Here's a term you really don't want used to describe your 401(k): "One of the most expensive plans in America."
That's what law firm Nichols Kaster calls the $1.3 billion retirement plan at the center of a proposed class action against Fujitsu Technology and Business of America Inc. In a lawsuit filed recently in San Jose federal court, the attorneys alleged a cornucopia of fiduciary breaches tied to excessive fees, record keeping, and the components of the company's target-date funds. The case, and several like it in the past year, may be harbingers of a new cycle of 401(k)-gone-bad litigation, this time targeting ever-smaller retirement plans.
Nichols Kaster compared the Fujitsu plan's fees with those of about 650 other plans with more than $1 billion in assets. Among 401(k)s with that much money, the average plan has annual costs that amount to 0.33 percent of assets, according to the complaint; it estimates that Fujitsu's costs were 0.88 and 0.90 percent for 2013 and 2014. That would have led to at least $7 million in excess fees that could have been socked away in employee nest eggs, the complaint stated. Fujitsu America, which provides technology and business support to affiliated companies, has yet to answer the complaint or make an appearance in the case, and a company spokesman declined to comment.
Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to Treasury & Risk, part of your ALM digital membership.
Your access to unlimited Treasury & Risk content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Thought leadership on regulatory changes, economic trends, corporate success stories, and tactical solutions for treasurers, CFOs, risk managers, controllers, and other finance professionals
- Informative weekly newsletter featuring news, analysis, real-world case studies, and other critical content
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical coverage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
*May exclude premium content© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.