A federal district court in North Carolina dismissed claims by BB&T Corp.’s 401(k) plan participants that Cardinal Investment Advisors, LLC, the plan’s outside investment advisor, breached its ERISA fiduciary duties by allowing the plan to invest in BB&T proprietary funds. The proprietary funds, according to plaintiffs, charged excessive fees and underperformed non-proprietary funds. The court dismissed the complaint against Cardinal because plaintiffs alleged only that Cardinal gave BB&T general investment advice and failed to allege any specific facts that Cardinal breached its fiduciary duty to the plan. The case is Bowers v. BB&T Corp., No. 1:15-cv-00732, ECF No. 150 (M.D.N.C. Apr. 18, 2017). Last year, the court summarily denied the BB&T defendants’ motion to dismiss because plaintiffs’ complaint adequately alleged claims for which relief may be granted. Bowers v. BB&T Corp., No. 1:15-cv-00732, ECF No. 58 (M.D.N.C. Apr. 18, 2016). The case against the BB&T defendants is ongoing.

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