Fiduciary Governance & Committee Support
Independent guidance for a prudent, well-documented fiduciary process.
Serving as a retirement plan fiduciary means more than selecting investments. ERISA requires plan sponsors to monitor investments, evaluate service providers, document decisions, and always act in the best interests of plan participants.
PointOak Retirement Advisors provides independent fiduciary support that helps retirement plan committees build a documented, repeatable fiduciary process. As a fee-only, SEC-registered investment adviser, we serve as either a 3(21) investment fiduciary or 3(38) investment manager, while also supporting governance, investment oversight, provider and fee review, and committee documentation.
- 3(21) investment fiduciary and 3(38) investment manager services available
- Fee-only, SEC-registered investment adviser
Founder Darsh Makim has advised clients since 2005.
Quarterly investment monitoring and governance support
Benefits of ERISA Fiduciary Governance & Committee Support
Reduced Fiduciary Risk
A documented fiduciary process helps demonstrate prudent decision-making while reducing regulatory and litigation exposure.
Independent Advice
PointOak is fee-only and independent of proprietary investment requirements. Recommendations are evaluated within the fiduciary responsibilities defined by the engagement.
Ongoing Governance
Retirement plans require continuous monitoring—not annual checklists. We provide year-round guidance for committees and plan sponsors.
Better Participant Outcomes
Investment oversight, benchmarking, and governance all contribute to stronger retirement outcomes for plan participants.
Committee Confidence
Your committee receives objective recommendations, documentation, and ongoing support that make complex fiduciary decisions easier.
How ERISA Fiduciary Governance & Committee Support Works
Every retirement plan has different governance needs. Some committees want to retain investment authority while receiving expert guidance. Others prefer to delegate investment decisions to a discretionary fiduciary.
PointOak helps plan sponsors determine the appropriate fiduciary structure while integrating investment monitoring, provider benchmarking, committee governance, and fiduciary documentation into one structured process.
Our approach combines quarterly investment reviews, fiduciary documentation, committee support, and ongoing monitoring so your retirement plan remains aligned with both participant interests and regulatory expectations.
Our Fiduciary Governance & Committee Support Services
PointOak offers several levels of fiduciary support depending on your organization's responsibilities and governance goals.
3(21) Fiduciary Services
Maintain control over investment decisions while working alongside an experienced 3(21) investment fiduciary. We provide investment recommendations, fiduciary guidance, committee support, and ongoing monitoring while your committee retains final decision-making authority.
- Shared Fiduciary Responsibility
- Investment Recommendations
- Quarterly Reviews
3(38) Investment Manager Services
Transfer day-to-day investment responsibility to PointOak. As your 3(38) investment manager, we assume discretionary authority for selecting, monitoring, and replacing plan investments while providing documented oversight throughout the year.
- Discretionary Investment Management
- Investment Selection
- Continuous Monitoring
Plan Governance & Committee Support
Strong governance requires more than good investments. We help committees establish fiduciary processes, maintain documentation, support committee meetings, and create governance procedures designed to satisfy ERISA requirements.
- Committee Governance
- Investment Oversight
- Fiduciary Documentation
Virtual Fiduciary File
Keep every benchmark, committee meeting, investment review, provider evaluation, governance record, and fiduciary document organized in one secure location. Your Virtual Fiduciary File creates an well-organized record of your committee's ongoing fiduciary process while making it easy to retrieve documentation whenever it's needed.
- Organized Fiduciary Documentation
- Committee Records
- Centralized Fiduciary File
Who Benefits from ERISA Fiduciary Governance & Committee Support?
Professional fiduciary support is especially valuable when:
- Your organization needs a clearly defined fiduciary structure.
- Your investment committee wants expert guidance.
- Your plan has not been benchmarked recently.
- You're preparing for a Department of Labor audit or regulatory review.
- Internal HR or finance teams lack specialized ERISA expertise.
- Your committee wants ongoing governance and documentation support.
Organizations with simple retirement plans may not require outsourced fiduciary services, but growing companies and larger plans often benefit from independent fiduciary guidance.
What To Expect
AnalyzeStructureImplement- 1
Analyze
We review your current fiduciary structure, governance process, investment oversight, committee responsibilities, and documentation.
- 2
Structure
We recommend an appropriate fiduciary model while strengthening governance, investment oversight, fiduciary documentation, and committee processes.
- 3
Implement
We provide ongoing fiduciary services, investment monitoring, committee support, benchmarking, and documentation throughout the year.
Why Choose PointOak for ERISA Fiduciary Governance & Committee Support
Retirement plan consulting is a core area of PointOak's practice, supported by deep experience across fiduciary governance, investments, benchmarking, plan design, and participant education.
PointOak brings deep retirement-plan experience to plan sponsors, with founder Darsh Makim, CRPC®, advising retirement plan sponsors since 2005.
PointOak is compensated by clients for its advisory and consulting services and does not receive investment-product commissions. Recommendations are made within the fiduciary scope of the engagement.
- 3(21) Investment Fiduciary & 3(38) Investment Manager Services
- Fee-Only Independent Advisor
- SEC-Registered Investment Adviser
- Founder’s retirement-plan experience since 2005
- Quarterly Investment Reviews
- Virtual Fiduciary Documentation
- Ongoing Governance Support
About PointOak Retirement Advisors
PointOak Retirement Advisors is an independent, fee-only fiduciary advisory firm providing private wealth management and retirement plan consulting to clients throughout the DC Metro area and nationwide. We offer personalized financial planning and investment management for individuals and families as well as comprehensive retirement plan consulting for businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is fiduciary support for a retirement plan?
Fiduciary support helps retirement plan sponsors fulfill their responsibilities under ERISA by providing guidance on investment oversight, governance, compliance, documentation, and ongoing monitoring.
Depending on your needs, fiduciary support may include serving as a 3(21) investment fiduciary or 3(38) investment manager, assisting with committee governance, conducting fee benchmarking, maintaining fiduciary documentation, and helping monitor investments throughout the year.
What is the difference between a 3(21) investment fiduciary and a 3(38) investment manager?
A 3(21) investment fiduciary provides investment advice and recommendations while the plan sponsor or committee retains final decision-making authority. A 3(38) investment manager has discretionary authority within the delegated scope to select, monitor, and replace plan investments.
Both models help strengthen fiduciary oversight, but they offer different levels of responsibility and delegation. PointOak serves as both a 3(21) investment fiduciary and 3(38) investment manager depending on your organization's governance preferences.
What services are typically included in fiduciary support?
A comprehensive fiduciary support program may include:
- Investment monitoring
- ERISA-related governance guidance
- Committee governance
- Fee and provider benchmarking
- Fiduciary documentation
- Investment Policy Statement support
- Quarterly reporting
- Virtual fiduciary file management
- The exact services depend on your plan's size, governance structure, and fiduciary model.
What is a Virtual Fiduciary File?
A Virtual Fiduciary File is a centralized repository that stores committee minutes, investment reports, benchmarking studies, governance documents, fiduciary decisions, and supporting documentation.
Maintaining organized records helps demonstrate a prudent fiduciary process and provides an well-organized history of your retirement plan's oversight.
Why is documentation so important under ERISA?
ERISA evaluates the fiduciary process as much as the investment results.
Documenting committee discussions, investment decisions, provider evaluations, benchmarking studies, and ongoing monitoring demonstrates that fiduciaries followed a prudent, repeatable process designed to serve participants' best interests.
How do I know whether my plan needs professional fiduciary support?
Many organizations benefit from fiduciary support if they:
- Have an investment committee
- Lack formal governance procedures
- Haven't benchmarked providers recently
- Need help documenting fiduciary decisions
- Want independent investment oversight
- Are preparing for a DOL audit or regulatory review
- An initial consultation can help determine the level of support that makes sense for your organization.
How much does fiduciary support cost?
Fees depend on the size and complexity of your retirement plan, the fiduciary services selected, and the level of ongoing support required.
PointOak operates on a transparent fee-only model with no commissions or hidden compensation. Your initial consultation is complimentary, allowing us to understand your plan and recommend the most appropriate fiduciary solution.
Build a Stronger Fiduciary Process
Get the independent guidance, documentation, and ongoing oversight your committee needs to manage its responsibilities with confidence.