Corporate Retirement Plans: Fiduciaries Not Just In Name, But In Practice

Maximizing your company retirement plan today requires qualified plan advisors to oversee and monitor retirement plans – with the credentials and experience to back it up.

Why you should consider a firm that specializes in Qualified Retirement Plans

​

Companies that use a Retirement Plan Advisory Firm specialized in fiduciary and investment consulting can experience a better understanding of their own fiduciary responsibilities, improved plan performance and greater support and financial education for their employees.

 

But not all retirement plan advisors acknowledge in writing their responsibilities as a fiduciary.

As a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), we are prepared to:​

  • Serve as a co-fiduciary for your plan

  • Provide independent advice free of any conflicts of interest 

  • Offer expertise and ideas based on industry best practices

  • Service your business with advisor fees that are simple, transparent and low-cost

Our Pillars of Service

Fiduciary Assessment

​

  • Standalone engagement intended to identify the level of a plan’s adherence to DOL, ERISA and industry best practice standards

  • Consists of three phases: evaluation, recommendations and implementation

  • Varying levels of detail and complexity covered in a written report

Service Providers

​

  • Assist with identifying plan services and products for fiduciaries to consider

  • Assist with a process to select, monitor and replace service providers

  • Conduct RFP due diligence

  • Benchmark the reasonableness of outside service provider fees

Administration & Reporting

​

  • Review plan sponsor objectives for the plan and options available to reach their goals

  • Review committee structure and administrative policies and procedures

  • Assist with the development and maintenance of a fiduciary audit file and documents retention policy

  • Deliver fiduciary training and/or education 

Investments

​

  • Assist with development of an Investment Policy Statement (IPS)

  • Recommend investment options based on
    the IPS

  • Monitor performance and expenses of investment options

  • Deliver quarterly/semi-annual investment monitoring reports

  • Recommend and monitor Qualified Default Investment Alternative (QDIA)

Differentiating Characteristics of an Independent, Conflict-Free, Fiduciary Advisor Practice

DBR Fiduciary Plan Solutions Value Proposition:

 

  • Assist trustees and Retirement Committees to develop fiduciary processes that are definable, measurable and repeatable

  • Avoid conflicts of interest by placing the clients’ interests first always, a practice of DBR Fiduciary Plan Solutions long before it became a requirement for other firms to follow

  • Our team’s extensive expertise allows for a working knowledge of best practices for plan delivery and operation as offered by all outside service providers

  • We contract as a co-fiduciary, accepting liability in writing for the advice we provide

  • We recommend a wide range of carefully vetted investment options to retirement plan clients supported by a plan’s IPS, and without conflicts of interest

  • We have the ability to provide plans with custom risk-based models, comprised of the plan’s underlying investment options

Our Team

SENIOR FINANCIAL ADVISOR AND MANAGING DIRECTOR

SENIOR FINANCIAL ADVISOR

FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER/ CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER

CLIENT SERVICE ASSOCIATE

 
Learn more about DBR Fiduciary Plan Solutions

For more information or to set up a free consultation on your company's qualified retirement plan, contact:

 

Richard R. Applegate, CFP®, AIFA®, CPFA, ChFC®, CLU®

Senior Financial Advisor

rapplegate@dbroot.com

412-227-2800

​

Ryan Borucki, CFP®, C(k)P

Financial Consultant

rborucki@dbroot.com

419-574-9342

Where to find us:

MID-ATLANTIC REGION

 

436 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2800

Pittsburgh, PA 15219-1818

-

Phone: 412.227.2800

Toll Free: 888.227.0913

Fax: 412.227.2805

GREAT LAKES REGION

 

811 Madison Ave, 7th Floor

Toledo, OH 43604

-

Phone: 419.574.9399

Toll Free: 888.227.0913

Fax: 419.574.9356

  • White LinkedIn Icon
  • White Facebook Icon
  • White Twitter Icon
  • YouTube - White Circle

© 2019 DBR & CO

This communication is strictly intended for individuals residing in the states of AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY.

​

Important Consumer Disclosure: D.B. Root & Company, LLC (“DBR & CO”) is an SEC registered investment adviser located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. DBR & CO and its representatives are in compliance with the current registration and notice filing requirements imposed upon SEC-registered investment advisors by those states in which D.B. Root & Company maintains clients. DBR & CO may only transact business in those states in which it is notice filed, or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from notice filing requirements. DBR & CO’s web site is limited to the dissemination of general information regarding its investment advisory services to United States residents residing in states where providing such information is not prohibited by applicable law. Accordingly, the publication of DBR & CO’s web site on the Internet should not be construed by any consumer and/or prospective client as DBR & CO’s solicitation to effect, or attempt to effect transactions in securities, or the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation, over the Internet. Furthermore, the information resulting from the use of tools or other information on this Internet site should not be construed, in any manner whatsoever, as the receipt of, or a substitute for, personalized individual advice from DBR & CO. Any subsequent, direct communication by DBR & CO with a prospective client shall be conducted by a representative that is either registered or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration in the state where the prospective client resides. For information pertaining to the registration status of DBR & CO, please contact the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on their web site at www.adviserinfo.sec.gov. A copy of DBR & CO’s current written disclosure statement discussing DBR & CO’s business operations, services, and fees is available from DBR & CO upon written request. DBR & CO does not make any representations as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party, whether linked to DBR & CO’s web site or incorporated herein, and takes no responsibility therefore. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly.

​

Registration of an investment adviser does not imply any specific level of skill or training and does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission.

​

Advisory HQ’s Top Ten advisors’ rankings are based on methodologies used by established financial news organizations and are highly focused on three pillars: total assets under management (AUM), firm size/quality, and the amount of revenue generated by an advisory firm. AdvisoryHQ’s Advisor Selection Methodology is based on a wide range of filters including fiduciary duty, independence, transparency, level of customized service, history of innovation, fee structure, quality of services provided, team excellence, and wealth of experience. The review and ranking articles are always 100% independently researched and written without the ranked Firms knowing they are being reviewed.

​

Certain supervised persons of DBR & CO, in their individual capacities, as registered representatives of a broker-dealer, may provide securities brokerage services and implement securities transactions under a separate commission based arrangement and may be entitled to a portion of the brokerage commissions paid to the brokerage firm, as well as a share of any ongoing distribution or service (trail) fees from the sale of mutual funds. 

​

https:/brokercheck.finra.org/firm/summary/35747

​

A number of DBR & CO’s Supervised Persons are also licensed insurance agents and may offer certain insurance products on a fully-disclosed commissionable basis.  A conflict of interest exists to the extent that DBR & CO recommends the purchase of insurance products where its Supervised Persons may be entitled to insurance commissions or other additional compensation.