ERISA Fiduciary Compliance
ERISA fiduciary duties don't come with a manual. This is the next best thing.
Seven duties, in plain English — and the documentation that proves you met them.
Key obligations
The seven fiduciary duties.
Expand any duty for a plain-English read on what it requires in practice.
Personal liability for fiduciary breaches
ERISA fiduciaries are personally liable for losses caused by a breach — the company is not a shield, and indemnification has limits. Naming a committee, documenting decisions, and delegating properly are how that exposure gets managed.
What we review
Four places breaches actually surface.
Plan documents
Plan document, wrap document, and SPD reconciled against how the plan is actually administered — eligibility, waiting periods, and benefit terms included.
Claims & appeals procedures
Full and fair review procedures tested against ERISA §503 timing, notice content, external review rights, and how denials are documented.
Vendor contracts
TPA, broker, PBM, and stop-loss agreements reviewed for fiduciary allocation, fee transparency, data rights, indemnity, and termination terms.
Form 5500 annual reporting
Filing readiness, required schedules, large-plan audit coordination, and late-filer exposure including DFVCP considerations.
Where does your plan stand on all seven?
A short self-assessment maps your fiduciary exposure duty by duty.
Take the ERISA Risk Assessment