Torrillo & Associates

  • Contact Us
  • 484-574-8782
  • Home
  • About
    • specialists
    • our team
    • Careers
  • Audit Process
  • Services
    • CPA firm partnership
  • Clients
  • Videos
  • Blog
 March 27, 2023

Current Benefit Plan and Audit Related News and Updates

Monday, August, 11, 2014 / Published in Employee Benefit Plans, News and Press Releases, Retirement - 401(k), 403(b), Uncategorized

GAO REPORT ON 401(K) PLANS: Improvements Can Be Made to Better Protect Participants in Managed Accounts

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) publicly released on July 29, 2014 a report on managed accounts in defined contribution plans. Below is the summary of the report (GAO-14-310).

Why GAO Did This Study

401(k) plan sponsors have increasingly offered participants managed accounts— services under which providers manage participants’ 401(k) savings over time by making investment and portfolio decisions for them. These services differ from investment options offered within 401(k) plans. Because little is known about whether managed accounts are advantageous for participants and whether sponsors understand their own role and potential risks,  the U.S. Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) was asked to review these services.

GAO examined (1) how providers structure managed accounts, (2) their advantages and disadvantages for participants, and (3) challenges sponsors face in selecting and overseeing providers. In conducting this work, GAO reviewed relevant federal laws and regulations and surveyed plan sponsors. GAO interviewed government officials, industry representatives, other service providers, and 12 plan sponsors of varying sizes and other characteristics. GAO also conducted case studies of eight managed account providers with varying characteristics by, in part, reviewing required government filings.

What GAO Found

GAO’s review of eight managed account providers who, in 2013, represented an estimated 95 percent of the industry involved in defined contribution plans, showed that they varied in how they structured managed accounts, including the services they offered and their reported fiduciary roles. Providers used varying strategies to manage participants’ accounts and incorporated varying types and amounts of participant information. In addition, GAO found some variation in how providers reported their fiduciary roles. One of the eight providers GAO reviewed had a different fiduciary role than the other seven providers, which could ultimately provide less liability protection for sponsors for the consequences of the provider’s choices. The Department of Labor (DOL) requires managed account providers who offer services to defaulted participants to generally have the type of fiduciary role that provides certain levels of fiduciary protection for sponsors and assurances to participants of the provider’s qualifications. DOL does not have a similar explicit requirement for providers who offer services to participants on an opt-in basis. Absent explicit requirements from DOL, some providers may actively choose to structure their services to limit the fiduciary liability protection they offer.

According to providers and sponsors, participants in managed accounts receive improved diversification and experience higher savings rates compared to those not enrolled in the service; however, these advantages can be offset by paying additional fees over time. Providers charge additional fees for managed accounts that range from $8 to $100 on every $10,000 in a participant’s account. As a result, some participants pay a low fee each year while others pay a comparatively large fee on their account balance. Using the limited fee and performance data available, GAO found that the potential long-term effect of managed accounts could vary significantly, sometimes resulting in managed account participants paying substantial additional fees and experiencing lower account balances over time compared to other managed account participants. Further, participants generally do not receive performance and benchmarking information for their managed accounts. Without this information, participants cannot accurately evaluate the service and make effective decisions about their retirement investments. Even though DOL has required disclosure of similar information for 401(k) plan investments, it generally does not require sponsors to provide this type of information for managed accounts.

Sponsors are challenged by insufficient guidance and inconsistent performance information when selecting and overseeing managed account providers. DOL has not issued guidance specific to managed accounts on how sponsors should select and oversee providers, as it has done for other funds. GAO found that the absence of guidance for managed accounts has led to inconsistency in sponsors’ procedures for selecting and overseeing providers. Without better guidance, plan sponsors may be unable to select a provider who offers an effective service for a reasonable fee. In addition, DOL generally does not require providers to furnish sponsors with performance and benchmarking information for managed accounts, as it does for investments available in a plan, although some providers do furnish similar information. Without this information, sponsors cannot effectively compare providers when making a selection or determine whether managed accounts are positively affecting participants’ retirement savings.

What GAO Recommends

Among other things, GAO recommends that DOL consider provider fiduciary roles, require disclosure of performance and benchmarking information to plan sponsors and participants, and provide guidance to help sponsors better select and oversee managed account providers. In response, DOL agreed with GAO’s recommendations and will consider changes to regulations and guidance to address any issues.

Tagged under: 401(k), 403(b), DOL, EBSA

What you can read next

IRS Terminating Proposed Penalty Notices for Untimely Filed or Incomplete Forms 5500
403(b) Pre-Approved Plan Program Established
New Revenue Procedures for the Employee Plan Compliance Resolution System, including 403(b) Plan Failures

Recent Posts

  • DOL ISSUES CHANGES TO 2023 FORM 5500

    The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the Interna...
  • SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022

    SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 was passed by Congress a...
  • DOL Proposed Changes to VFCP, including Adding Self-Correction for Late Contributions

    The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its...

Categories

  • Employee Benefit Plans
  • Forms and Procedures
  • News and Press Releases
  • Policy Updates
  • Retirement – 401(k), 403(b)
  • Uncategorized

Torrillo & Associates, LLC specializes in employee benefit plan audits, 401k audits, 403b audits, pension plan audits, and retirement plan audits. We are licensed in 7 states including New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.  With firm mobility, we are also able to practice in an additional 27 states.

36 Regency Plaza
Glen Mills, PA 19342

view on map »

Careers
Phone: 484-574-8782
Fax: 484-574-8785

  • GET SOCIAL
Torrillo & Associates

Copyright © 2010 to 2023 Torrillo & Associates, LLC. All rights reserved. v07.03.22.WPE| Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

TOP
X
Worried about your yearly Benefit Plan Audit? Call us now for a free consultation!
Call Us
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT