401k Plans

Your organization’s 401K plan can and should be an integral part to your overall employee benefits package. Changes in the 401K marketplace have resulted in greater requirements for plan oversight and monitoring by the employer. However, it has also created an opportunity for plans, both big and small, to improve the cost-effectiveness and utility of their offering.

At AWM we’ll work you and your employees to create a quality plan through 3 primary areas of expertise:

Design and Administration
– Effective plan administration
– Full cost transparency

Investment Selection and Monitoring
– Unbiased investment choices (no proprietary products)
– Diverse, macro-economic driven lineup
– Ongoing monitoring by our experienced research team
– Creation of investment models to meet individual risk preferences

Employee Education and Consulting
– Fiduciary obligation to participants
– Promotion of broad employee participation
– Scheduled online conference meetings
– Individualized consulting on request

Plan Design and Administration: We will review your current plan features and assess its effectiveness in all areas. The expenses associated with the investment funds selected for the plan are a critical component in assessing the overall effectiveness of the plan’s investment lineup. Too often, a plan is filled with high-expense funds that can inhibit fund performance. Whenever possible, reducing the expenses associated with investment funds within a plan is an important first step in creating and improving its effectiveness. We’ll help select a platform and administrator best suited to managing your plan.

Plan Investment Selection and Monitoring: No proprietary products.
As independent advisors, we are not limited to a pre-selected or a limited list of funds available for inclusion in your plan. Our recommendations regarding which funds to use are driven by two criteria: Performance and Cost Effectiveness. We will provide an initial recommendation regarding which funds are best suited to meet the needs of your plan and provide ongoing monitoring of their success in meeting them. Should a fund fail to meet our requirements, it can be replaced. New funds can be added to the plan over time should circumstances warrant their
inclusion.

Employee Education and Consulting: At AWM we provide in-person/on-site employee education meetings on a regular basis. These scheduled meetings (often in conjunction with a general staff meeting or other business function) are essential in meeting the plan’s obligations to educate and inform participants. Our meetings are informative and inclusive. We cover topics of general interest to encourage plan participation, retirement planning, and long-term investing. We find that group meetings are important and useful in building momentum supporting participation and team buy-in.

We have also found that not all employees will ask questions about their participation or planning in a group setting. We make a point to encourage individuals to contact us at their discretion to address personal questions and receive individualized consulting appropriate for their unique circumstances. We want your employees to be empowered by the opportunity you are providing for savings, not intimidated or confused.