Be More Than A Fiduciary

In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson talks about the Employee Benefit Security Administration's January 29, 2026, proposal to enhance transparency into pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) fee disclosures. The proposal aims to provide ERISA plan fiduciaries with clearer information on PBM compensation, including direct and indirect revenue streams. If finalized, PBMs and associated broke...

Jamie Hayes is the Senior Vice President at Wealthspire Retirement. She specializes in employer retirement plan fiduciary management and investment consulting. With over 20 years of experience in the retirement industry, Jamie works directly with corporations and governments, providing progressive, unique ideas and solutions to enhance retirement plan success while maximizing the fiduciary protect...

In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson outlines three common process hiccups he believes need to stop. He emphasizes that an Investment Policy Statement (IPS) is a binding plan document under DOL guidance and warns against including language that suggests it does not have to be followed, while still allowing for reasonable flexibility. Eric also advises fiduciaries to stop keeping me...

Matthew Patrick is a senior manager on CAPTRUST’s Defined Contribution team. Matt joined CAPTRUST in 2014 and serves as a senior manager on the defined contribution team. His role encompasses the strategic planning and leadership of the team that manages CAPTRUST's discretionary services for defined contribution plans. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance from James Mad...

In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson discusses the concept of preparing for potential regulatory scrutiny, drawing a parallel between military readiness and fiduciary responsibilities. He suggests that fiduciaries should assume the Department of Labor (DOL) could audit a plan within six months, prompting them to focus on defensive and proactive measures like updating plan documents...

Kristen Deere is a Director in the Employee Benefit Plan Audit Services practice at Weaver & Tidwell, LLP. With over 20 years of experience in public accounting, she has specialized in auditing employee benefit plans throughout most of her career. Kristen leads audits for both private and public plan sponsors, covering a wide range of plan types, including defined contribution (401(k), 403(b),...

In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson talks about seeking more plan sponsors as podcast guests to provide valuable insights to other committee members and peers, service providers, advisors, and other professionals in the ERISA retirement and healthcare sectors.  Connect with Eric Dyson:  Website: https://90northllc.com/ Phone: 940-248-4800 Email: contact@90northllc.com &n...

In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson encourages plan fiduciaries and advisors to set structured, written goals for 401(k) plans in 2026, contrasting them with the low success rate of New Year's resolutions. He cites a Harvard MBA study showing that only 3% of the graduating class had written goals.  Their success far exceeded the remainder. Eric emphasizes the importance of sp...

For over 20 years, Shannon and her team at Tristar Pension Consulting have acted as a secret weapon for financial advisors, CPAs, small businesses, and plan sponsors. They are the go-to resource for plan design, fixing broken retirement plans, client presentation support, and high-touch customer service. Since starting the firm over two decades ago, her goal has been to provide a deeper level of r...

In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson talks about the origins of Christmas, explaining its historical roots and its transformation by Emperor Constantine into a Christian holiday. He highlights the significance of December 25 as the day that we celebrate Christ's birth and its integration into Roman life. Eric draws a parallel between Jesus Christ as the ultimate fiduciary, who acte...

Dan Fay serves as Chief Distribution Officer, overseeing Stadion’s sales and business development teams. In this role, he is responsible for distribution through Stadion’s institutional relationships, which include retirement recordkeeping partners, retirement advisor firms, and asset managers. With Dan’s leadership, Stadion has expanded our nationwide distribution of retirement managed accounts a...

In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson explores why plan sponsors and finance professionals should carefully consider how record-keeping fees are paid in 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans. He explains that having companies directly write checks for these fees can reduce fiduciary risk and enhance transparency. Dyson notes that the Department of Labor (DOL) does not take a position on how...

Jennifer Giannini brings more than 30 years of experience leading independent audit engagements for corporate clients across a wide range of industries. Throughout her career, she has developed deep expertise in employee benefit plan audits, making this a primary focus area. After many years of working at Baker Tilly, a national CPA firm, Jennifer recently joined LJB CPA to lead the firm’s audit p...

In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson talks about America’s Game! Army - Navy Football that is!  He encourages everyone to show appreciation to service members during the holiday season and throughout the year. Eric suggests small gestures like buying meals or snacks for service members, emphasizing that while they may politely decline, the gesture is appreciated. He relat...

Tamra Miller is a prime example of the “Break the Paper Ceiling” movement—building her career from the ground up after starting work right out of high school and rising through determination, capability, and earned trust. She is deeply grateful for the leaders who recognized her talent without requiring a college degree, and her recent completion of the CEBS exam reflects her continued pursuit of...

In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson expresses gratitude to his podcast audience, which includes ERISA advisors, service providers, and listeners. He highlights the importance of committee members and plan sponsors as guests, noting that episodes featuring them are the most popular. Dyson also thanks his production team at Turnkey Productions for their hard work. He encourages list...

Richard Clarke is the chief insurance officer at Colonial Surety. With more than three decades of experience, he leads insurance strategy and operations for the expansion of Colonial Surety’s SMB-focused product suite, building out the online platform into a one-stop shop for America’s SMBs. In this episode, Eric and Richard “Dick”  Clarke discuss: Understanding ERISA safeguards Distinguishin...

In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson discusses the importance of clear and specific investment policy statements (IPS) for ERISA plans and non-ERISA plans like 403(b) and 457(b). He emphasizes that IPSs should not include language that suggests the committee or advisor is not bound by the terms, as this undermines the purpose of having an IPS. Dyson references the Department of Lab...

Brandon Shea is a defined contribution strategist for the Global Retirement Strategy team. The team leads an enterprise retirement strategy, advises on the development of new products and services, and helps amplify the firm’s voice in retirement security-related public policy initiatives. Brandon is a vice president at T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. In this episode, Eric and Brandon Shea discuss:...

In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson emphasizes the importance of ERISA plan committee members and retirement plan professionals reviewing their plan documents and investment policy statements (IPS). He notes that forfeiture lawsuits can arise from non-compliance with plan documents.  In addition to forfeiture issues, compensation definitions, eligibility, and auto-enrollment...

In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson discusses why advisors and plan sponsors should consider including recordkeeper searches in advisor base pricing.  This in consideration of an RFP interval every three to five years as assumed by the Department of Labor. He explains that this approach would simplify the process for plan sponsors, who often lack the expertise to perform thes...

In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson talks about how custom benchmarks in target date funds can potentially create a false sense of success. He cautions that using a custom benchmark as the only benchmark to measure performance does not necessarily reflect strong performance if, for example, the underlying strategy is weak. Citing the CFA Institute and the Department of Labor, he s...

Justin, a seasoned U.S. Air Force veteran with extensive experience in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, is the Co-Founder and CEO of Catapult HQ, Inc. Catapult provides a flexible Request for Proposal (RFP) platform designed to serve multiple industries and project types, including RFPs, RFIs, RFQs, DDQs, Cybersecurity, Government, Healthcare, and more. Catapult enhances the RFx workf...

In this episode of Friday Fiduciary Five, Eric Dyson talks about the differences between ERISA 3(21) investment advisor and 3(38) investment manager arrangements in retirement plans. A 3(21) advisor provides investment advice but lacks discretion, while a 3(38) investment manager has discretion over fund selection. Eric emphasizes the importance of plan committees monitoring both types of advisors...

Donovan Ryckis is the award-winning founder and CEO of Ethos Benefits, leading the charge in fiduciary-driven healthcare strategies for employers. A former Securities Advisor, he shifted from investment advising after uncovering inefficiencies in employer healthcare plans—achieving 40% savings for a client without reducing benefits. Alongside his wife and business partner, Chelsea, Donovan applies...