Can The 401(k) Be Fixed?

Aug. 28, 2008 - PRLog -- Towson, MD — “The retirement plan industry is broken and needs to be fixed,” according to Joshua P. Itzoe, CFP(R), AIF(R), a professional independent fiduciary and Principal of Greenspring Wealth Management.  “Major conflicts of interest, high fees, lack of transparency, and poor investment experiences are just a few of the problems that threaten the retirement security of millions of Americans.  Solving these issues begins with greater accountability and better decision-making by retirement plan fiduciaries.”  

Itzoe’s new book, Fixing the 401(k): What Fiduciaries Must Know (And Do) To Help Employees Retire Successfully (http://www.fixingthe401k.com), takes a hard look at how and why most retirement plans are broken and offers straightforward solutions for fixing them.  Written primarily for retirement plan decision-makers, Itzoe shows how any employer, large or small, can build and operate an exceptional, low-cost 401(k) plan.  

"Fixing the 401(k) is a bold and excellent work.  Itzoe reminds us that excellence is desperately needed within our private retirement system.  This book is the starting point for employers who want to understand how to make their 401(k) truly outstanding and help secure the common good of society,” said Matthew D. Hutcheson, a well-known congressional expert and independent pension fiduciary.

In a tremendously difficult market environment and with the vast majority of employers shifting the responsibility for retirement security to their employees, the role of fiduciary has become even more critical to protecting future retirement benefits for workers.  Sadly, fiduciary responsibility is often an area of considerable misunderstanding and confusion and an afterthought for most companies.  

“As a professional independent fiduciary, I wrote this book to spur industry transformation and bring to light the issues that I see limit the effectiveness of most retirement plans,” continued Itzoe.  “My hope is this book will help plan decision-makers learn and understand how to properly discharge their fiduciary duties so that their employees can retire successfully and with meaningful benefits.

For more information about Fixing the 401(k), please visit http://www.fixingthe401k.com.


About Joshua P. Itzoe

Joshua P. Itzoe, CFP(R), AIF(R) is a Principal of Greenspring Wealth Management, recently recognized as one of the top independent advisory firms in the country by Wealth Manager magazine.  Founded in 2004, Greenspring is a fee-only, registered investment advisory firm and professional independent fiduciary located in Towson, Maryland. Itzoe has written about fiduciary responsibility for Benefits & Compensation Digest and has also been quoted extensively in publications such as SmartMoney Magazine, Kiplinger's Retirement Report, Wealth Manager, The Baltimore Examiner, Journal of Financial Planning, Investment Advisor, Registered Rep, PLANADVISER Magazine, Financial Advisor and National Underwriter Life and Health.  Itzoe graduated with honors from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(TM) and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary(R).  For more information, please visit http://www.greenspringwealth.com.