Our approach
Independent fiduciary guidance for retirement plans
Sponsoring a retirement plan is one of the most valuable benefits a business can offer — and one of the most significant fiduciary responsibilities. Many plan sponsors don't fully realize the liability they carry or the complexity involved in meeting their obligations under ERISA and other regulations.
SRL serves as an independent fiduciary to retirement plans, which means we are legally and ethically obligated to place the interests of plan participants first — not the interests of recordkeepers, insurance companies, or product providers. We bring institutional-level process with personal accountability: we attend your committee meetings, prepare your fiduciary file, benchmark your fees, and document everything required under ERISA.
Plan types we serve
Employee-directed defined contribution plans for businesses of all sizes. We assist with fund selection, plan design, employee education, and ongoing fiduciary oversight.
Tax-sheltered annuity plans for non-profits, schools, and hospitals. We provide advisory services tailored to the unique regulatory environment of 403(b) plans.
Traditional pension plans with guaranteed benefits. We provide discretionary asset management and investment policy guidance for defined benefit trusts.
Hybrid plans combining features of defined benefit and defined contribution structures. Ideal for high-earning business owners seeking accelerated retirement savings.
Deferred compensation plans for executives. We provide guidance on plan design, funding strategies, and investment selections for corporate deferred comp arrangements.
Fiduciary education and consulting for plan committees. We help plan sponsors understand and fulfill their responsibilities under ERISA and applicable regulations.
What we do for your plan
We build and maintain an investment menu that gives participants meaningful, well-diversified options across risk profiles. Using FI360 and other institutional research tools, we evaluate fund performance, fees, and suitability on an ongoing basis — and document our process to protect plan fiduciaries.
We work with plan sponsors on plan design decisions — vesting schedules, employer matching formulas, eligibility, auto-enrollment and auto-escalation features — to maximize the plan’s value for both the company and its employees. We review plan documents to help ensure alignment with your intentions and regulatory requirements.
A great plan only works if employees understand and use it. We support participant education through group meetings, enrollment assistance, and one-on-one guidance to help employees make informed decisions about their retirement savings and investment choices.
We serve as a co-fiduciary to the plan, attending regular committee meetings, preparing investment review reports, and maintaining a fiduciary file that documents the prudent process required under ERISA. Our goal is to help you meet your obligations confidently and protect the organization from unnecessary liability.
Plan fees are a fiduciary responsibility. We conduct regular benchmarking of recordkeeper, TPA, and fund expenses against peers to ensure your plan is delivering fair value — and to provide documentation of that analysis for your fiduciary file.
Our process
We begin with a thorough review of your existing plan — investment menu, fee structure, plan documents, fiduciary processes, and participant outcomes — to identify opportunities and risks.
We work with the plan committee to establish or update an Investment Policy Statement (IPS) that defines the plan’s objectives, investment criteria, and monitoring process.
We meet with plan committees quarterly to review investment performance, discuss any needed changes, and ensure the plan’s fiduciary process is thoroughly documented.
Each year we conduct a comprehensive plan review covering fees, design effectiveness, participant engagement, and overall plan health — with recommendations for improvement where warranted.
Full scope of services
- Discretionary 3(38) investment management for defined benefit and cash balance plans
- Non-discretionary 3(21) fiduciary advisory for defined contribution plans
- Investment menu design, monitoring, and replacement analysis
- Investment Policy Statement creation and maintenance
- Quarterly investment review reports and committee meeting support
- Plan design consulting — vesting, matching, auto-features
- Fee benchmarking and vendor evaluation
- ERISA fiduciary education and documentation
- Employee enrollment and education meetings
- Coordination with TPA, recordkeeper, actuary, and legal counsel
- Defined benefit and cash balance asset management
- Target date fund and model portfolio construction