Retirement Plan Services
We offer a competitive, comprehensive suite of retirement plan services by integrating our flat fee-only approach – both in total cost structure and in performance of the underlying investment choices. FPL Capital Management can service your plan as either an ERISA 3(21) or 3(38) fiduciary. (Vanguard Institutional Advisor’s Alpha™: Quantifying the Value of a Consultant)
Plan services are appealing and cost-effective for small to medium size professional organizations, that have participant accounts with higher average balances.
Types of Plans We Service
Participant Services
Risk Evaluation
Built on a Nobel Prize-winning framework, we provide a risk evaluation for all participants using our risk alignment tool that quantifies the semantics of the financial advice industry, replacing confusing and subjective terms like “moderately conservative” and “moderately aggressive” with the risk number, a number between 1 and 99 that pinpoints a participant’s exact comfort zone for downside risk and potential upside gain. We determine a recommended risk exposure to match the participant’s risk number and chart a clearly defined path to their goals which is then integrated into the participant’s Investment Policy Statement.
Risk Number Capture- The first step is to have a participant answer a 5-minute questionnaire that covers topics such as portfolio size, top financial goals, and what they’re willing to risk for potential gains. Then we’ll pinpoint their exact Risk Number to guide our decision making process.
Portfolio Alignment- After pinpointing their risk number, we’ll assign a portfolio that aligns with their personal preferences and priorities, allowing them to feel comfortable with their expected outcomes. The resulting proposed portfolio will include projections for the potential gains and losses we should expect over time.
Investment Policy Statement
We construct an Investment Policy Statement for each participant to provide the following:
Wealth Management Portal
We help participants organize their financial life by providing a secure, digital Wealth Management Portal. They will enjoy access to their personal financial website from any device.
Our Wealth Management Portal provides access to eMoney Advisor’s award-winning financial planning software, account aggregation and resources to prepare your secure financial future. eMoney Advisor is owned by Fidelity Investments.
Account Aggregation
A consolidated view of your assets and liabilities, updated daily.
Financial Planning
Set goals and keep track of your progress as you work to reach your financial goals.
Workshops
Understand the impact of your financial decisions and make your goals a reality.
Spending
Track spending habits, monitor cash flow and stay on the right financial path.
Investments
Interactive charts and detailed summaries increase knowledge of your financial accounts.
Education
An extensive library of videos, articles and other resources to increase your financial knowledge.
Plan Services
Portfolio Management
Plans have access to our Model Portfolios which are designed to emphasize market segments of higher expected returns, minimize turnover and reduce overall expenses.
- Highly diversified and efficient, these comprehensive solutions are designed to serve a wide range of participant needs and risk tolerances – from conservative to ultra-aggressive
Model Portfolios can be used as core strategies or as building blocks to create the ideal portfolio for the particpant. Detailed information for each Model Portfolio can be found on our Model Folio page, including holdings, model allocation, benchmark allocation and historical performance published monthly.
In addition to our Model Portfolios, we also offer a carefully selected list of investments for plan participants to customize their portfolio.
Additional Available Investments
Most retirement plans strictly invest in various forms of publicly traded capital market investments such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETF’s. We believe that individual investors should not be denied access to other forms of investments that are accessible to institutional investors. We allow and oversee investments in private funds.
These include:
- Private equity funds
- Private credit/debt funds
- Private equity real estate funds
Typically, minimum investment requirements range from $2 million to $10 million. However, FPL Capital Management has arrangement for its clients to access these funds at significantly lower minimums. In some cases, as low as $50,000.
Flexibility
We collaborate with various services providers (third-party administrators, recordkeepers and custodians) to ensure the plan is running smoothly. You can keep your current service providers or we can recommend one for you.
Self-Directed Brokerage Account (SDBA)
With self-directed brokerage accounts (SBDAs), participants can go beyond their plan’s preselected investment lineup and gain access to a variety of additional investment choices. Participants can take control over their investment decisions and tailor strategies to their retirement goals.
Expanded Investment Options
Access to a variety of investment vehicles not available or allowed in 401(K)s, including:
- FPLCM Model Portfolios
- Interval mutual funds
- Private non-traded investments such as BDCs or REITs
- Private equity funds
- Private credit/debt funds
- Private equity real estate funds
- Private partnerships (LLCs and LLPs)
- Hedge funds
- Individual stocks
- Bonds
- CDs
- Unit investment trusts (UITs)
- Futures
- Options
Typically, the private funds listed above have a minimum investment amount of $2 million to $10 million. However, FPL Capital Management has arranged for its clients to access these funds at significantly lower minimums. In some cases, as low as $50,000.
Financial Professional Access
Participants have the option of managing the SDBA themselves or authorizing a financial professional or FPL Capital Management to manage the account on their behalf.
Fees
Plan Sponsor
We charge a flat annual fee per participant. The plan fees will never increase as plan assets grow. We charge a base fee of $2,500 plus a per participant fee.
There are four different components to consider when maintaining a retirement plan:
- Investment manager (ERISA 3(21) or 3(38) Fiduciary)
- Third-party administrator (commonly known as TPA)
- Recordkeeper
- Custodian
Investment Manager
FPL Capital Management can act in either ERISA 3(21) or 3(38) fiduciary capacity. We charge a base fee of $2,500 plus a per participant fee. Our fee is NOT based on assets under management.
TPA, Recordkeeping, and Custodian Service Providers
There are companies that offer TPA, Recordkeeping, and Custodian services bundled or unbundled. Vanguard Retirement Plan Access (VRPA) and Employee Fiduciary offer low-cost TPA, Recordkeeping, and Custodian bundled and unbundled packages. Both providers allow outside investment managers to act as ERISA fiduciaries for plans on their platforms.
| Vanguard SBRP | Employee Fiduciary | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Fee | $3,475 | $1,500 + 0.08% of AUM |
| # of Participants Included | 15 | 30 |
| TPA Fee1 | Included | Included |
| Recordkeeping Fee1 | Inlcuded | Included |
| Custodian Fee1 | Included | Included |
| Unbundled Plan Conversion Fee2 | $850 | $1,000 |
| Unbundled New Plan Setup Fee2 | $500 | $500 |
| Self-Directed Brokerage Acct | $50 | $100 |
1 Services and fees can be unbundled.
2 Bundled plan conversion fee is $1,500. Bundled new plan setup fee is $1,000.
Any new plans or plans valued less than $2,500,000 probably should consider Employee Fiduciary as their price is most attractive at those asset values. Plans above the $2,500,000 mark should consider Vanguard RPA. Both providers offer similar fund offerings. Neither Vanguard RPA or Employee Fiduciary offer TPA services for Cash Balance Plans. If you would like a recommendation on a TPA that administers Cash Balance Plans, please contact us for more information.
Both offer the option to establish Self-Directed Brokerage Accounts (SDBAs). If the plan sponsor is using Vanguard RPA or Employee Fiduciary as the plan’s TPA, the SDBAs will be held at TD Ameritrade. If an outside TPA is being used, then the SDBA’s can be held at the custodian of TPA’s choice.