consultant by choice; passionate about assisting clients
The Why
Consultant’s Assessment of Fiduciary Excellence
A Consultant’s Assessment is a preliminary assessment of an Investment Fiduciary’s practices and provides the Fiduciary with information about their current practices compared to the Global Standard of Fiduciary Excellence. The results of this assessment can be used to correct any deficiencies and can be used as preparation of a full Certification Assessment. This assessment follows the same methodology as the full CEFEX Assessment.
CEFEX Assessment of Fiduciary Excellence
A successful completion of the CEFEX Assessment results in CEFEX Certification of Fiduciary Excellence for the investment fiduciary. Certification recognizes that the fiduciary can demonstrate adherence to the industry’s best practices and is worthy of the public’s trust. Certification includes a certificate and a Letter of Registration, inclusion in the CEFEX public registry as a Registered Firm, use of the CEFEX mark and marketing materials in the firm’s branding efforts and a news release.
- The CEFEX Assessment may result in the issuance of a Non-Conformity Report and/or an Opportunity for Improvement report:
- A non-conformity is a serious deficiency. Certification is delayed until the non-conformity is corrected. The candidate has 90 days to correct the non-conformity.
- An Opportunity for Improvement report is issued when a conformity falls short of a best practice but is not a serious deficiency. An OFI does not delay Certification but gives the candidate an opportunity to improve their practice.
Fiduciary Training
Fiduciary Guidance provides fiduciary training using the program Fiduciary Essentials® developed by Fi360, the parent organization of CEFEX. The Department of Labor expects retirement plan fiduciaries to have formal training and will ask for evidence of training during an examination. Officers and board members of Foundations and Nonprofits should also receive training in their responsibilities. Completion of this course results in improved fiduciary decision making and consists of three 45 minute modules. The course concludes with a competency review and a Certificate of Completion for each participant.
General Fiduciary Consulting
Fiduciary Guidance, LLC is available to consult on any investment fiduciary situation. I am a consultant by choice and am passionate about assisting clients achieve fiduciary excellence.
Experienced Advisor
Ed Messerly has over 35 years of experience in Fiduciary matters. After graduating from law school, Ed practiced law several years before joining the trust department of a large regional bank. At the bank Ed was responsible for the retirement plan division of the trust department for the Eastern Region of Ohio. His responsibilities included fiduciary compliance for 4 offices in the region. After leaving the bank, Ed joined Mercer Human Resources Consulting in Cleveland as a retirement plan advisor/consultant. When Ed retired from Mercer, he saw a need to assist investment fiduciaries in meeting their fiduciary responsibilities and started Fiduciary Guidance, LLC.