Category Archives: News

March 15, 2022

The RPS SmartCourse Savings Plan allows employers to take advantage of combined plans that are cost-effective, improve employee benefits, and reduce liability.

AUSTIN, TX — Retirement plan service provider RPS Retirement Plan Advisors has formed a new Pooled Employer Plan (or PEP) called the RPS SmartCourse Savings Plan which will allow employers to group their plans to gain access to better benefits, services, and rates.

RPS serves as the 3(38) Investment Fiduciary for adopting employers and has partnered with Ameritas BlueStar Retirement Services, LLC to provide third-party administrator (TPA) and record-keeping services. TRG Fiduciary Services is the Pooled Plan Provider and Named Fiduciary.

A PEP is a special type of retirement plan that allows companies to pool their purchasing power to access better benefits while at the same time reducing much of the administrative burden that comes with offering competitive 401(k) plans to employees. In addition, a PEP eliminates the need for individual companies to file a Form 5500 with the Department of Labor or have individual audits performed. These new plan structures also allow employers flexibility in plan design for features like company match, auto-escalation, and more.

“Offering a competitive 401(k) plan to employees is a must-have in today’s job market,” said Phil Webb, Vice President of RPS. “Utilizing the RPS SmartCourse Savings Plan makes it possible for companies of virtually any size to provide exceptional benefits with fewer headaches, and potentially lower fees.”

Previously, for companies to take advantage of similar benefits, they had to be part of an association or a Professional Employer Organization (PEO). Thanks to the passing of the SECURE Act of 2019, this requirement has been eliminated. Now, the marketplace is open and many more companies can reap the benefits of a PEP.

About RPS Retirement Plan Advisors

RPS Retirement Plan Advisors is a 3(38) fiduciary advisor that prepares employees to retire on time and financially secure while easing much of the fiduciary duties and associated liability from the company’s plan sponsor. To serve as a 3(38) fiduciary advisor, you must be a Registered Investment Advisor and provide services without commissions. As a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor, RPS Retirement Plan Advisors meets these requirements and has delivered fiduciary services to its clients for more than 30 years.

RPS is a subsidiary of Richard P. Slaughter Associates, Inc., a wealth management firm founded in 1991. In 2010, Slaughter Associates launched a division to provide retirement plan services to bring the same array of investment choices to retirement plan clients as high net worth clients – quality portfolios that are balanced and diversified. The retirement plan division was rebranded as RPS Retirement Plan Advisors in 2013 to better articulate the dedicated retirement plan services offered.

August 27, 2018

RPS Retirement Plan Advisors boosts its staff with the addition of retirement service specialist, Mari Erb.

AUSTIN, TX — RPS Retirement Plan Advisors bolstered its service team this year with the addition of Retirement Service Specialist, Mari Erb.

Erb will utilize her skills and expertise to deliver advice to employers on retirement plan design and needs and to help plan participants best utilize their employer’s retirement plan to meet their personal retirement needs and goals.

“Mari’s superb attention to detail is precisely what is required when building healthy retirement plan benefits and educating employees on how to utilize their plan to the fullest,” said Brooks Slaughter, President, and CEO. “With her expertise, we can offer even more data integrity and support to our clients.”

Erb comes to RPS after earning her Bachelor’s degree in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University.

“Building a well-designed retirement plan is a critical component of a company’s benefits package,” said Erb. “And building trust with each employee is equally important to ensuring they create a path towards retirement readiness.”

About RPS Retirement Plan Advisors

RPS Retirement Plan Advisors is a 3(38) fiduciary advisor that prepares employees to retire on time and financially secure while easing much of the fiduciary duties and associated liability from the company’s plan sponsor. To serve as a 3(38) fiduciary advisor, you must be a Registered Investment Advisor and provide services without commissions. As a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor, RPS Retirement Plan Advisors meets these requirements and has delivered fiduciary services to its clients for more than 25 years.

RPS is a subsidiary of Richard P. Slaughter Associates, Inc., a wealth management firm founded in 1991. In 2010, Slaughter Associates launched a division to provide retirement plan services to bring the same array of investment choices to retirement plan clients as high net worth clients – quality portfolios that are balanced and diversified. The retirement plan division was rebranded as RPS Retirement Plan Advisors in 2013 to better articulate the dedicated retirement plan services offered.

February 27, 2014

RPS Retirement Plan Advisors focusing on retirement readiness as a 3(38) Fiduciary expands leadership in Metroplex.

RICHARDSON, TX — Richard P. Slaughter Associates 401(k) Services is now RPS Retirement Plan Advisors. The new name better articulates the dedication to a complete array of retirement plan services offered by the company as a 3(38) fiduciary. Along with the name change and new logo, the company is expanding its leadership team in the Dallas Metroplex with the addition of retirement industry veteran Phil Webb.

Only a few select advisors have the unique ability to assume fiduciary duties and liability as a 3(38) advisor. To serve as a 3(38) advisor, a company must be a Registered Investment Advisor and provide services without commissions. As a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor, RPS Retirement Plan Advisors meets these requirements, and has delivered such fiduciary services to its clients for more than 20 years.

“The principle idea of a retirement plan for a company is to provide value to its employees and be a true benefit for recruitment and retention,” says Bob Tabor, RPS Retirement Plan Advisors Vice President. “If a company’s 401(k) plan isn’t managed properly, then it’s not a benefit to employees and it can become a significant liability to the company. Our intent is to alleviate the liability for the company while supporting employees for retirement readiness.”

RPS Retirement Plan Advisors institutes its FiduciaryPlus™ strategy to develop a plan that is cost effective, valued by employees, reduces stress on the company’s workload, is Department of Labor audit ready, and limits fiduciary liability for both the company and individuals. The FiduciaryPlus strategy focuses on six areas to develop a healthy plan: Plan Design, Retirement Readiness Program, ERISA Compliance, Service Provider Oversight, Quality Investments, and Cost Control.

Using his 19-plus years of experience with several leading companies within the retirement plan industry, Phil Webb will lead the Metroplex office as a Senior Plan Advisor. He has held positions with sales, service and advisory oversight of corporate retirement plans — a unique combination of skills that translate very well for serving as an advocate for plan sponsors.

About RPS Retirement Plan Advisors

RPS Retirement Plan Advisors is a 3(38) fiduciary advisor that prepares employees to retire on time and financially secure while easing much of the fiduciary duties and associated liability from the company’s plan sponsor.

The company was originally launched as a division of Richard P. Slaughter Associates to bring the same array of investment choices for 401(k) clients as the company had provided to its high net worth clients for more than 20 years. The 401(k) division was recently rebranded as RPS Retirement Plan Advisors to better articulate the dedicated retirement plan services offered. RPS Retirement Plan Advisors has offices in the Dallas Metroplex and Austin.