2010 ARTICLE COMPETITION
Congratulations to 2010 Article Competition winner Andy Rice!
In addition to winning the competition and $1,000 prize, the article was published as an Other Voices column in the January 31, 2010 issue of InvestmentNews.
Andy's article, "Roth Conversions: The Gamble of a Lifetime," argues that the case for investors to take advantage of the 2010 Roth IRA conversion opportunity isn't as clear cut as some would make it out to be. The uncertainty associated with some of the variables and assumptions make the decision to convert too much of a gamble for many investors. The article was chosen for best fulfilling our primary criteria of focusing on helping fiduciaries better understand and perform their roles. Specifically, the article stresses the importance of considering the whole picture of a beneficiary's investment profile and weighting short-term benefits against long-term interest. In addition, the article is a call to make the decision for the best interest of each client, rather than as a sales opportunity.
The Rest of the 2010 Submissions:
Implementation of a fiduciary standard
AIF designee Matt Meline of The Constantine Boesen Meline Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney looks at how plan sponsors can implement a fiduciary process to gain greater control of their company's retirement plan and provide greater value to employees.
Submit your feedback on this article.
Fiduciary law: Where does it come from?
AIFA designee Keith Loveland of Loveland Consulting looks at the history of fiduciary law dating back more than 3,000 years.
Submit your feedback on this article.
Marotta on Money
AIF designee David John Marotta of Marotta Wealth Management in Charlottesville, VA, authored the following articles as part of his Marotta on Money series.
- Safeguarding your money: avoiding advisors who sugarcoat reality
- Safeguarding your money: avoid an advisor with a lavish lifestyle
- Seven termites that eat your 401(k)
- The whip cracks both ways
Submit your feedback on any of these articles.
UPDATE: Marotta's articles have been published in Charlottesville, VA's The Daily Progress.
AIF designee John Sullivan of World Equity Group in Arlington Heights, IL, has three submissions for this year's article competition:
- Four questions to ask of your retirement plan
- Regulation for "Rupert"
- Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Submit your feedback on any of these articles.
401(k) plans: The Lake Wobegone Effect
AIFA designee Roger Levy of Cambridge Financial Services Group in Greenwich, CT, authored this article that argues that participant-direction doesn't work for retirement plans and instructs on how to convert to a trustee-directed plan.
UPDATE: Levy's article has been published in SMB Human Resources, read the article here.