Fiduciary Governance & Training for Self-Directed 401(k) Plan Sponsors

Independent fiduciary education and governance support designed to help plan fiduciaries understand, own, and document their responsibilities, without providing investment advice. 

Many larger 401(k) plans operate through internal committees and work directly with recordkeepers and third-party administrators. In these environments, fiduciary responsibility is often understood conceptually but applied inconsistently over time. 

 

This service exists to support plan fiduciaries through structured education and governance process guidance focused on role clarity, decision-making frameworks, and documentation practices. It is intentionally limited to fiduciary education and procedural support and does not include investment advice or recommendations. 

Who This Is Designed For 

• Plan sponsors that typically maintain $50 million or more in plan assets   

• Organizations that operate through one or more internal fiduciary or investment committees   

• Sponsors that work directly with recordkeepers, TPAs, and ERISA counsel   

• Plans that may not retain a named investment advisor, or utilize advisors in a limited or investment-only capacity   

• Organizations seeking consistency in fiduciary training, governance processes, and documentation practices 

This Service Is Not Designed For 

• Organizations seeking investment advice or investment recommendations   

• Fund selection, monitoring, or performance evaluation services   

• Fee benchmarking or fee negotiation   

• Vendor evaluation, replacement, or plan redesign services 

Common Governance Challenges 

• Unclear fiduciary roles and delegation boundaries   

• Inconsistent fiduciary training across committee members and over time   

• Committee turnover without structured onboarding   

• Governance practices based on precedent rather than defined frameworks   

• Documentation practices that are reactive rather than intentional 

What This Service Provides 

Fiduciary Education and Training 

• Educational fiduciary training for committee members   

• Structured onboarding education for newly appointed fiduciaries   

• Periodic refresher training in response to plan events, committee changes, or organizational transitions 

Governance Framework Support 

• Educational clarification of fiduciary roles and responsibilities   

• Procedural guidance regarding committee structure and meeting cadence   

• Educational support related to fiduciary calendars, agendas, and documentation practices   

• Assistance establishing consistent governance processes 

Process-Focused Fiduciary Interpretation 

• Educational clarification regarding what generally constitutes a fiduciary decision   

• Process-focused guidance regarding allocation of fiduciary responsibility   

• Educational support related to documentation expectations and practices   

 

Support is limited to process understanding and does not include evaluation of alternatives or recommendation of outcomes. 

What This Service Does Not Do 

• No investment advice or investment recommendations are provided   

• No fund selection, monitoring, or performance interpretation   

• No fee negotiation or fee benchmarking   

• No vendor evaluation or vendor replacement recommendations   

• No execution of fiduciary decisions   

• No acceptance of discretionary or non-discretionary investment fiduciary authority   

 

This service does not act as a 3(21) or 3(38) investment fiduciary. 

Relationship to Existing Providers 

This service is designed to operate alongside existing service providers, including recordkeepers, TPAs, ERISA counsel, and investment advisors, if present. It does not supervise, monitor, evaluate, or replace any provider. 

 

The role of this service is limited to fiduciary education and governance process support for the plan sponsor. 

Engagement Structure 

Engagements are entered into directly with the plan sponsor and are typically structured as an annual fiduciary governance and training engagement. Participation by existing advisors and service providers is encouraged for transparency and coordination. 

 

Pricing is determined based on plan size and complexity and is provided by proposal only. 

Organizational Context 

Fiduciary governance and training services described on this page are delivered through Destination Wealth Advisors, an SEC-registered investment adviser. 

 

These services are separate and distinct from investment advisory services described in Destination Wealth Advisors’ Form ADV. No individualized investment advice or recommendations are provided under this engagement. 

 

401k Plan Doctor provides the educational framework supporting this work. 

Inquiries

Organizations seeking fiduciary education and governance support for self-directed retirement plans may contact us to determine whether this service is appropriate for their circumstances.

Craig C. Brigman, EA, AIF®, CEPA®, CDFA®

Destination Wealth Advisors 

Craig.Brigman@dw-advisors.com