APPENDIX C: TECHNICAL QUESTIONNAIRE

A. ORGANIZATION AND CLIENT SERVICE

1. Provide a clear statement of outlining either an unqualified ability to meet all areas outlined in Section 6: Requirements / Specifications section of this RFP and/or provide a detailed articulation of qualifications through redline edits, if any.

2. Provide a brief overview of your company and history of your organization including an organizational chart of the primary functional areas of your overall operations. Please describe any parent/subsidiary/affiliate relationships.

3. Please provide a history of your firm’s involvement in defined contribution administration services.

4. Discuss any recently announced or upcoming changes to ownership or leadership structure, including any pending agreements to merge or sell the company or its parent.

5. Are you currently participating in any alliances or joint marketing efforts? If so, please describe in detail.

6. Provide a clear statement outlining whether the firm or any officer or principal has been involved in any litigation(s) and/or active or settled governmental investigation(s) surrounding its defined contribution mutual fund, annuity, TPA, recordkeeping, education services, and/or universal life services. Please explain the issue(s) and any resolution(s).

7. Will you be relying upon any third-party affiliated or non-affiliated firms to provide services outlined in the scope of services? If so, describe fully.

8. Identify your firm's target market and primary area of focus.

9. What insurance does your firm have against liabilities incurred through servicing plans of this type (Fiduciary insurance, E&O, etc.)?

Coverage

Professional Liability (E&O)

Cyber Insurance

Fidelity Bonds

Directors & Officers Liability (D&O)

Primary General Liability / Automobile Liability

Excess / Umbrella Liability

Property

Workers Compensation / Employers Liability

Other - Describe

Other - Describe

10. Provide your credit ratings from AM Best, Moody's and Standard & Poor's (if applicable).

11. Indicate how many years your company has been active in the defined contribution business, (e.g., 403(b), 457(b), 457(g), 401(k), profit sharing, etc.) Indicate the period of time for each service, if different (such as investment management for X years, recordkeeping for Y years, trustee services for Z years).

Recordkeeping

Trustee Services

Investment Management

Other Service - Description:

12. Indicate the total number of participants and total value of assets ($ Million) in all defined contribution and deferred compensation plans for which you provide recordkeeping services as of 12/31/2025.

401(k)

401(a)

403(b)

457(b)

457(g)

Other (description):

13. Indicate in the tables below the approximate number of each retirement plan type you administer by number of participants and assets as of 12/31/2025.

< 1,000

1,000 – 4,999

5,000 – 9,999

10,000 – 19,999

20,000 – 49,999

>50,000

Total

< $25 Million

$25 Million - $99 Million

$100 Million - $499 Million

$500 Million - $999 Million

$1 Billion - $4.99 Billion

>$5 Billion

Total

14. Provide a breakdown of the number of DC clients you service as a bundled or administration only provider as a percentage of your total as of 12/31/2025.

457 Plans

All DC Plans

Total

15. Indicate the number of plans, assets, and participants gained and lost in the last four years, both in numerical form and as a percentage of your total DC administration services client base. If your firm experienced more than +/-10% net change year-over-year during the periods below, please provide a brief explanation of what led to the change.

16. Provide details on the turnover in your Public Sector 457 Plan client base in the following table format:

12/31/2021

12/31/2022

12/31/2023

12/31/2024

12/31/2025

17. What are your client retention statistics for each of the last four years?

12/31/2022

12/31/2023

12/31/2024

12/31/2025

18. What is the average client relationship duration (in years)?

19. Would you consider yourself a fiduciary or co-fiduciary in the performance of administration services to the plan? (Yes or No) If yes, what limitations exist?

20. Attach a copy of a recordkeeping services contract as well as other documentation that would be required to enter into a relationship with your firm (trust agreement, etc.)

21. Please clearly describe the team that would work directly with WRS Staff during the transition and on an ongoing basis. Why do you consider this team to be a good fit for the WRS relationship?

22. Which individual or team would have overall responsibility for the relationship? Who will have primary responsibility for the relationship on a day-to-day basis? Where are these professionals located?

23. Provide a summary of the professional credentials of your proposed team clearly identifying years of experience in the industry, with your firm, and total/similar client relationships.

Executive Sponsorship

Relationship Management

Day-to-Day Account Management

Day-to-Day Account Support

Transaction Processing Support

Communications Support

Compliance Support

Implementation Support

Others (Add additional rows as needed)

24. Disclose the professional turnover rates for relationship management, client service, and participant service personnel in your recordkeeping division.

Turnover Rate

Relationship Management

Client Service

Participant Service

25. Describe how your firm works to keep professional turnover rates to a minimum. If turnover does occur, describe actions taken to ensure that relationship satisfaction is maintained and that there is no interruption to ongoing client initiatives.

26. Describe your approach to working with plan sponsors to determine areas for potential improvement to a plan and/or implementing best practice approaches.

27. Provide contact information for at least three similarly sized references that can speak to your firm’s capabilities. Please provide at least one reference of similar size/scope to WRS and at least one reference who can speak to the relationship / client service team proposed within the RFP.

B. CYBERSECURITY AND DATA PROTECTION

28. Describe your firm’s ethics policy and how ethical behavior is encouraged throughout the firm. If applicable, please provide us with a copy of your firm’s ethics policy.

29. Describe your company’s processes and protocols for dealing with cyber threats and how data is secured within the system, including standard and advanced authentication procedures (i.e., PIN, audit trail, confirmations).

30. Discuss your firm’s compliance with the DOL’s cybersecurity guidelines and recommendations. What assurance can you offer that your firm meets, if not exceeds, the basic requirements outlined by the DOL?

31. What additional assurance can you provide regarding your firm’s commitment to maintaining compliance with future cybersecurity guidelines and recommendations?

32. Has your firm achieved any data protection standards or certifications (e.g., NIST RMF, ISO/IEC 27001, COBIT, COSO, ITIL)? If so, please describe. If your firm does not have these certifications or standards, does your firm intend on obtaining them? If so, please describe a timeline.

33. Do you conduct periodic penetration testing? If so, please provide the following information regarding any such testing:

a. Describe the types of penetration tests performed (application, network, cloud, other), the frequency of tests, and the entity or entities that performed penetration tests over the past two years.

b. Do you follow CVSS, OCOAS, or other industry standard scoring? If no, please explain.

c. What are your remediation timeframes?

d. Did your testing identify any material vulnerabilities (critical or high)? Were any findings remediated within the timeframes outlined in your policies and procedures?

34. Have any plans retaining your services experienced unauthorized access or distribution of participant and financial data due to a breach of your firm's information systems? If so, please describe fully. What is your timeframe and process for notifying clients in the case of any cyber incident or data breach?

35. What are your company's thresholds for determining a reportable security breach separate from a non-reportable security breach?

36. Has your company experienced a reportable security breach (to clients/regulators) in the last three years? (Y/N) If yes, explain the circumstances and remedial actions taken as a result.

37. Please provide your breach severity classification criteria.

38. Does your organization have an insurance policy in place that would cover losses caused by cybersecurity and identity theft breaches (including breaches caused by internal threats, such as misconduct by the Respondent’s own employees or contractors, and breaches caused by external threats, such unauthorized third-party access to a plan participant’s account and related fraudulent activity)?

a. If so:

i. Provide a copy of the policy or other evidence of insurance.

ii. Describe any limitations or exclusions to your cybersecurity policy.

iii. Would this policy be used to reimburse fraudulent distributions? (Assuming that the deductible is met.)

b. If not, do you anticipate obtaining such insurance in the future?

39. How do you assess employees’ security awareness/knowledge? Describe your internal security awareness program and your training process to ensure all personnel who deal with personal identifiable information are trained on adequate protection of that information.

40. Describe your documented disaster recovery plan. How often do you test your recovery system?

41. Describe your maintenance and backup procedures including daily backups, retention timetable, and off-site backup storage approach. Where are your off-site backup facilities located?

42. Describe any advanced authentication procedures your company currently uses, both internally and for participant/plan sponsor access to the online applications. (e.g., multi-factor authentication, voice biometrics). Please break out procedures for each of the following user categories.

a. Your employees

b. Plan sponsors

c. Participants

43. Describe the steps that you take to prevent fraudulent distributions from being requested and paid out of the Plan or to prevent fraudulent access to participant accounts in general.

44. What security measures are in place when a participant’s bank account, address, and/or contact information are changed online or via a phone representative to ensure that there is no fraudulent activity?

45. Do you offer a security guarantee whereby participants can report fraudulent activity on their account and be made whole? What participant actions are required in order to qualify for such reimbursements, if any?

46. If it is suspected that a potentially fraudulent transaction has taken place:

a. Describe your investigation process. How long does it typically take?

b. At what point is the plan sponsor notified?

c. Describe when corrections can be made.

d. In what situations will you take responsibility for making the participant whole? Clearly state any limitations to doing so.

47. Will your firm share Plan participant data with third parties (e.g., Equifax) for the purpose of learning more about Plan participants? May this information be used of marketing your products and services to these members? If so, please describe fully.

48. Do you have or can you make available a recent SSAE 18/SOC 1 (Type 2 preferred) auditor's report on internal controls (Yes/No)?

a. If yes, please provide the most recent copy covering all service areas covered by this RFP and its scope (attach multiple reports as necessary).

b. If your firm is unable to make the report available for review, to the extent possible, please provide a description of the controls provided by management; name the independent third-party auditor; attest that the controls are suitable designed and implemented; and confirm if the report resulted in a qualified or unqualified opinion.

49. Do you have or can you make available a recent SSAE 18/SOC 2 (Type 2 preferred) (or analogue) report on internal controls (Yes/No)?

a. If yes, please provide the most recent copy covering all service areas covered by this RFP and its scope (attach multiple reports as necessary).

b. If your firm is unable to make the report available for review, to the extent possible, please: provide a description of the controls provided by management; name the independent third-party auditor; attest that the controls are suitable designed and implemented; and confirm if the report resulted in a qualified or unqualified opinion.

C. TRUST / RECORDKEEPING / ADMINISTRATION SERVICES

50. Discuss how custodial services are provided (i.e., directly, via affiliate, via third-party, etc.), additional fees for custodial services, and any limitations that exist on holding assets.

51. Discuss your trust interface and integration with recordkeeping platform, plan sponsors, and investment managers.

52. Discuss your general capabilities and distinguishing or differentiated services provided to participants for:

a. investment elections, including default and rebalancing features

b. beneficiary designation

c. investment exchanges and reallocations

d. rollovers in/rollovers out

e. distributions

f. other transaction/interface categories

53. Describe the hardware platform(s) and software system(s) you use to provide recordkeeping and administration services to defined contribution plans.

54. Was the software developed internally, leased, or bought from another provider? Who has the ultimate responsibility/authority to ensure the software remains current to laws, regulations, client needs, etc.?

55. How often is the system upgraded? Describe the number and timing of your annual and periodic core system enhancement cycles fully.

56. Are ongoing upgrades provided to your clients automatically, or are they made available on an optional basis subject to agreement of the client?

57. When you make changes to your platform, can you differentiate for different plan types (i.e., whether or not a change applies to a 457(b) plan versus a 401(k) plan)?

58. How much customization does your platform allow? Does your platform allow for custom messaging / instructions? Can you differentiate for different plan types? Give examples.

59. WRS receives a daily feed of new and closed accounts from its recordkeeper, which is imported into its pension administration system. Are you able to provide custom setup and programming to support this process?

60. Discuss your ability to provide auto-enrollment features.

61. Discuss your ability to provide both auto-enrollment features for those agencies who offer auto-enrollment today and your ability to also allow manual enrollment features as well. Discuss any limitations to such an offering.

62. Discuss your ability to provide auto-escalation features. Are there any restrictions or limitations to being able to offer auto-escalation features to only those agencies who offer auto-enrollment?

63. Detail your ability to provide access to reports via on-line internet access to both staff of the WRS 457 Plan and individual government clients of the Plan.

64. Do you have a mobile application (as differentiated from a mobile-optimized web page) for participant usage? If so, clearly describe the features available (and whether access is inquiry only or transactional).

65. Describe the hardware and software system you use for your voice response system. For how many years has this version been in place and when is the next scheduled upgrade?

66. Discuss your ability to restrict the access of each client employer to their own employer and participant account information.

67. Describe the hardware and software system you use for your internet transaction system. For how many years has this version been in place and when is the next scheduled upgrade?

68. Describe the account services and transaction capabilities available through your participant website.

69. Describe the account services, transaction, and reporting capabilities available through your plan sponsor portal. Also describe your process for training WRS Staff on the use of this system.

70. How are website transactions processed and documented?

71. How do you manage peaks in internet usage volume?

72. If a participant elects to move from the website to a call center service representative, describe the interface between the website and the service representative.

73. How often is the data on the website updated?

74. How does the website interface with the recordkeeping system? How quickly do participants and plan sponsors see transactions and other activity on the website?

75. Describe in detail how your system processes contributions.

76. Are there any transactions that cannot be processed through your website? If yes, please explain.

77. What system enhancements do you have planned over the next three years for:

a. Your core recordkeeping system?

b. Your participant online interface, including any mobile access channels?

c. Your plan sponsor online interface?

78. Indicate whether your recordkeeping system accommodates customization of data fields by completing the table below.

Social Security Number

Participant ID (employer provided or generated by your system)

Name

Address

Home Phone

Cell Phone

Work Phone

Email Address

Birth Date

Death Date

Gender

Marital Status

Marital Status Effective Date

Hire Date

Plan Enrollment Date

Termination Date

Employment Status Code (i.e., active, inactive)

Account Type

Original Account Holder Name (if QDRO alternative payee or beneficiary)

Beneficiary Name and Relationship

Beneficiary Contact Information (address, email, phone, etc.)

Division / Pay Group

Other (if applicable, please provide a full list of full data fields supported)

79. Indicate whether your recordkeeping system is capable of identifying inconsistencies every pay period in the table below.

Illogical Data:

Duplicate records

Deferral %>0 but deferral = $0

Deferral %=0 but deferral > $0

Status terminated but comp > $0 or deferral > $0

Other (please indicate other illogical data addressed)

Invalid Dates:

Birth date out of range <> specified dates

Hire date out of range <> specified dates

Termination date out of range <> specified dates

Hire date > termination date

80. Each agency determines which payroll system they may use and submits their payroll and demographic files to the Recordkeeper directly. Understanding this, discuss your experience, if any, with integrating demographic and payroll information feeds from multiple payroll systems. Please describe the process and requirements needed to integrate with multiple payroll feeds, such as building SFTP/API connectors and integrating with their data feed requirements.

81. Describe your best practice payroll processing approach for a plan of WRS’s size and scope.

82. Discuss your firm’s involvement in ensuring that participant indicative data is free of errors. How will you work with WRS Staff to minimize the time necessary to clean up data?

83. Discuss your review of the documents for the Plan (WRS 457(b)) provided by WRS (please see [REFERENCE] for a copy of the current Plan Document covered by the scope of this RFP)

a. Provide a clear affirmation of your ability to administer the Plan under the terms of the existing plan document.

b. Clearly identify any areas that would present challenges for your firm to administer, if any.

c. Discuss specific administrative requirements your firm would have for WRS to support your effective and compliant administration of the Plans.

d. Are there any changes that you would suggest to WRS in order to align with current best practices?

e. Provide any additional evidence of your experience with and abilities to administer similar plans.

84. How do you monitor a plan to ensure it is administered in accordance with its provisions? What controls are in place?

85. Summarize the administration services provided to Public Sector 457 Plan Sponsors. Include distinguishing or differentiated details on the following:

a. payroll feed interfaces/data transmission methods related to payroll systems

b. participant history maintenance

c. enrollment/election processing

d. daily unit reconciliation

e. daily trading

f. fund transfers

g. distributions, and

h. QDRO processing

86. Provide a brief discussion of checks and balances in place to ensure transactional integrity including plan administration manuals and other controls.

87. Confirm your ability to administer the various match and company contribution programs in place today, including the QACA Matching Contribution, Retirement Contribution, and Compensation above the taxable wage base Retirement Contributions.

88. Discuss how your system can be customized in collaboration with the plan sponsor, especially online information and process flows (such as enrollment, contribution election, loan request, distribution request, etc.) that are provided to participants. If customization is not easily available, how do you work with plan sponsors looking to make processes more efficient for participants?

89. In the format below, describe your organization’s standards for performance. Assume all data, wires, or other requests are received in reasonably good condition, prior to the cutoff time for the day, and that any required approvals have been received.

*Assumes days from receipt of data or request received prior to 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET. If same day, please state “0.”

90. Provide a discussion of your approach to providing Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs) and other outsourced document administration services (including powers of attorney, beneficiary documentation, death processing, and others). Specific to potential QDROs, describe the assistance that you are able to provide to plan sponsors in assuring that the participant receives all appropriate data.

91. Describe how “float” income is treated by your organization and reporting that is available to plan sponsors on the aggregate float income attributable to the Plan. Please confirm your ability to credit float back to participants.

92. Provide a brief description of the standard monthly and quarterly reporting package that you would provide WRS as well as the medium(s) used (please provide samples).

93. Provide a brief description of any customized or ad hoc reporting capabilities including Internet capabilities for the Plan Sponsor.

94. What are your ad hoc reporting capabilities? Can your service team members design and prepare ad hoc reports or must programming staff be involved? What types of ad hoc reports are most requested by your other clients? If there are any extra or additional costs for this service, fully describe.

95. Provide a review of the standard hours of account access and transactional availability via customer service call centers, online, and voice response channels, in Mountain Standard Time.

Monday - Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday - Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday - Friday

Saturday

Sunday

96. Provide statistics related to actual performance related to account access standards, for the last four calendar quarters.

Website "up time" (days)

Number of calls

Average call length (seconds)

Average response time (seconds)

Quality Standard for # of sec. on hold during transfers (seconds)

Actual average # of sec on hold during transfers (seconds)

97. Provide an overview of your organization’s call center(s) including the number of Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) currently employed to service your DC recordkeeping clients and management structure.

98. Where are the CSRs for your DC recordkeeping business located and how many are at each site? How does each site act as a backup for the others?

99. Discuss training (including duration and content) provided to CSRs before they are allowed to handle incoming calls. Do you require any certifications or licenses? If so, please specify.

100. Discuss your case management procedures for calls that have service issues. With respect to complaints, what is the follow-up procedure for complaints about CSRs?

101. Do you monitor and/or tape toll-free calls? If you tape calls, how long are tapes stored (in years)? Can representatives of plan sponsors review recorded calls for quality assurance? Can recorded calls and/or transcripts be provided to plan sponsors, when needed, to investigate inquiries / claims?

102. Discuss how licensed CSRs are compensated, including all components of compensation. If your licensed call-center representatives receive any form of commission-based pay, provide a detailed description of how their commission is earned, and whether there is any financial incentive for representatives to recommend one product over another.

103. What kinds of ADA compliant accessibility/foreign language support features are available to participants through your web, mobile, and phone services?

104. Do you guarantee service performance? If so, please describe and include samples of items that you would agree to as part of a contract for plan administration services clearly specifying any penalty compensation.

D. COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION SERVICES

105. Provide a brief description of your firm's background and experience in providing both templated and custom communication and education materials.

106. Discuss how you work with plan sponsors on creating and implementing a strategic plan for participant engagement and communications, including using plan data to identify different campaigns and reviewing the effectiveness of those campaigns.

107. Provide a brief description of your standard participant-level statements and documents (provide samples, including quarterly and annual statements and other standard confirmations/documents that Plan participants might use).

108. Can you provide participants with 3 quarterly statements and one annual statement?

109. Discuss your capability to send EACA notices to employees being automatically enrolled.

110. Discuss the key elements provided as part of a standard communication and education package included in your proposal. (Provide samples of materials that may be used by WRS.)

111. Provide a discussion of non-standard elements to a communication and education package you may provide for an additional charge.

112. Review how communication and education materials are produced and fulfilled (i.e., in-house or through third parties).

113. Discuss your ability to provide a dedicated education field representative at option to WRS.

114. Please note that Managed Account/advice services are not required for this RFP. However, please confirm your ability to have such services “turned off” for WRS participants.

115. Affirm in writing, your firm’s willingness to provide plan education and communication support with a strict rule against any cross-selling of non-plan services or investment products by employees who directly or indirectly support Plan participants and to provide and maintain appropriate controls to limit and inhibit such services.

116. Discuss how your firm helps plan sponsors measure the effectiveness of employee education efforts, especially those geared towards improving participants’ retirement readiness and overall financial wellbeing. What data and metrics are available for plan sponsors to consume, and how is this data made available to as well as proactively presented to plan sponsors?

117. Discuss how you work with plan sponsors to determine the success of a given campaign and encourage sustainment, as well as how unsuccessful campaigns can be modified.

118. Provide a brief discussion of your financial wellness programs, if any. Clearly outline any additional costs associated with such service.

119. Provide a list of topics your financial wellness programs include.

120. Describe the controls in place to ensure accuracy of analysis, data integrity, and other system capabilities for financial wellness and/or investment education online tools or calculators used (either online or with call center representatives).

121. What reporting options, if any, are available to Plan Sponsors regarding financial wellness utilization?

122. Describe any upcoming anticipated enhancements to your financial wellness offerings.

123. Provide samples of relevant participant education/wellness materials that showcase your company’s ability to provide the desired scope of services.

E. DEEMED IRA SERVICES

124. Discuss your ability and current capability to support Deemed Traditional and Roth IRA assets in 457 plans, including an administration flow chart delineating plan sponsor, custodian and recordkeeping responsibilities, such as processing of incoming checks on a daily basis.

125. What challenges, if any, does the trust/custody of Deemed IRA assets present?

126. Are there services that you would not be able to provide in support of a Deemed IRA?

127. Does your firm offer custodial services through a separate entity? If so, has the entity that provides these services received the required IRS approval to serve as a custodian or trustee of an IRA for purposes of holding Deemed IRA assets and fulfill directed trustee responsibilities (e.g., Form 5498 and Form 1099-R filings)?

128. Do you work with a primary custodian bank to administer Deemed IRA assets? If not, are you willing to work with Northern Trust or another third-party custodian bank?

129. Does your firm's custodian bank offer custodial services that can accommodate a group trust that serves as an umbrella for all plan investments with the ability to separate the accounting between a Deemed IRA and the 457 plan accounts (i.e., assets are commingled but accounting is separate)?

F. COMPLIANCE SERVICES

130. Provide a summary discussion of your compliance and regulatory resources and the teams that are leveraged.

131. Provide a general review of how your firm helps ensure that plans remain in compliance and how your firm monitors the plans to ensure it is administered in accordance with its provisions. What controls are in place?

132. Provide a discussion of the audit support that you would be able to provide to WRS.

133. Provide a discussion of other types of compliance-related services that you offer that may be of use to WRS.

134. Provide a discussion of other types of outsourced services.

G. INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES

135. Please explicitly affirm that you can support all of the investment options currently available to the Plans’ participants. Identify any exceptions that may apply.

136. Provide a discussion of your ability (and procedural, platform, due diligence, etc.) requirements to provide investment vehicles for defined contribution plans. Be sure to disclose if you are providing proprietary, non-proprietary, or a combination of both investment management services.

137. Discuss your ability and willingness to provide WRS with access to institutional class shares of mutual funds that do not provide embedded revenue sharing and structuring a flexible "tack-on" fee structure, in either an asset-based or per-participant manner that creates a revenue-neutral arrangement to pay for plan administration expenses. Provide a detailed explanation of your firm's position on this topic.

138. Discuss whether you can accommodate the existing fee structure and white label investment options, and provide a detailed description of your ability and service offerings.

139. Provide a review of other investment platform management services offered by your firm including auto rebalancing and others, as applicable.

140. Discuss your organization's ability to provide services related to the WRS Self-Directed Brokerage Account, indicating capabilities working with other SDBA providers and/or proprietary or vended services.

141. Please provide a complete list of all the mutual funds and DC-eligible collective funds available through your proprietary and alliance networks including revenue sharing or negotiated administrative service credits received by your firm.

142. Describe your transition process in the event funds are added, replaced, or eliminated in the future. How much time would be involved in switching out one fund for another? Are there any limitations, conditions, and/or additional costs that would apply for fund changes?

143. Describe any services provided by your organization (i.e., personal questionnaires, software) that would help individual participants with financial planning.

144. Does your firm offer any advice services separate from an online managed account service? If so, please fully describe such offerings. Are there any limitations of providing such services to clients? Please list any associated fees (either to the Plan Sponsor or individual participants) for accessing such advice services.

145. Discuss revenue or cost-reductions received by your firm’s recordkeeping unit or corporate parent through a client’s use of affiliated investment management offerings. How will these be disclosed? Will a portion of these be made available to and subject to a credit to the Plan for equitable allocation or use for qualified plan expenses?

146. Discuss revenue or cost-reductions received by your firm’s recordkeeping unit or corporate parent through a client’s use of non-affiliated investment management offerings that may provide revenue sharing including shareholder servicing fee credits (such as sub-TA fees). How will these be disclosed? Will a portion or all of these be made available to and subject to a credit to the Plans for equitable allocation or use for qualified plan expenses?

147. How might changes to the fund lineup to include/exclude your firm's proprietary funds affect the recordkeeping fee? Be specific.

H. IMPLEMENTATION SERVICES

Incumbent Only Questions:

148. What associated new and updated services, alternative models, etc. might WRS Staff expect to receive from a continuation and expansion of its relationship with your organization? Describe how (and under what timeframe) these services would be provided to WRS.

149. Describe the approach your firm would take to de-conversion should the RFP process result in another firm being selected. Include explicit detail about the support (and any fees for such support) that would be provided for the successor recordkeeper including, but not limited to, provision of complete records of historical participant activity, support during reconciliation activities, and post-conversion research activities.

Non-Incumbent Only Questions:

150. Provide a review of the resources your firm has to provide implementation services for transitioning clients.

151. What group or unit will serve as the transition team in planning and implementing the transition of the Plans? Identify the individuals and specify the team leader and the roles each member will serve in the transition. Also, describe their experience and how they are related to the client administration team. Include the team members’ professional biographical information.

152. What is the role of the transition team during implementation? Will the ongoing service team be involved in the transition? Will there be overlap with the transition team?

153. Provide distinguishing details of your firm’s process when conducting an initial plan review and best practice recommendations and how such recommendations are incorporated into the transition process.

154. Provide a review of how your firm would implement a transition process to bring the Plans onto your platform. This review should include an explicit estimate of the timeline required and include a sample draft transition plan.

155. What lead-time is required for a plan client transition similar to WRS’s plans’ sizes and how might our transition be different?

156. Provide a discussion of the involvement and time required from WRS Staff during the implementation process.

157. Discuss your organization’s experience transitioning from Empower. What particular nuances, if any, are notable? How many transitions have you performed in the last three years for clients who had Empower as its incumbent?

158. Provide a detailed description of your last comparable conversion judging similarity by relative plan size and complexity. Include details of specific problems that occurred and the solutions implemented, timeline, etc.

159. What changes, if any, should WRS expect to make as part of a transition?

160. Discuss the historical data necessary to accurately and completely transition the WRS relationship over to your systems and processes. Explicitly describe your support expectations from the prior recordkeeper including, but not limited to, provision of historical records, support during reconciliation activities, and post-conversion research activities.

161. Describe your ability to transition any assets held within the self-directed brokerage account. Are there any limitations as to the assets that can be transitioned in-kind? For assets that are able to be transitioned in-kind, what time period is required to complete the transfer?

Wyoming Retirement System Official Use Only – Technical Questionnaire - Page 24