 reduces the eligibility requirement from three years to two years and retains the 500 hours of service threshold. ...
SECURE 2.0 includes an optional provision allowing an employer to make matching contributions based on a participant's student ...
At the NAPA 401(k) Summit last month, I had the opportunity to sit on a panel discussing the evolution of Qualified Default ...
SECURE 2.0 provides two optional opportunities for plan sponsors to provide participants access to funds for emergencies that ...
In the retirement plan industry, conducting regular audits is essential to ensuring compliance and optimizing plan performance. ...
U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose at an annualized pace of 2.6% in the fourth quarter of 2022, a slower pace than recorded ...
As we continue growing our 100% employee-ownership structure, we are pleased to share that Hailey Fields and David Williams are ...
Recent retirement plan litigation continues to be focused on retirement plan costs. One of the simpler allegations in those cases ...
On February 23, 2023, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) announced changes to the Form 5500 Annual Return and ...
We are excited to share that six of our advisors have been included on the 2023 PLANADVISER Top Retirement Plan Adviser list! The ...
Recently, two large recordkeepers, Empower and TIAA, announced plans to expand their wealth management services. These services ...
On March 22, the Federal Reserve approved an additional rate hike of 0.25%, bringing the benchmark federal funds rate to a range ...
Two banks, Silicon Valley Bank & Signature Bank, collapsed in a crisis that evolved over the last few weeks. Silicon Valley ...
The clash on the use of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in making investment decisions continues to wage on. ...
We are pleased to share we have been included on the National Association of Plan Advisors’ (NAPA) Top DC Plan Advisor Teams list ...
In 2019, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act introduced a new retirement savings vehicle ...
I am honored to have been invited to participate in a panel discussion at the NAPA 401(k) Summit next month. Since the pandemic, ...
On Friday, March 10, Silicon Valley Bank collapsed after its parent, SVB Financial, shared that it sold its bonds at a ...
The Department of Labor (DOL) introduced a final regulation at the end of 2022 allowing fiduciaries to take Environmental, Social ...
As a retirement plan consultant, I have seen first-hand the significant impact that choosing the right recordkeeper can have on ...
How can plan sponsors mitigate risk against possible fee litigation? During this short video, Breion Rollins discusses the ...
ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) is a federal law regulating employee benefit plans, including pension ...
Multiple lawsuits were filed this summer alleging the use of the BlackRock LifePath suite of target date funds in retirement ...
As an employer, one of your top priorities is likely to ensure that your employees are happy and productive. Financial wellness ...
Retirement can be a challenging time for anyone, but several issues unique to women can make it even more difficult. Here are six ...
The number of retirement plan provisions in SECURE 2.0 is expansive, and we know that can feel overwhelming for a plan sponsor. ...
U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose at an annualized pace of 3.2% in the third quarter, a reversal from a decline of 0.6% in ...
Last week, Multnomah Group members Greg Johnson, J.D. and Candace Finn presented a webinar focused on recent regulatory changes ...
As retirement plan administration and compliance continue to expand and evolve, it seems that the liability of operating a plan, ...
In August, The Retirement Income Institute published a paper titled “Race/Ethnicity, Saving, and Postretirement Outcomes.” The ...
We wish our clients, partners, and friends a wonderful New Year! We appreciate your partnership and trust this past year, and we ...
The retirement industry is close to getting the holiday gift it asked for. SECURE 2.0 has been included in the omnibus spending ...
In the retirement plan industry, we bandy about a wide variety of terminology to convey the various roles players have in serving ...
We are excited to share that Multnomah Group has been included in the 2022 Best Places to Work in Money Management awards ...
You work with your retirement plan administration vendor every year to complete your annual compliance requirements. It’s ...
The Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final rule titled “Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising ...
At the beginning of this year, we established our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Our Committee serves as an ...
Offering access to cryptocurrency for retirement plan investors has been a hot topic (as discussed in Multnomah Group’s annual ...
Recently, class action lawsuits were filed against 11 plan sponsors that offer the BlackRock Lifepath Index Target Date Funds. ...
U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declined at an annualized pace of 0.6% in the second quarter, a slower rate than the 1.6% ...
The IRS announced 2023 dollar limits on benefits and contributions for qualified retirement plans. Watch our short video ...
Being aware of cybersecurity best practices is an ongoing responsibility and not a point-in-time event; however, periodically ...
Each year, our Technical Services Committee creates a Regulatory Update covering the legislative, regulatory, and litigation ...
I have written on several occasions about some of the primary risks facing the retirement plan industry. Chief among them may be ...
Our Technical Services Committee has released the 2022 Regulatory Update! Our annual Regulatory Update provides an overview of ...
We are very pleased to share with you some exciting news at Multnomah Group! Pacific Retirement Partners, a Pacific ...
I was a relatively early adopter of LinkedIn. I’m not sure when but based on the headshot I’m guessing it has been a minute. I ...
Given the increase in the volume of cases being brought against retirement plan sponsors, we are often asked by our clients (1) ...
We are very proud to share that our retirement plan analyst, Chad Greenwood, completed his Doctorate in Business Administration!
Markets have been unhappy coming out of the recent Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. U.S. equity markets did well coming out of ...
Last week, the Biden Administration announced its student loan forgiveness program. How could this impact retirement plan benefit ...
The IRS recently announced an extension to the deadline for plan document amendments related to 2019’s SECURE Act and 2020’s ...
In a Twitter post recently, I quipped about the state of the retirement plan industry. For many years, mergers and acquisitions ...
U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell at an annualized pace of 1.6% in the first quarter, a sudden reversal off of the U.S. ...
With the Fed in full battle to break the current inflationary cycle, U.S. Treasury yields have surged over the past six months in ...
On June 14, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved the Retirement Improvement and Savings ...
Last week, the Fed increased the Federal Funds rate by 0.75% to 1.75%, the largest increase in the benchmark rate since 1994. The ...
On Monday, the U.S. equity market entered bear territory (a decline of 20%) as concerns continue to grow about the impact of ...
Class action ERISA lawsuits continue to rise, and with the recent Northwestern case and the newly introduced legislation ...
For more than a decade, providers of defined contribution plans have been trying to solve the real challenge of retirement ...
The market continues to be a topic of conversation and questions from our clients, understandably! Taking a look at the market ...
Target date funds (TDFs) are one of four qualified default investment alternatives (QDIA) provided under the 2006 Pension ...
In what is becoming a familiar story, Washington University has agreed to settle the excessive fee lawsuit for $7.5 Million. This ...
Over the last week, the topic of cryptocurrency has been top of mind for us and our plan sponsor clients. We have responded to ...
On April 4, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report, “Defined Contribution Plans: 403(b) Investment ...
U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew in the fourth quarter at an accelerated annualized pace of 6.9%, making 2021 the strongest ...
I am pleased to announce that our firm has established a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. We recently spent several ...
We are excited to share that five of our advisors have been included in the 2022 PLANADVISER Top Retirement Plan Adviser list! ...
Update May 17, 2022 - To watch the recording of our presentation on this topic, click here.
The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022 on a 414-5 vote. The Act is ...
We are pleased to share we have been included on the National Association of Plan Advisors’ (NAPA) Top DC Plan Advisor Teams list ...
On March 10, the Department of Labor (DOL) released Compliance Assistance No. 2022-01, which cautions plan fiduciaries to ...
Russia has invaded Urkaine. What does this mean for plan sponsors and their participants? We know the unrest in Ukraine creates a ...
At some point, all good plan fiduciaries are going to make a change in their investment menu. It may be a simple replacement of a ...
All large retirement plans will face challenges related to lost or missing participants. These are individual plan balances where ...
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court has revived the excessive fee lawsuit Hughes v. Northwestern University by returning ...
U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at a slower annual pace in the third quarter (2.3%), adversely affected by rising COVID-19 ...
In our first blog of this series focused on a committee's understanding of the importance of continuous growth for their ...
In our first blog of this series focused on a committee's understanding of the importance of continuous growth for their ...
Each time the retirement plan committee meets, does it feel like there is a new rule or legislation your plan is required to ...
For the past 13 years, I have had the great fortune to work alongside Alan Dick here at the Multnomah Group. But I have known him ...
As a consultant, I sometimes hear the collective ‘sigh’ from investment and retirement plan committees when I get to the ...
Two members of the Center for Retirement Research (CRR) at Boston College, Laura D. Quinby and Gal Wettstein, published a brief ...
In the waning moments of 2019 in the “before times,” the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was ...
Each year, our Technical Services Committee creates a Regulatory Update covering the legislative, regulatory, and litigation ...
The IRS announced 2022 dollar limits on benefits and contributions for qualified retirement plans.
I started my career in retirement plans inauspiciously. I had graduated from the University of Iowa, was engaged to be married to ...
I work on defined contribution plans all day, every day, and I witness firsthand their ability to build wealth for American ...
Each year, our Technical Services Committee creates a Regulatory Update covering the legislative, regulatory, and litigation ...
A few weeks ago, we shared that our consultant and director of vendor services, Hailey McLaughlin, had been nominated for the ...
Last week, the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed a rule to explicitly permit plan fiduciaries to consider environmental social ...
GDP expanded in the second quarter (most recent available) at an annual pace of 6.7% as the economy surpassed its pre-pandemic ...
Each year, our Technical Services Committee creates a Regulatory Update covering the legislative, regulatory, and litigation ...
When discussing retirement plan fees, recordkeeping expenses are usually the primary focus for plan fiduciaries. The reasons for ...
Each year, our Technical Services Committee creates a Regulatory Update covering the legislative, regulatory, and litigation ...
We are pleased to share our Technical Services Committee has released our 2021 Regulatory Update!
Let's recap, so far we've covered our three guiding priciples to investment menu design, what we look for within an investment ...
New York is my favorite city in the country to visit. I fell in love with it as a teenager and have visited dozens of times since ...
Today NAPA announced its 2021 Top Women Advisor nominees, and we are very proud to share that our consultant and director of ...
So far in this series, we've covered our three guiding priciples to investment menu design and what we look for within an ...
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently conducted a study on retirement plan participants’ understanding of the fees ...
Three years ago, the 403(b) excessive fee case of Sacerdote v. New York University was decided in favor of New York University. ...
Over the course of a series of blogs, our investment research team is discussing our investment manager selection process for ...
Over the course of the next several blogs posts, our investment research team will be discussing our investment manager selection ...
ERISA Section 408(b)(2) requires service providers to the plan to provide the plan’s fiduciaries with the information they need ...
On July 16, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced changes to the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS). ...
The U.S. economy grew during the first quarter of 2021 (most recent) at a 6.4% annual pace after contracting at an annualized ...
In response to the growing number of questions surrounding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investments, we've pulled ...
Many plan sponsors delegate the oversight of investments and administration of their retirement plan to a committee within their ...
With more than 50% of adult Americans now fully vaccinated from COVID, the world is slowly reopening. My last trip for business ...
We are excited to share that Multnomah Group recently welcomed a new team member, Becca Dobson.
Another university ERISA lawsuit settles with monetary and non-monetary penalties. Columbia University agreed to a $13 million ...
We often remind clients of the importance of not using past returns to predict an investment manager’s future success. Instead, ...
At Multnomah Group, we celebrate Spring by getting into the weeds on recordkeeping fees. During most of our meetings this ...
Spring is in the air, and for those of us here at Multnomah Group, that means we are in the middle of our annual recordkeeping ...
We are excited to share that Multnomah Group welcomed a new team member last week, Brittanie Abayare.
The Internal Revenue Service maintains the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS) to provide plan sponsors with the ...
As an institutional retirement plan consultant, I spend an enormous amount of time educating myself and staying current on ...
A Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) is a new type of retirement plan that was created by the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement ...
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently provided its first guidance for plan sponsors related to cybersecurity for retirement ...
The U.S. economy expanded in the final quarter of 2020 (the most recent data available) at a 4.3% annual pace. This expansion ...
We are proud to share that David Imhoff, our financial planner, has obtained his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification!
How do your employees enroll in your retirement plan? How do they make investment changes or allocations? If you offer tools to ...
Retirement plan sponsors and fiduciaries should understand the insurance products that are available to protect the plan and its ...
The past decade has seen explosive growth in passive, index investments. This growth has been for good reasons; these funds ...
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report[1] on cybersecurity risks facing defined contribution retirement ...
We are pleased to share we have been included on the National Association of Plan Advisors’ (NAPA) Top DC Plan Advisor Teams list ...
The Department of Labor (DOL) has stated it will not enforce two final rules, “Financial Factors in Selecting Plan Investments” ...
Investment menu construction is a classic responsibility that frequently requires plan sponsors to retain experienced and ...
We are excited to share that we have been recognized as a 2021 Best Places to Work for Financial Advisers as announced by ...
Are you a Board Member of an organization that sponsors a retirement plan? If so, are you aware of your fiduciary ...
Your retirement plan audit has been completed, now what? You may think the completion of the audit ends the work to be done, but ...
If a meeting takes place and there are no minutes or formal record, did the meeting really occur? The meeting attendees could of ...
So far in this blog series we have covered the first two phases of a recordkeeping vendor search. Phase 1 (Steps 1 and 2) covered ...
Plan sponsors frequently ask which of their retirement plan’s expenses can be paid with assets of their plan. Under ERISA, ...
Fiduciaries are required by ERISA to monitor service providers to the plan. That includes monitoring for any conflicts of ...
We recently walked you through the first phase of conducting a vendor search. Phase 1 covered the preparation portion of ...
Of the three most common Qualified Default Investment Alternative (QDIA) solutions, (1) balanced fund, (2) target date funds, and ...
As a plan sponsor, do you believe there are unique aspects to your retirement plan, participants, and/or the goals and objectives ...
The U.S. economy grew at a 33.4% annualized rate in the third quarter (most recent available) after GDP plunged 31.4% in the ...
The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) has released new guidance for locating missing ...
You’ve decided it is time to conduct a full recordkeeping vendor search, and you know it can be a detail-laden, time-intensive ...
As we covered in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, recordkeeping and administration of retirement plans is multifaceted, and the ...
In late December, the most recent stimulus relief package, The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, was signed into law. This ...
As we kick off the New Year, it’s a good time to be reminded that the waiver of Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) expired on ...
As we covered in Part 1 of this series, recordkeeping and administration of retirement plans is multifaceted, and the proposals ...
We previously covered categories of content that are important to incorporate into a best practice Investment Policy Statement ...
We’re heading into the last category of our blog series focused on what materials a plan sponsor should include in their ...