By: GGA Retirement | Granite Group Advisors
Updated: 10/05/2025
Looking for clear guidance on your company’s retirement plan?
Granite Group Advisors, LLC, & GGA Retirement's ("Granite") retirement services specialize in helping HR leaders and plan sponsors across CT and NY manage 401(k) oversight, reduce fiduciary risk, and improve participant outcomes.Compliance Through Fiduciary Oversight
Ensuring your retirement plan is compliant, cost-effective, and well-governed is a critical responsibility for HR teams.Together, Granite's retirement services provide independent fiduciary oversight, helping your organization manage plan operations, monitor investment performance, and maintain ERISA compliance.Managing a retirement plan can be complex, and HR professionals play a critical role in ensuring that participants have access to a well-governed, compliant, and efficient retirement program.From operational oversight to investment monitoring, GGA Retirement and Granite Group Advisors provide the support and fiduciary expertise necessary to maintain plan integrity and optimize outcomes for employees.Granite's Retirement Services Can Support Your HR Team
Ensuring your retirement plan is compliant, cost-effective, and well-governed is a central responsibility for HR leaders.GGA Retirement and Granite Group Advisors support NY and CT clients with fiduciary guidance that emphasizes transparency, risk mitigation, and operational efficiency.Our approach is designed to complement HR resources, helping plan sponsors focus on employee engagement and strategic benefits planning while we handle complex fiduciary tasks.Improving Governance and Operational Efficiency
From committee support and documentation to quarterly reviews, you need to equip your organization with a framework that sustains integrity.Learn more below:
Administrative and compliance responsibilities can place significant demands on HR teams.Our 3(16) fiduciary services assume day-to-day operational and compliance duties for your 401(k) plan, including documentation, filings, testing, and vendor coordination.Key responsibilities of our 3(16) services include:Regulatory Compliance
Ensuring the plan adheres to ERISA, IRS, and DOL requirements.Documentation & Recordkeeping
Maintaining governing documents, amendments, and participant records to minimize errors and audit exposure.Vendor Oversight & Coordination
Serving as the liaison between employers, recordkeepers, custodians, and advisors.Compliance Testing
Conducting nondiscrimination, contribution, and eligibility testing to prevent regulatory violations.Reporting & Filings
Preparing and submitting Form 5500 and participant notices in a timely manner.By leveraging 3(16) services, HR leaders and plan sponsors benefit from:Reduced Liability Exposure
Delegating operational responsibilities to qualified fiduciaries limits organizational and individual risk.Time and Resource Savings
Freeing HR and finance teams to focus on strategic priorities.Enhanced Accuracy and Transparency
Structured, documented processes support audits and internal reporting.Improved Employee Experience Participants receive timely, accurate communications, fostering engagement and trust.For NY and CT clients, 3(16) services provide a compliant and efficient foundation for plan administration, ensuring all operational and fiduciary obligations are met.Take Action Today
Visit our website below and get in touch to see how 3(16) plan administrator services can streamline your plan administration, ensure ERISA compliance, and reduce your fiduciary burden as an HR leader.
Investment oversight is one of the most important and high-risk aspects of managing a 401(k) plan.HR leaders and plan sponsors often rely on independent fiduciaries to manage investment selection, monitoring, and performance evaluation, ensuring compliance with ERISA’s prudence and diversification standards.Granite Group Advisors offers 3(38) investment fiduciary services to assume responsibility for investment oversight, providing HR teams with a clear, compliant structure for plan investment governance in their 401(k) and corporate retirement plans.Key responsibilities of our 3(38) services include:Investment Selection & Oversight
Evaluating plan options, including mutual funds and CITs in 401(k)s that provide ETF "Exchange-Traded-Fund" style diversification and low-cost exposure.Ongoing Performance Reviews
Conducting regular evaluations, comparing options to industry benchmarks, and making adjustments as needed.Fiduciary Documentation
Maintaining thorough documentation of investment decisions to satisfy ERISA recordkeeping and audit requirements.Risk Management
Identifying underperforming funds or excessive fees, reducing potential fiduciary liability. Ensuring lowest-cost options without sacrificing performance.Participant Communication Support
Providing clear reporting and educational materials regarding investment options.By engaging 3(38) services, HR teams, employers, and plan sponsors benefit from:Mitigated Fiduciary Risk
Delegating investment decision-making responsibility to a qualified fiduciary.Save Time & Resources
Reducing the burden of ongoing monitoring and analysis.Enhanced Compliance, Technology & Transparency
Documented processes demonstrate prudence and support audits. Online education tools and technology to support your employees.Improved Participant Outcomes
Ensuring a diversified, professionally managed investment lineup designed for long-term growth.Our approach includes monitoring ETF-style holdings within ERISA-compliant vehicles, providing the benefits of diversified index exposure without introducing noncompliant products directly into the 401(k) plan.Take Action Today
Visit our website below and get in touch to see how you can simplify fiduciary oversight, reduce risk, and improve retirement plan outcomes for your organization.
Even well-structured plans can have hidden compliance, operational, or governance risks.Through Granite's retirement services, we will conduct comprehensive fiduciary checkups to ensure your retirement plan is fully compliant, well-documented, and effectively managed.
A robust fiduciary checkup evaluates:ERISA and IRS Filings
Verifying accuracy and timeliness of Form 5500 and other regulatory submissions.
Plan Administration
Ensuring 3(16) processes are robust, documented, and compliant.Vendor Coordination
Reviewing recordkeeper, custodian, and advisor relationships.Investment Oversight
Evaluating fund performance, fees, and diversification.Participant Communication
Confirming materials are accurate, timely, and clear.Operational Efficiency
Identifying gaps or inefficiencies in administration to reduce costs.This review provides HR leaders and plan sponsors with actionable insights and recommendations, helping maintain fiduciary compliance while optimizing participant outcomes.ETF-Style Holdings in Compliant 401(k) PlansMany HR teams explore ETFs when benchmarking investments or reviewing plan lineups.Our team structures plans using mutual funds or CITs that provide ETF-style diversification and transparency.This approach gives NY and CT clients the benefits of low-cost, diversified index exposure while remaining fully compliant with ERISA and IRS requirements.We guide HR leaders through fund selection, performance monitoring, and fee benchmarking, helping you offer participants investment options that align with plan objectives and regulatory standards.Why HR Leaders Choose Granite's Retirement GuidanceOur team is increasingly recognized as a symbol of structured, compliant fiduciary oversight.By partnering with GGA Retirement and Granite Group Advisors, HR teams gain clarity and confidence in plan administration, investment oversight, and employee communication.Our services ensure:Transparent Governance
Documented processes and audit-ready records.Fiduciary Risk Mitigation
Independent oversight for investment and operational decisions.Strategic Resource Allocation
Allowing HR to focus on engagement and benefits strategy.NY and CT Expertise
Localized experience with compliance, benchmarking, and participant support.Through professional oversight, HR leaders can demonstrate prudence and governance to stakeholders while ensuring the plan remains competitive and compliant.Next Steps for HR TeamsSchedule a fiduciary review.Our team will provide an actionable plan to streamline administration, monitor low-cost investment options, and maintain compliance under ERISA standards.Request a free consultation below. Explore how independent fiduciary oversight can support your HR team, mitigate risk, and improve outcomes for your employees.Your company's 401(k) plan can benefit from independent fiduciary oversight and operational efficiency.Take Action Today.