Message from the Firm

By Fred Reish

This report is designed to help plan sponsors fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities for operating their retirement plans. While that requires a diligent effort in the best of times, it is even more difficult during hard times. To help navigate these troubled waters, we have included articles about issues that occur in “hard times.”

We also have an article on target date funds. The acceptance of these funds by plan sponsors and participants has been nothing short of remarkable. However, their losses in 2008 were terrible. As a result, the design and management of target date funds is being called into question. Plan sponsors need to make sure that they have asked the right questions about those funds . . . and that they have received good answers.

We also take a look at conflicts of interests. While plan sponsors have been required to protect their participants from the conflicts of interest of their providers and advisers for many years, little attention has been paid to this subject until recently.

We have written about following up on employee complaints—and properly documenting that follow up.

Finally, two of our employment law partners have written articles on important issues for employers—risk management to protect for employee theft and the monitoring of computer activities at work. We believe these articles will be helpful to our HR readers who oversee both benefits and employee relations.