Home Depot sparked the do it yourself business when it came to home improvement. This do it yourself business has spread to investing. In the old days, you needed a broker and you paid high fixed fees for trading. Thanks to deregulation, the explosion of mutual funds, and internet discount brokers, laymen have been able to partake in handling their own investments. In the do it yourself world of investing, financial advisors are seen as useful as travel agents. While these do it yourself investors don’t understand the utility of financial advisors for their own portfolio, financial advisors serve an important purpose in the administration of retirement plans. A good financial advisor will offer education to plan sponsors, trustees, and (if the plan is participant directed) plan participants. The good financial advisor will help minimize the plan sponsor’s fiduciary liability and improve the retirement savings under the Plan at a reasonable fee.
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