Fee Benchmarking
Ensure fees are reasonable for the services delivered—and that every dollar is understood and defended.
What We Do
- Provide to-the-dollar and basis-point fee disclosure for each service provider at every meeting; compare total plan costs to peers and service levels.
- Support §408(b)(2) and §404a-5 compliance; align fees, services, and performance with documented committee decisions.
Valorous Benefits: Transparent, defensible costs and improved value for participants.
Valorous Advocacy: Our published guidance stresses transparent benchmarking and renegotiation strategies to ensure optimal value for participants.
Fiduciary Education
Equip every member of your retirement plan committee to act with confidence and clarity from day one.
What We Do
- Deliver concise, annual training and new-member onboarding covering fiduciary duties, prohibited transactions, and litigation trends.
- Provide practical checklists and decision frameworks to keep discussions focused on participants’ best interests.
Valorous Benefits: High duty of care, faster decisions, and well-documented committee actions that demonstrate prudence.
Valorous Advocacy: We advocate for scenario-based training and real-world case studies to deepen fiduciary understanding beyond compliance basics.
Investment Analysis
Align your Investment Policy Statement (IPS), QDIA, and lineup with participant needs—and monitor decisions with repeatable rigor.
What We Do
- Evaluate target date funds, managed accounts, and alternatives—balancing transparency, liquidity, valuation, and regulatory guardrails.
- Benchmark performance and risk characteristics to peer plans and IPS objectives; refresh glide paths and default strategies as demographics evolve.
Valorous Benefits: A resilient lineup designed with long-term participant outcomes in mind, while meeting ERISA standards.
Valorous Advocacy: Thought leadership underscores dynamic IPS reviews and stress-testing glide paths to align with evolving demographics and market volatility.
Participant Outcomes
Design defaults and support systems designed to measurably improve savings, investment behaviors, and retirement readiness.
What We Do
- Implement auto features, targeted communications, and advice/education that help employees make confident, well-informed decisions.
- Track participation, savings rates, utilization of Roth and catch-up features, and retirement readiness metrics against quarterly targets.
Valorous Benefits: Improved participation and savings rates, more diversified investment allocations, and a clearer path to retirement success.
Valorous Advocacy: We promote behavioral finance techniques and personalized communication strategies to drive measurable improvements in savings and retirement readiness.
Technology
Make the plan run smoothly—integrating payroll, HRIS, and recordkeeping to reduce errors and friction.
What We Do
- Coordinate vendor data flows for eligibility, deferrals, Roth/pretax coding (including Secure 2.0 requirements), and timely funding; validate data quality and reconciliation.
- Review portals, cybersecurity controls, participant UX, and reporting so committees get the right information, at the right time, in the right format.
Valorous Benefits: Technology designed to reduce operational issues and support faster decisions, stronger controls, and better participant experiences.
Valorous Advocacy: Thought leadership focuses on cybersecurity resilience and automation to reduce operational risk and enhance participant experience.
Tax Planning & Plan Design
Engineer plan features that optimize tax efficiency, participation, and employer value—while staying ahead of regulatory change.
What We Do
- Refresh eligibility, auto-enroll/auto-escalate, match formulas, profit sharing allocations, and forfeiture policies for clarity and defensibility.
- Operationalize Secure 2.0 Section 603 (Roth catch-ups for Highly Paid Individuals), coordinating payroll, recordkeeper, and committee policy updates.
Valorous Benefits: Improved employee uptake, optimized employer tax strategy, and plan documents that withstand review.
Valorous Advocacy: Insights highlight leveraging Secure 2.0 provisions to enhance participant engagement and employer tax efficiency, while maintaining operational integrity.
ERISA Compliance
Build a defensible governance process that prepares your plan for DOL investigations and IRS audits—no surprises, no scramble.
What We Do
- Establish and maintain a disciplined fiduciary calendar, charters, and minutes; document prudence, loyalty, and diversification in every decision.
- Identify and remediate prohibited transactions; align service contracts and fee arrangements with ERISA §406/§408 rules.
- Deliver an audit-ready fiduciary file each January (policies, meeting records, disclosures, testing support).
Valorous Benefits: A fiduciary process designed to lower litigation risk, reduce the risk of findings during an examinations, and plan decisions that consistently center on participants.
Valorous Advocacy: Our thought leadership emphasizes proactive governance and litigation defense strategies, including annual fiduciary file audits and committee readiness drills.
