We now require employees to hold any investments in Putnam funds for a significant time.

Of the 17 fund choices on the plan's menu, 10 are Putnam funds.

Both are slightly more aggressive versions of existing Putnam funds.

"For instance, are the company's employees paying 12b-1 fees on the Putnam funds they invest in?"

Net flows into Putnam funds rose by 21 percent from November's levels, he said.

Perhaps most important, the Putnam fund's performance looked anemic compared with most of the funds on the list.

And in all cases, Marsh stock or Putnam funds dominate the offerings.

Paying outside brokers handsomely to sell Putnam funds practically guaranteed their success.

He also serves as an independent director of the Putnam funds and has sat on the boards of several publicly traded companies.

In March, investors withdrew $2.3 billion from Putnam funds, the largest outflows of any fund company.