Adherence to a global standard of fiduciary excellence officially marks a commitment to acting in the best interest of investors.
After undergoing a thorough and independent assessment of investment management processes, investment strategy implementation, and other fiduciary practices, Argent Retirement Plan Advisors, a subsidiary of Argent Financial, today announced formal achievement of Centre for Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX®) certification from Broadridge. This makes Argent part of the elite group of nearly 250 firms from around the world to successfully complete the independent certification process.
Part of the rigorous evidence-based assessment included successfully demonstrating adherence to documented and legally substantiated best practice fiduciary standards. The annually renewed certification signifies an ongoing commitment to providing consistent objective advice that’s in a client’s best interest – both at the institutional and individual levels.
“In fulfilling our commitment to our valued clients, the mission of Argent Retirement Plan Advisors has revolved around offering an array of services dedicated to supporting the oversight and management of their retirement benefits through impartial guidance and full transparency,” stated Chris Shankle, Managing Director of Argent Retirement Plan Advisors. “Our pursuit of CEFEX certification stemmed from our belief that our clients seeking retirement plans deserve tangible evidence of a rigorous fiduciary process and complete clarity regarding the excellence of their investments. In today’s complex financial landscape, the term ‘fiduciary’ can often be perplexing. By successfully navigating this audit for our fourth recertification, we are proud to announce our entire ARPA family is now CEFEX certified.”
The CEFEX certification program is based on the International Standards Organization (ISO) 19011: Guidelines for auditing management systems. The standard, “Prudent Practices for Investment Advisors” is substantiated by legislation, case law, and regulatory opinion letters from the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Uniform Prudent Investor Act (UPIA), the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA) and the Model Management of Public Employee Retirement Systems Act (MMPERSA) in the U.S.
According to the Vice President, Centre for Fiduciary Excellence, Carlos Panksep, “Through CEFEX’s independent assessment, the certification provides assurance to investors, that Argent has demonstrated adherence to the industry’s best fiduciary practices. This indicates the firm’sinterests are aligned with investors.”
Argent is specifically certified for discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services for retirement plans. Official registration for Argent can be seen here and the Independent Assessment Report can be viewed here. To learn more about CEFEX certification visit cefex.org.
About Argent Retirement Plan Advisors
Argent Retirement Plan Advisors, part of the Argent Financial Group family of companies, offers investment and fiduciary services exclusively to sponsors of retirement plans. Since 2008, Argent has been providing plan sponsors with unbiased advice and transparency with the goal of improving participant outcomes. For more information, visit www.argent401k.com.
About Argent Financial Group
Argent Financial Group (Argent) is an independent financial services firm responsible for more than $65 billion in client assets. Argent provides individuals, families, businesses and institutions with a unique array of wealth and asset management services. Headquartered in Ruston, Louisiana, Argent was formed in 1990 and traces its roots back to 1930. For more information, visit www.ArgentFinancial.com.
About Broadridge
Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE: BR), a global Fintech leader with over $6 billion in revenues, provides the critical infrastructure that powers investing, corporate governance, and communications to enable better financial lives. We deliver technology-driven solutions that drive business transformation for banks, broker-dealers, asset and wealth managers and public companies. Broadridge’s infrastructure serves as a global communications hub enabling corporate governance by linking thousands of public companies and mutual funds to tens of millions of individual and institutional investors around the world. Our technology and operations platforms underpin the daily trading of more than $10 trillion of equities, fixed income and other securities globally. A certified Great Place to Work®, Broadridge is part of the S&P 500® Index, employing over 14,000 associates in 21 countries. For more information please visit broadridge.com.
