Trend Continues As Transamerica Settles 401(k) Excessive-Fee Lawsuit

Posted on July 12th, 2016 at 12:34 PM
Trend Continues As Transamerica Settles 401(k) Excessive-Fee Lawsuit

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law LLC:

The retirement plan provider joins a list of other firms such as MassMutual, Fidelity and Ameriprise that have settled lawsuits with their own 401 (k) participants.

Plaintiffs in the suit alleged breach of fiduciary duty under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) by Transamerica and affiliated companies for charging excessive administrative and investment management fees.

Transamerica allegedly administered the plan “for the benefit of Aegon” (the firm’s parent company) and gained excess fees for itself through revenue sharing payments, according to the complaint, originally filed in February 2015.

U.S District Court Judge McManus for the Northern District of Iowa, Cedar Rapids Division, granted preliminary approval of the nearly $4 million settlement on June 24.

Transamerica spokesman Gregory Tucker said in an e-mailed statement, “Although we have maintained that these allegations are unfounded, we have agreed in principle to settle the case in order to avoid the time and expense of litigation.”

Similarly in June, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. agreed to settle with its employees for $31 million. Transamerica joins a growing list of retirement plan service providers that have been the subject of similar excessive-fee lawsuits brought by their plan participants.

The attorneys of Eccleston Law LLC represent investors and advisers nationwide in securities and employment matters. Our attorneys draw on a combined experience of nearly 65 years in delivering the highest quality legal services. If you are in need of legal services, contact us to schedule a one-on-one consultation today.

Related Attorneys: James J. Eccleston

Tags: Eccleston, Eccleston Law, Eccleston Law LLC, James Eccleston

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next

If the regulators are after you, and are trying to make a case against you, and you are going to contest their allegations against you, make sure you have the best securities industry defense lawyers, Eccleston Law Firm. My case was spun into a combination of penalties including fines, cash settlements, CE courses and suspension. They were the best I have seen in action. When all was said and done, they had done their magic, my situation was negotiated and settled with a simple "letter of caution" and a case closed without action. It is the most important legal business decision you will ever make, make it Eccleston Law.

Rick R.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

July 26, 2024
Kentucky Advisor Sues LPL Financial for Alleged Corporate Raid

A Kentucky advisor, Mark Lamkin, has filed a lawsuit against LPL Financial, claiming the independent broker-dealer orchestrated a corporate raid that resulted in the loss of his firm’s entire book of managed assets.

July 25, 2024
FINRA Plans Fee Increases Amid Rising Costs and Losses

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has announced plans to raise fees for its approximately 3,300 broker-dealer member firms. According to AdvisorHub, the self-regulator faces soaring costs, as detailed in its annual report published at the end of June.

July 24, 2024
Raymond James Settles with Oregon Over Excessive Commissions

Raymond James recently settled a case with Oregon's Division of Financial Regulation (“DFR”), agreeing to pay nearly $200,000 over allegations of charging excessive commissions to retail investors.