Dana Blydenburgh and Steve Gordon
Transcription
Dana Blydenburgh and Steve Gordon
Nuts & Bolts of Defined Contribution Plans: Investing and Other Fiduciary Responsibilities Dana Blydenburgh Steve Gordon Governmental Defined Contribution Plans 401(a) Defined Contribution • A retirement savings plan that allows dollars to accumulate on a tax-advantaged basis for retirement • Contributions made by the employer, the participant, or both • Employees typically select their investments from a menu designed by the employer and/or an advisor 457(b) Deferred Compensation • A supplemental program that allows participants to make contributions on a pre-tax basis • Taxes are deferred until your assets are withdrawn, usually during retirement • Employees typically select their investments from a menu designed by the employer and/or an advisor What type of plans do you offer? 401(a) Defined Contribution •All Industries •Governmental and Public Works 5.0% 49.3% 457 Deferred Compensation •All Industries •Governmental and Public Works 9.2% 76.0% DB Plan •All Industries •Governmental and Public Works PLANSPONSOR DC Survey, 2013 44.1% 7.6% (Soft Freeze) 72.7% 2.7% (Soft Freeze) Evolving Role of DC Plans in Public Sector Research conducted by Paula Sanford, Ph.D. and Joshua Franzel, Ph.D. Current Environment • 90% of state and local government employees have access to retirement benefits • 84% have access to a defined benefit plan with 78% participating • 30% have access to a defined contribution plan with 17% participating • About 1/3 do not participate in Social Security Perspective: Director of HR and Benefits New Director HR Benefits for Sandy Beach You What are my DC plan responsibilities? A Plan Fiduciary as anyone who: . • Exercises authority or control over the management or administration of the Plan • Exercises ANY authority or control over Plan assets Can you authorize a fund change? Can you authorize distributions? Can you negotiate with a vendor? Could you seek to hire/fire vendors? Am I REALLY a fiduciary?! “I’ve been told I have immunity” . • Do you understand FL statutory and other applicable laws that define your responsibilities? • Do you understand the “caveats” in any potential immunity protections? • Are you protected if the Plan participants or the State Attorney General sues you? • Will immunity be provided if the issue becomes a “public scandal”? Fiduciary (and moral) responsibilities Paternalistic Moral obligation to help employees retire with dignity vs. simply attracting and retaining employees at the most efficient price. Legal and Regulatory FS § 112.656(1) Carry out their duties prudently Select and monitor plan investments Pay only reasonable plan expenses History of government DC plan vendors CITY HALL The danger in being Hiroo Onoda Unequal attention Percentage of Total Participants 100% 80% 60% Consultant expertise Educated Trustees Defined responsibilities Competition among providers Transparent pricing Defined Benefit 40% Defined Contribution 20% 0% 1977 1982 1987 1992 No one was watching No one knew they were responsible Limited providers High fees, difficult to understand No consultants 1997 2002 2007 2012 Go home and do this now! Set up Governance • Don’t take the risk alone • Who should make decisions? • Who should be included? • How will you communicate? How do I get started? Checklist: • Locate your plan documents • Check local ordinances - who has responsibility? • Understand your fees – You will need help! – Don’t make decisions without a Committee • Understand your fund menu – – – – How did the current lineup get picked? How is it monitored? Do you understand your most conservative “fixed” option? You will need help! Benchmarking your plan Retirement System Plan level Participant Level Understanding how to advance the conversation DB 457(b) 401(a) DROP Your plans are NOT mutually exclusive! Fees Fees Fees $120,000 annual fees (12 basis points) Limited Architecture $150,000 annual fees (15 basis points) Open Architecture Where are vendors earning money? Extra cost = working longer The real cost of paying too much in fees! What an extra 1% in fees cost you in the long run... $1,800,000.00 Saving Phase Retirement $1,600,000.00 Extra savings: $500,000 $1,400,000.00 Account Balance $1,200,000.00 $1,000,000.00 $800,000.00 $600,000.00 $400,000.00 $200,000.00 $0.00 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 Participant Age Extra spending: 10+ years Cost of provider conflicts of interest Universe of Funds Systematic Limitations Revenue Arrangement with Provider Marketability Suitability for Participants Profitability Influences Available Fund Options Cost of provider conflicts of interest Key Questions to ask: • Am I paying for these services in basis points vs. flat fee? • Is the same provider offering any of the above services? • Is there a potential benefit to the provider depending on which funds my employees select? • When selecting funds, does my plan have true “open architecture?” Benchmarking plan design • • • • How much do you match? Auto enroll? 26.5% Roth? 38.9% Safe Harbor? 31.1% PLANSPONSOR DC Survey, 2013 Cost of multiple administrators VENDOR A Large Growth Mid Core Small Growth S&P500 Moderate Aggressive Conservative VENDOR B TDF 2010 TDF 2020 TDF 2030 Fixed Account Large Growth Small Growth Mid Core • How do your participants experience the plans? • Is it worth making your employees pay significantly more? • Confused participants disengage… Diversify your Investment Options, not your administrator! What your participants experience Why go to RFP? But my vendor said I will lose our 3% “guaranteed” fixed rate account! How do I survive an RFP process? • Let the right consultant be your “shield” • Pre-meeting with procurement • Communication! Favorable outcomes - investments • • • • Simplified menu TDFs / risk based General accounts Income products The new retirement gap • • • • • • Income throughout retirement Investment risk transferred to the household Emotional allocations to low return investments New requirement for participant engagement Low savings and budgeting Low participation, loans, early withdrawals Make your DC plan more like your DB plan Target Date Funds Do you understand your TDF? To or through? Passive or active? Best of both worlds Coordinating from the member’s perspective Plan Design / Hybrid Plans DC plans are supplemental Reduced DB benefit can lower future funding obligations Can still provide guaranteed benefit Offers protection from investment and longevity risk DC Plan contribution rate required to achieve 75% replacement ratio¹ Entry Salary DB Formula Required DC Rate w/o Soc Security $ 40,000 1.5% 6.8% $ 60,000 1.5% 6.8% $ 80,000 1.5% 6.8% $ 40,000 1.0% 12.1% $ 60,000 1.0% 12.1% $ 80,000 1.0% 12.1% ¹ Assumptions: entry age 30, retirement age 65, DB ratio 35 years service, interest rate 6%, annuity purchase rate 4% How do your participants get information? 1:1 Salaried? Financial Advisor Commissioned? Your Personal Advisor Online Tools Call Center Redefine success Participant Outcomes Conclusions DC plan oversight recommendations • • • • • • • • Establish governance bodies Review and understand plans from participant perspective Understand and benchmark fees (get help!) Understand your employee demographics Review your fixed account options Review your TDF strategy Design education strategy Design and follow Investment Policy Statement (get help!) Conclusions Some DC plan design recommendations • • • • • • • • Employee contributions are mandatory, begin immediately Employee contributions start at full level Contributions default into TDFs 10 – 15 core fund menu options One recordkeeper! 1 year or less vesting of employer contributions Option to annualize at or near retirement Provide opportunities for advice Favorable outcomes Contact information Dana Blydenburgh, Director of Retirement Services City of Lakeland 863-834-8797 [email protected] Steve Gordon, Director of Retirement Solutions The Bogdahn Group 407-463-2312 [email protected]