OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - July 17, 2008 - Roland|Criss announced today that Accord Human Resources, Inc. ("Accord") has met the certification requirements for retirement plan sponsors. On the basis of the results of an audit conducted by Roland|Criss, the Centre for Fiduciary Excellence ("CEFEX") granted to Accord the Investment Steward Certification which attests to Accord's adherence to the global fiduciary standard of excellence.
Accord is one of the first Professional Employer Organizations ("PEO") to obtain the CEFEX Investment Steward certification. Dale Hageman, President and CEO of Accord said, "We take our fiduciary role very seriously. We were confident that we were properly handling employee retirement assets. Accord is pleased to receive the CEFEX certification as recognition."
The CEFEX Investment Steward certification measures the activities of corporate plan sponsors, public pension funds, endowments, and foundations against fiduciary practices that are substantiated by; the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), Uniform Prudent Investor Act (UPIA), Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA), the Uniform Management of Public Employee Retirement Systems Act (MPERS), case law, and industry best practices.
Ronald E. Hagan, CEO of Roland|Criss, said, "In light of the growing demand on retirement plan sponsors to prove, among other things, that they are monitoring fees, evaluating conflicts of interest, and measuring the quality and accuracy of services provided by third parties, the CEFEX certification is the only independent verification that fiduciary duties are met."
Accord is registered at www.cefex.org where its certificate can also be viewed.
About Accord Human Resources, Inc.
Accord Human Resources is a leading provider of outsourced human resource management solutions, also known as a Professional Employer Organization ("PEO"). Known for its high-level of customer service, Accord serves more than 700 clients in 44 states, and is among the top ten privately-held PEOs in the United States. Since the Company's inception in 1992, Accord has been listed four times in Inc. Magaizine as one of America's 500 fastest growing private companies.
For more information on Accord, please visit www.accordhr.com.
About Roland|Criss
Roland|Criss is the leading independent, standards-based provider of certification assessments. Roland|Criss is the first global organization to assist Investment Advisors, Investment Stewards, Investment Managers, and Recordkeepers convey a fiduciary and fiduciary support identity that conforms to the highest standard of excellence. Once tested and approved, these organizations earn the CEFEX seal of excellence.
For more information on Roland|Criss, please visit www.rolandcriss.com.
About CEFEX
The Centre for Fiduciary Excellence, LLC is an independent registration organization. CEFEX works with investment fiduciaries and industry experts to provide comprehensive standards programs to improve risk management for institutional and retail investors. CEFEX certifications help determine trustworthiness of investment fiduciaries.
For more information on CEFEX, please visit www.cefex.org.
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