Risk Management

Managing a fiduciary supply chain carries with it the heavy burden of a financial steward, a fiduciary.  Stewardship is a heavy burden because it is subject to the highest duty under U.S. civil law, with serious economic penalties for violating that duty.  The selection and management of outsourced vendors is a fiduciary act and must be executed prudently.

The improper selection and monitoring of service providers is such a common cause of regulatory sanctions and court ordered judgments that it has almost become a cliche.  Roland|Criss insulates its clients from that risk.

Here are some of the benefits of our focus on reducing our clients' fiduciary risk:

• Greater protection for corporate, pension, and donors' assets from investment industry scandals.
• Excessive fees are exposed and dealt with before they become the focus of a lawsuit or regulatory investigation.
• We lighten our clients' legal risk by reversing the information advantage enjoyed by their vendors.
• Co-fiduciary promises by vendors are translated into business terms and exposed for what they are.
• Contracts are formulated with best in class terms and conditions to increase compliance with federal and state fiduciary laws and reduce maverick spending by vendors.
• Preparation for a "day in court" challenge to a client's service provider management system permeates Roland|Criss' approach.
• We serve our clients in a supply chain management role as an acknowledged Administrative Fiduciary under either ERISA or UPMIFA as appropriate, which adds assurance that we put our clients' interests first.

Case studies of how our supply chain management approach reduces economic and fiduciary risk are available here from Roland|Criss.

Many executives that purchase investment and administration services for their ERISA qualified plans and non-profit foundations wonder if they can trust their vendors.  A free white paper reveals Roland|Criss' viewpoint.