PLANADVISER - January/February 2019 - 6

intro
Brass Tacks
O
ur cover story this issue, " A
Forward Focus " (page 20), makes
the case for offering not just
3(21) fiduciary services but 3(38) as well.
By removing decisions about investment
selection
entirely from retirement
plan committees, advisers can get
down to the brass tacks of discussing
the retirement plan-and help the plan
make significant
improvements to its
outcomes. Some advisers view 3(38)
management as one of their key growth
opportunities, particularly as advisers
usually charge more for 3(38) services.
This issue also includes our 2019
PLANADVISER Top 100 Retirement Plan
Advisers (page 24) list. There you can
see what firms have reached the top of
their respective peer group in terms of assets under advisement (AUA) or
number of retirement plan clients. Once again we have evaluated firms in
four categories based on the number of advisers in the practice: individual,
small team, large team and mega team. Additionally, we looked at three
areas: AUA, number of plans under advisement and specialization-i.e.,
403(b), 457, nonqualified or defined benefit (DB) plan. You can find an interactive
list online at planadviser.com.
" Micro Market, Macro View " (page 32) is the 2019 PLANADVISER Micro Plan
Survey of plans with less than $5 million in assets. The survey reveals many
opportunities for advisers to enhance these plans, particularly with respect
to acting as a fiduciary, evaluating provider fees, benchmarking plan design
and creating and monitoring an investment policy statement (IPS).
" Student Loan Debt Relief " (page 40) lays out several ways that advisers
can help participants pay down their student debt so they can save more, or
begin to save, for retirement. An IRS private letter ruling to Abbott permits
the company to make 401(k) contributions to employees who are trying to
clear away their student debt. Industry insiders expect other companies to
follow in Abbott's footsteps and offer relief of their own. Advisers can also
help participants refinance student debt or can direct them to a federal loan
forgiveness program, if they are nonprofit employees. Moreover, experts
believe that, by helping participants manage their student loan debt, retirement
plan advisers will show the client they have multiple skills and are
working diligently, with participants' best interests at heart.
" Climate Change and ESG " (page 44) admits that interest in environmental,
social and governance (ESG) investing is only in its infancy in
defined contribution (DC) plans, but ESG funds have attracted $12 trillion
in assets, a 38% increase since 2016, according to The Forum for Sustainable
and Responsible Investment. Some human resource (HR) executives note
that participants have begun to inquire about socially responsible investing
(SRI), spurred by concerns over climate change and shocking news events
such as the recent school shootings in Parkland, Florida. Experts believe that
advisers can distinguish their firm by offering ESG funds and that interest
in this type of investing resonates among younger participants.
We hope that these stories expose you to new opportunities to expand
your practice in 2019. -Lee Barney, Managing Editor
editor-in-chief: Alison Cooke Mintzer
Alison.Mintzer@strategic-i.com
creative director: SooJin Chun Buzelli, svp
SooJin.Buzelli@strategic-i.com
managing editor: Lee Barney
Lee.Barney@strategic-i.com
managing editor, planadviser.com: John Manganaro
John.Manganaro@strategic-i.com
editorial staff: Judy Faust Hartnett, Rebecca Moore,
Amanda Umpierrez, Karen Wittwer
contributors: John Keefe, Judy Ward
surveys & research: Quinn Keeler, svp; Brian O'Keefe,
Jackie Scott
design & production: Donna Bien-Aimé, Alanna Jacobs,
Clarissa Liu, Joy Liu
design contributor: Cherese Rambaldi
art contributors: Tim Bower, Andrea Chronopoulos,
John Cuneo, Jackson Epstein, Jon Han,
Uijung Kim (cover), Doris Liou, Alex Eben Meyer,
Jennifer Rostowsky, Subin Yang, JooHee Yoon
head of media sales: Katie Bacon, vp
Katie.Bacon@strategic-i.com
online and digital products: Paul Zampitella, vp
Paul.Zampitella@strategic-i.com
advertising sales: Bill Murray, Lisa Reilly
global sales administrator: Anthony Groccia
conferences: Carol Popkins, vp; Katie Campbell,
Rebecca Fahey, Melissa Groccia, Lucille Velander
global controller: Younes Ismael-Aguirre
accounting operations: Abeer Abu-Issa, Mayrillane
Bahi, Ruth Fissaha, Doreen Fucci, Kristin Keeler,
Ricky Kostik, Karen Kurtz, Vivian Panton,
Harris Weinstein
chief technology officer: Phil Herzog
development director: Justin Hoffman
technology operations: Ray Lucibello, Aaron Montecalvo,
Bhakti Patel, Jigar Patel, Dexter Reaves, Stephen
Widom
custom media program manager: Drew Donaldson,
Drew.Donaldson@strategic-i.com
reprints: Michelle Judkins 203-595-3276
Michelle.Judkins@strategic-i.com
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chief executive officer: Joel Mandelbaum
chief financial officer: Karl Jaeger
chief content officer: Tony White
PLANADVISER (ISSN 1935-9098) is published
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