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About Us > Case Studies
CASE STUDIES

February 2009

Stable Value - There are risks

 

Challenge: In mid-2008 Blue Prairie Group (BPG) met with a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Texas that sponsors a 401(k) plan with $1.4 billion in total assets and 45,000 participants. Although the prospect had originally wanted to meet because of a concern about one of their core equity funds, BPG quickly identified a significant fiduciary problem with their stable value fund that needed to be addressed immediately:

 

Results: BPG conducted a due diligent search and contacted six quality stable value managers that met 1. specific criteria within our proprietary stable value database. BPG retained the services of a third-party “wrap contract expert” to identify the details of the existing wrap contracts to and in particular, to understand the portability of these contracts to another investment manager. BPG recognized the challenges of transitioning the portfolio during the national credit crisis...

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May 2008

Why hire a fiduciary-based investment consultant?

 

Challenge: One of Blue Prairie Group’s (BPG) retained investment consulting clients offered an intermediate bond index fund to its participants in a separate account structure. The fund was highly levered and used derivative products to enhance its performance. When the sub prime and credit crisis began to unfold in the summer of 2007, this fund began to unravel quickly.

 

Results: After completing an in-depth review of the fund, BPG’s Investment Analytics Team concluded that there was significant risk of keeping this fund in the core lineup.  BPG convened a special ad hoc meeting with the client’s investment committee and recommended that all of the fund’s assets be mapped immediately to another bond index fund that BPG had already established as not having any sub prime exposure and which met the selection criteria outlined in the client’s custom investment policy statement...

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March 2008

Review of benefit program improved employee retirement readiness

 

Challenge: A large non-profit organization with more than 300 locations across northeastern Illinois asked Blue Prairie Group to assist them in a strategic retirement plan redesign. The defined benefit plan, with total assets in excess of $400 million, included 10,000 participants and the 403(b) plan, with $60 million in assets, included 3,500 participants out of 10,000 eligible.

 

Results: Blue Prairie Group managed the process to freeze the defined benefit pension plan and implement a comparable age-weighted defined contribution plan. The age-weighted formula resulted in a benefit level comparable to the benefit previously accrued under the DB plan, and allowed the organization to more accurately plan and budget pension costs...

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November 2007

Overhauling a defined contribution plan drives down the total cost for the benefit of participants

 

Challenge: A multi-national conglomerate with US headquarters in Chicago asked Blue Prairie Group to identify their DC Plan’s market rate cost structure. The plan had assets of $750 million and 8,500 participants.

 

Results: Blue Prairie Group (BPG) conducted a plan benchmarking study to identify the market rate cost structure.  BPG negotiated an annual fee savings of $480,000 for the exclusive benefit of plan participants.  Over a five-year period, the plan saved approximately $2.7 million dollars...

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April 2007

Blue Prairie Group Retained HR Steps in to Help

 

Challenge: A multi-site manufacturer based in the northern suburbs of Chicago was looking for a new director of human resources (the CHRO for this business.) The position had been open for months and the entire HR department was suffering from a lack of direction. There was a growing backlog of important items on the CHRO to-do list, but no one qualified to take them on.

 

Results: The Blue Prairie Group consultant accomplished a lot during his short time with the organization. Here’s a partial list: Recruited a new Director of Human Resources...

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February 2006

"Excess" Revenue: A New Paradigm for Driving Down Total Plan Costs

 

Challenge: A Chicago-based telecommunications company asked Blue Prairie Group to assist them in a due diligent search to select a new service provider. The client wanted to reduce total plan costs.


Results: The client changed its plan provider and revamped the investment line-up. The total cost of the client's plan was significantly reduced.
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November 2005

Overhauling a 401(k) Portfolio Drives Down the Total Cost of the Plan for the Benefit of Participants

Blue Prairie Group completed a project for an Ohio-based subsidiary of a foreign-owned global manufacturing company and helped them to select a new 401(k) service provider, revamp their 401(k) investment lineup and significantly drive down the total cost of their plan.

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September 2005

"401(k) Portfolio Overhaul: Driving Down Total Plan Cost for Participants"

Blue Prairie Group completed a project for a large public company based in the northern suburbs of Chicago and helped them to revamp their 401(k) investment lineup and significantly drive down the total cost of their plan.

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August 2005

"Whose Money is it Anyway?"

We believe that the question, "Whose money is it anyway?" needs to be asked more often by plan sponsors.
Blue Prairie Group recently helped an Indiana client reduce the total cost of their plan, revamp their investment portfolio including custom lifestyle funds and capture "excess revenue" back to the plan...
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August 2004

Ounce of Prevention Fund Works "Overtime"
The most significant revisions to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in more than 50 years are scheduled to go into effect on August 23. Jo Ann Paszczyk, Director of Human Resources for the Ounce of Prevention Fund, a nonprofit organization identifying, funding and evaluating innovative programs for children and families, asked Blue Prairie Group to help her identify which jobs are affected by the new regulations.

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