A Manager’s Guide to Strategic Retirement Plan Management

"e;Daniel Cassidy has written a detailed, comprehensive guide for managers to understand and succeed at the ongoing process of managing a company retirement plan. If motivating your employees is important to you as a manager, this book is an essential key to your success."e; --Josh Gordon, author of Presentations That Change Minds and Selling 2.0 Written by renowned retirement benefits planning specialist Daniel Cassidy, A Manager's Guide to Strategic Retirement Plan Management focuses on current best practices regarding company-sponsored retirement plans within the United States. Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, this valuable guide will aid managers in applying strategic thinking to their retirement plan management activities--whether it be a 401(k) plan, investing in company stock, or a traditional defined benefit plan. It will also help you to view retirement plans in a holistic manner--ever more necessary given the unpredictable economy and recent troubles with companies such as Enron and WorldCom. Covering everything from administrative issues to financial and legal responsibilities, A Manager's Guide to Strategic Retirement Plan Management will allow you to make the best decisions possible while managing this ongoing process and help you find solutions that best fit your organization's specific needs.

"Daniel Cassidy has written a detailed, comprehensive guide formanagers to understand and succeed at the ongoing process ofmanaging a company retirement plan. If motivating your employees isimportant to you as a manager, this book is an essential key toyour success."Josh Gordon, author of Presentations That Change Minds andSelling 2.0Written by renowned retirement benefits planning specialist DanielCassidy, A Manager's Guide to Strategic Retirement Plan Managementfocuses on current best practices regarding company-sponsoredretirement plans within the United States.Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, this valuableguide will aid managers in applying strategic thinking to theirretirement plan management activities--whether it be a 401(k) planinvesting in company stock, or a traditional defined benefit plan.It will also help you to view retirement plans in a holisticmanner--ever more necessary given the unpredictable economy andrecent troubles with companies such as Enron and WorldCom.Covering everything from administrative issues to financial andlegal responsibilities, A Manager's Guide to Strategic RetirementPlan Management will allow you to make the best decisions possiblewhile managing this ongoing process and help you find solutionsthat best fit your organization's specific needs.

Acknowledgments viiChapter 1 Introduction 1Chapter 2 The Basics of Retirement Plans 5Chapter 3 Administration 23Chapter 4 Fiduciary Duty 33Chapter 5 Financial 49Chapter 6 Human Resources 79Chapter 7 How to Hire the Right Consultants 107Chapter 8 General Trends 119Chapter 9 Where to Go for Help? 141Appendix A Company ABC--Request for Proposal: 401(k) Savings Plan 147Appendix B Sample Traditional Request for Proposal 151Appendix C Sample Defined Contribution Plan Investment Policy Statement 167Appendix D 401(k) Plan Investment Performance Review 181Appendix E Replacement Ratio Study: A Measurement Tool for Retirement Planning 203Appendix F Selecting a Default Fund for a Defined Contribution Plan 233Appendix G Argus Consulting Ltd NGO RetirementPlan Survey--2005 Results 255Appendix H Lessons from Behavioral Finance and theAutopilot 401(k) Plan 257Index 275