Can Pension Clients be Hazardous to Your Financial Health?
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The following is an excerpt from an article written by Dr. Susan M. Mangiero and published in Mann on Wall Street (August 2007 issue). If you would like to receive a copy of the full text article, click here to send an email request.
<<Despite a recent study that all is okay in corporate pension land, changes are taking place to indicate otherwise. Preparing for lots of pension buy-out business, investment banks hire actuaries in droves. Swap trading desks similarly staff, anticipating a surge in liability-driven investing. CPA firms scurry to find qualified professionals who can handle the alphabet soup of new accounting rules. Even those who breathed a sigh of relief with the final enactment of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (“the suspense is over”) acknowledge the beginning of the end of “the way things were.” Board members, CEOs and CFOs wait for the other shoe to drop, assuming that the sequel to FAS 158 will compel wide swings in earnings. Congress and regulatory agencies busy themselves with a flurry of investigations. On top of everything else, longevity is forcing plan sponsors to rethink how to cut costs without alienating productive workers. The only constant is change. For traders who embrace volatility, life is good. For those in search of stability, hang onto your hats.
With all of this tumult underway, a little noticed trend seems to be emerging that could make pension clients high risk for service providers - asset managers, brokers, bankers, administrators, custodians, advisors, consultants, auditors and ERISA counsel. At its simplest, there is a real question as to who has investment fiduciary responsibilities other than the plan sponsor. Some organizations wear the hat of “fiduciary” but charge steep fees to compensate for added liability exposure. Others disavow the role, going so far as to include text to that effect in their engagement letter. However, real questions remain. Will judges uphold the legitimacy of this stance or instead classify a service provider as a functional fiduciary against their will, thereby opening the door to claims of breach? If that occurs, asset managers, consultants and other persons peripheral to a plan sponsor get the worst possible outcome – increased liability exposure without compensation.>>
