401(k)| 403(b)| Profit sharing |Defined Benefit |MEP | Executive Compensation

At Souders Financial Group, our goal is to help you manage a successful and cost-effective retirement plan that helps you attract and retain valuable employees and helps prepare them for life in retirement. You can rely on our experienced advisors to:

• Understand the complex retirement plan marketplace
• Consistently track industry trends
• Continually educate ourselves and our clients on the latest legal and regulatory standards
• Strive to consistently place the best interests of your plan and its participants first

Retirement Plan Consulting Services

We address your needs across all aspects of plan operations—including plan conversion, service provider changes, investment menu updates, vendor benchmarking and employee communications. And we meet the needs of participants by providing plan enrollment and 401(k) rollover assistance, objective insights on investment allocations, and ongoing employee education.

Plan Search Support/Vendor Analysis

We can assist you with the preparation, distribution and evaluation of Request for Proposals, finalist interviews, and conversion support.

• We are both vendor and investment neutral which allows us to act as true independent consultants.
• We work with industry-leading retirement plan services providers and plan administrators to help meet a broad range of retirement plan needs.

Benchmarking Services

We provide you with comparisons of Plan data (e.g., regarding fees and services and participant enrollment and contributions) from the Plan’s prior years and/or a benchmark group of similar plans. With access to sophisticated investment tools and objective research, we are able to examine a broad range of providers and generate detailed reporting and comparisons.

Assistance Identifying Plan Fees

We help you identify fees and other costs borne by the Plan for investment management, recordkeeping, participant education, participant communication and/or other services provided with respect to the Plan.

Our comprehensive Retirement Plan Consulting Services include:

• Assistance with Investment Policy Statement preparation and review
• Investment Monitoring and Recommendations
• Changes in Investment Options
• Qualified Default Investment Alternative
• Performance Reports
• Plan Search Support/Vendor Analysis
• Benchmarking Services
• Identifying Plan Fees
• Plan Committee Education
• Plan Participant Enrollment and Education
• 404(c) Assistance

Retirement Plan Fiduciary Services

Souders Financial Group helps you provide an effective retirement plan to your employees. As ERISA 3(21) & 3(38) fiduciary advisors, we adhere to a high standard of fiduciary excellence as we assist you with:

Investment Policy Statement

Assist in the preparation or review of the Plan’s investment policy statement (“IPS”). Act as your liaison, working with service providers, product sponsors or vendors. In such cases, we act only in accordance with your instructions on investment or Plan administration matters and shall not exercise judgment or discretion.

Ongoing Investment Monitoring

Perform ongoing monitoring of investment manager(s) or investments in relation to the criteria specified in the Plan’s IPS or other written guidelines you have provided.

Ongoing Investment Recommendations

Recommend, for your consideration and selection, 1) specific investments to be held by the Plan, or in the case of a participant-directed defined contribution plan, to be made available as investment options under the Plan; and 2) investment replacements if an existing investment is determined by the Plan Sponsor to no longer be suitable as an investment option.

Performance Reports

Prepare reports describing the performance of Plan investment manager(s) or investments, as well as comparing the performance to appropriate benchmarks.

Plan Committee Education

Provide training for the members of the Plan Committee with regard to their service on the Committee, including education and consulting with respect to fiduciary responsibilities.

Changes in Investment Options

At your direction, we can assist you in making changes to investment options under the Plan. However, we may not take discretion regarding the changes to be made, and any related trades must be executed by the custodian or a party other than the plan Investment Advisor Representative (IAR).

404(c) Compliance

As part of our Ongoing Investment Recommendation Service, we can assist you in identifying investment options in connection with the “broad range” requirement of ERISA 404(c).

Qualified Default Investment Alternative

As part of our Ongoing Investment Recommendation Service, we can assist you in identifying an investment fund product or model portfolio in connection with the definition of a “Qualified Default Investment Alternative” (“QDIA”) under ERISA.

Participant Education Services

At Souders Financial Group, we believe a successful participant education and communication program is critical to the success of your retirement plan. We work with you and your retirement plan committee to create the most appropriate program for your employee population which may include:

• On-site group participant education and enrollment meetings
• Account information available via internet or telephone
• Online education materials, tools and calculators
• Updates on the current market environment
• Assist individuals with general investment allocation guidance
• Rollover consultations available for post-termination needs