Employer Retirement Consulting

For those who believe in the impact of incredible partnership.

The depth and quality of relationships with those who help manage your benefits is critical to your business.

Our Commitment

To Your Company

Your employer sponsored retirement plan is our top priority. We partner so you can have confidence that we strive to design a plan as best-in-class, compliant, appreciated, and 100% managed. We work proactively to exceed your expectations.

To Your Employees

Our team partners with employers, like yours, who take a sincere interest in your financial wellness and retirement readiness. You will have the support, information and tools necessary to make informed financial decisions on the journey to and through retirement.

To Our Industry

Whether you are running a Plan or saving for retirement, a lot is of expected of you! So, we have the same high expectations for our industry and fellow Advisors. We want fee transparency and clarity of information for confidence in decision-making. And, we are obsessed with participant outcomes.

We are proud to tell you that when you choose to partner with us on your 401(k) or 403(b), you are entering into a relationship with dedicated knowledgeable professionals committed to offering the highest levels of service.

Who We Are

Borislow Insurance is our firm.

Founded in 1982, we are a consultative advisory firm committed to employee benefits.
As one of the largest privately held benefit advisory firms in New England, clients realize our scale and importantly, our fierce independence allows for innovation, room to be nimble, and to service each client as an individual.
Our long-standing clients have become our advocates and we now serve over 350 incredible companies, schools and non-profits.
Your strategic consulting team is a seamless expansion of your own management team and provides a wide range of expertise. This deep internal team capability is unique in the industry.
Direct access to expert resources and highly responsive service defines our approach.
We take our responsibility to the community seriously. We have a standing “Charitable Giving Committee” that meets weekly to formulate monthly initiatives.

Our network of premier partners brings strength and security to our strategies. We affiliate with Royal Alliance as a back office for regulatory and operational support giving us the freedom to focus on you. Our affiliation offers us, and by extension you, the collective strength of technology, support and service.

Founded in 1969, Royal Alliance is part of Advisor Group, one of the largest networks of independent wealth management firms in the country.
The total network oversees approximately $190 billion in assets.
Royal Alliance has no products. Its only “products” are service and support.
Their Retirement Plan Consulting Services Team include ERISA in-house experts and provider oversight with industry and compliance experts working for us.
We do not work for Royal Alliance. We work for you.

We are completely independent and vendor neutral.

We are your 3(21) investment advisor.
The recordkeepers we use have gone through a rigorous due diligence process and evaluation by us and our broker-dealer Royal Alliance.

We prove that partnering with the right Advisor on your employer sponsored retirement plan is a big decision. When you realize the relief and confidence that comes from our partnership you understand exactly why.

Michaela F. Scott, MSFS, CFP®, AIF®, RICP®, CHFC, CHSA®, CLU®

Director Employer Retirement Consulting

Michaela leads Borislow's Employer Retirement Consulting Practice. She is a Certified Financial Planner^TM and earned her Master of Science in Financial Services with a concentration in Retirement Planning from the American College of Financial Services. She holds an honors Bachelor of Arts in Politics from Saint Anselm College where she currently serves as President of the Alumni Association. She is a Retirement Income Certified Professional and as an Investment Advisor Representative was awarded the Five Star Wealth Manager. Michaela is a Qualifying Member of the Million Dollar Round Table, an international network of financial Advisors who strive to serve their clients with the highest standards of ethics, knowledge, service and productivity.

Award Disclosures

Designations

Our People

Our dedicated team defines a process to manage all the elements that are required to maintain a healthy and effective retirement plan. Beyond helping to coordinate and streamline the plan operation and maintenance, our combined effort helps plan sponsors achieve maximum employee satisfaction and appreciation.

Stacy Parker-Lurie

Director Retirement Plan Service and Operations

Stacy, our Director of Retirement Plan Service and Operations, is dedicated to making the complex simple and helping you to procure the very best out of your partners. As a fully licensed financial professional she serves as a single-point of contact to provide clear concise answers. Originally based out of New York focusing on venture banking and all aspects of the financial services industry, she has spent the last 12 years focused exclusively on 401(k) and 403(b) plans. She has served as Director of Client Services at firms like Morgan Stanley and LPL Financial managing up to 240 retirement plans with exceptional attention to an incredible client experience. She manages onboarding of new clients and remains dedicated to all areas of client service including education for participants and plan sponsors. Her commitment to each employee’s retirement readiness and financial wellbeing fits perfectly with Borislow’s culture of caring.

As your Plan’s Advisor we partner as a co-fiduciary.

You can call us a 3(21) Advisor, Financial Advisor, Investment Advisor, Plan Consultant, 401(k) Broker, 403(b) Consultant etc. The important thing is, the only person we work for is you.

You might wonder what exactly a retirement plan fiduciary is and whether you are one. If you look it up it might make you nervous. Don’t be scared. That’s why we are here.

We know you are simply trying to offer a great benefit and likely frustrated at the growing complexities and unease that come with offering a qualified plan. As a co-fiduciary we have your back. We help you understand what acting in the best-interest of the plan at all times requires and help you execute.

We are vendor neutral and can work with your current partners or help you explore.

We act as detectives, project managers and co-architects.

Detective

What is working, what is not?
What potential issues are unknown and can be easily fixed?
What additional services are available at no additional cost?

Project Manager

Define roles and responsibilities.
Checklist approach to compliance and follow-through
Marshall resources to engage and educate employees

Co-architect

Plan design to accomplish your goals
Tailored education strategies - we deliver.
Impact how your employees and recruits see your plan - we help you build that vision

We believe

You can expect more from you partnerships.
Your plan can be appreciated by your workforce.
Your plan maintenance and administration should not be a burden.
You can expect your Advisor to help you fully understand your Plan and your options so you are confident in your decisions and process.
Your partners should raise questions on your behalf that you would otherwise not know to ask.
Your retirement plan benefit should evolve with your business.
Your employee's should experience exceptional service.

Our process starts with a single conversation. We want to begin by answering some of the questions that might be on your mind. We are passionate about retirement plans and every opportunity we have to help is worthwhile.

We are always looking for the right team to partner with on their employer sponsored retirement plan. When we become the Advisor on a 401(k)/403(b) Plan we review exactly what you have, address your concerns, and make you aware of opportunities for improvements.

Plan Level Improvements
Deign, Investment Line-Up, Fees
Administrative Level Improvements
Identify and define responsibilities and fix breakdowns between service providers, fiduciary calendar and file
Participant Level Improvements
Set education and communication road map and decide which employee inquires to reroute

Ongoing, we stick to our service model discussed and do what we say we are going to do. Your happiness is our responsibility.

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For even the savviest of employers, running a retirement plan can be challenging and time consuming.

For The Plan Sponsor

As a 3(21) co-fiduciary we help you understand what acting in the best-interest of the plan at all times requires and help you efficiently execute. You can expect us to take the heaviest lift in navigating all that is required of you on your employer sponsored retirement plan.

Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans aren't part of our business, they are our business.
This differentiates us in five major ways:

We are immersed in the world of recordkeepers, TPA's, auditors, ERISA attorney's and industry leaders.
We understand your true pain points, listen and know the questions to ask on your behalf.
We are completely approachable and dependable as your single-point of contact for clear concise answers.
We grow with our Plans but never get lazy. Benchmarking, negotiating fees and holding your vendors accountable is the key to a best-in-class retirement plan for both today and in the future.
We are obsessed with participant outcomes and dedicated to raising the level of financial literacy and confidence.

Employers Partner with us for:

Improved participation rates
Guidance in evaluating and choosing a provider
Help understanding fees and expenses
Knowledge and experience in selecting and monitoring investments
Ongoing support for understanding and managing fiduciary responsibilities

Click Here for Case Studies

Trustees and Investment Committees hire us as their Plan's Advisor for assistance in complying with fiduciary best practices.

Investments	Investment Line-Up We are hired for our knowledge and experience in recommending and monitoring investment options. It is our responsibility to help you maintain a process of selecting and deselecting funds for your Plan's investment line-up. Learn More
Fees	Understanding Fees You need to be confident services received are helpful and necessary in light of the expenses paid by you and your employees. We help you understand all current fees and expenses and benchmark/negotiate to ensure competitiveness. Learn More
Compliance / Administration	Compliance and Ease of Administration We provide ongoing support in understanding and managing fiduciary responsibilities and streamline the process for operational compliance including support for annual audits. We help you understand whether the Plan is operating in accordance with Plan documents and applicable provisions of ERISA. We create and maintain an Invest Policy Statement (IPS). Learn More
Participant Education	Participant Education and Communication We assist in developing a participant and communication strategy which fits the needs, objectives and demographics of the employee/Plan participant base. We coordinate and conduct enrollment and retirement education meetings for Plan participants. Learn More

Expect More

Fiduciary Support	Ongoing fiduciary guidance, training and support to mitigate potential liabilities.
Investment Fund Analysis	Fund review and ranking to enhance outcomes, manage risks and reduce fiduciary exposure.
Benchmarking and Fee Negotiation	Continuous monitoring of fees and expenses through RFP driven process to help maximize negotiating leverage.
Employee Engagement	Communication and education strategies to enhance appreciation and increase financial confidence. Plan health reporting to confirm results.
Administrative Support	Define roles and responsibilities and leverage partners. Consider us an extension of your management team when it comes to running your Plan.
Plan Design Consulting	Design a plan that is a reflection of you based on a deep understanding of your business approach and opportunities, demographics, and employee attraction/retention philosophy.

We are extremely invested and committed to the non-profit and school communities who have 403(b) Plans. Finally, there are some positive changes and opportunities for the non-profit space.

"As the daughter of independent private school teachers, I get it. Every dollar counts. This is why having low fees, good investment choices and access to information through the 403(b) plan is critical! Too often we find this isn't the case and that plan sponsors feel that they can't fix it." Michaela F. Scott

You can get to a place of complete confidence with the retirement plan you currently offer. If you need a well-versed, proactive, service oriented advisor to work with you, we can help. For you and your peers we are:

Recommending improved solution to the nagging problems in the 403(b) space
Addressing known pain points and unknown issues bubbling beneath the surface
Providing a course to correction

Employer Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
Non-Qualified 409A Deferred Compensation
Profit Sharing and Plan Design

Sometimes you need to get creative to attract and retain executive leadership and key employees. Getting innovative doesn't have to be complicated though. We work with employers on solutions that fit their unique and complex situation in a way that makes sense, is manageable and excites!

We are often called on by other Advisors to help formulate, design and quantify a solution. We also partner directly with clients to help them understand the advantages and disadvantages of advanced strategies. We guide to the decision point, implement, monitor and review.

How the world of Multiple Employer Plans (MEPs) has changed!

If a hard look at a current MEP has not taken place in some time it is likely overdue for a benchmarking and review of it's components.

If considering using a MEP to create differentiation for your PEO or association, and you are looking for cost savings and administrative efficiency, we are available to review what needs to be considered.

By partnering with employers and a goal to offer the best-in-class retirement plans we are able to help employees become retirement ready. And, because we all have goals between now and retirement, we provide the information needed to make informed financial decisions along the way.

For The Plan Participant

Am I retirement ready?

What a loaded question.

When you work with us you will get:

Help identifying and prioritizing you short- and long-term objectives
A comprehensive review of all income sources in retirement
A timeline that’s right for you
Risk tolerance analysis to assist building an accumulation and/or distribution strategy

What you won't get is any judgement.

NOTE: Health care costs in retirement are a big deal! If you are retiring and you need help navigating Medicare, please contact us. We have two Medicare Consultants who are singularly focused on assisting our clients with this decision and helping them secure coverage.

We field the below questions, and many more, all the time.

Every situation is unique so please don't hesitate to contact us directly.

How much should I be saving for retirement?

What if I have competing priorities? How can I decide the best place to put my money?

How much does healthcare really cost in retirement? And, how am I supposed to figure out Medicare?

I always here about rollovers. How am I supposed to figure out what is best for me?

Should I contribute to my Roth 401(k) or Traditional 401(k)?

Can I use money from my retirement accounts while I'm still working? Like, for my first home?

Case Studies

See them here

Events, News & In the Press...click here

If you are doing everything you know needs to be done to offer an employer sponsored retirement plan and still feel uneasy, like something is missing and that you can expect more, you're probably right.

Let's talk about it further