• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Masters Advisors

  • About Us
  • Our Approach
  • Our Services
  • Corporate
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Client Log-in
Client Log-in Contact Us

The Master’s Minute

Helpful Tools and Tips

Blog Series: The 401(k) Marketplace

October 2, 2017 by Garrison R. North

Investment choices lie at the heart of a company sponsored retirement plan, and having access to excellent choices gives the participants in the plan an investing advantage. Master’s internal Investment Review Committee (IRC) follows a structured process when evaluating and selecting investment options for a plan.

Our investment analysis begins with an investment company’s plan platform. Many platforms create a “pay-to-play” arrangement where the employer is required to include a certain number of the sponsoring company’s proprietary investment products. We avoid these companies, and instead, work only with companies who allow us complete freedom in our investment choices for the plan. We believe that this freedom of choice allows us to offer better investment choices to the participants and eliminates a common conflict of interest.

We then select investments in various categories so that the plan provides options that each participant needs no matter his or her life stage or risk tolerance. Along with funds in a wide variety of asset classes, we include a suite of retirement target date funds that automatically reduce risk the closer participants come to retirement. After thoroughly researching the universe of target date funds, we identified four excellent target date fund families. We use the target date funds from one of these fund families in each of our plans.

Building a fund lineup is the initial step in our investment management process, but we also review the lineup quarterly and monitor our selections using multiple criteria. This allows us to recognize trends in investment performance and gives participants access to a fund lineup that is always in sync with our criteria. We go above and beyond our fiduciary duty by providing written documentation of our investment review process to employers. By involving them in our process, we help employers actively engage in their fiduciary responsibility.

Our entire retirement plan service structure is characterized by diligent processes and procedures, and we give the same attention to investment management. By leveraging our IRC, the company sponsored retirement plans we service remain relevant through a wide variety of market environments.

*There are certain risks and considerations to take into account prior to investing in a target-date fund. A target-date fund; also known as a lifecycle or age-based fund; is a fund portfolio that helps investors saving for retirement choose a single portfolio aligned with the year closest to their expected retirement. It is designed to provide an asset mix that becomes more conservative as the date for expected withdrawals to begin approaches. Consider in addition to your age or date of retirement other factors, including your risk tolerance, personal circumstances, and complete financial situation. A target-date fund is not guaranteed and it is possible to lose money by investing in the fund, even after the target date has passed. Certain funds’ asset allocations may be subject to change and the extent to which the allocations of a target-date fund among types of investments may be modified without shareholder vote.

Filed Under: Blog, Market + Industry

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • Behavioral Finance
  • Blog
  • Client Service
  • Current Newsletters
  • Faith Integration
  • Financial Planning
  • General
  • Investing
  • Market + Industry
  • Master's Minute
  • Master's News
  • Personal Development
  • Strategy
  • What's the Point?

Search Blog

Archives

Footer

Receive Master’s Minute Blog Articles Today

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

480 New Holland Ave
Suite 7201
Lancaster, PA 17602

  • 
  • 

Contact Us

Albridge log in | Client log in

© 2023 Master’s Advisors • Developed by TinyFrog • Important Disclosures | Privacy Policy

Securities offered through Securities America Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Master's Advisors is not affiliated with the Securities America companies. Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. This site is published for residents of the United States and is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security or product that may be referenced herein. Persons mentioned on this website may only offer services and transact business and/or respond to inquiries in states or jurisdictions in which they have been properly registered or are exempt from registration. Not all products and services referenced on this site are available in every state, jurisdiction or from every person listed. This communication is strictly intended for individuals residing in the states of CO, DE, FL, IL, IN, KY, MD, ME, NC, NE, NJ, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WV, WY. No offers may be made or accepted from any resident outside the specific state(s) referenced. PLEASE NOTE: The information being provided is strictly as a courtesy. When you link to any of the websites provided here, you are leaving this website. We make no representation as to the completeness or accuracy of information provided at these websites. The company is not liable for any direct or indirect technical or system issues or any consequences arising out of your access to or your use of third party technologies,  websites, information, and programs made available through this website. When you access one of these websites, you are leaving our website and assume total responsibility and risk for your use of the websites you are linking to. All images and Content Copyright © 2020 Masters Advisors, Inc. Securities America and its representatives do not provide tax or legal advice; therefore it is important to coordinate with your tax or legal advisor regarding your specific situation.

Securities America Form CRS

Check the background of this firm on FINRA's BrokerCheck.