Individual Education That Gets Results for One 401k Plan Sponsor. The Plan Sponsor University (TPSU) held a Fiduciary Education Program in Atlanta, Georgia at the Terry College of Business. One of the topics discussed during the half-day TPSU Program was the impact of individualized Participant Education for newly eligible 401k employees. During the Fourth Session of every TPSU Program, Plan Sponsors discuss What is Working in their own 401k Plan.
During the TPSU Program’s breakout discussions, as program attendees were discussing ‘What’s Working’ in today’s retirement plans, one of the TPSU Program attendees indicated that their employer took great care in making certain that every newly eligible employee would have a one-on-one meeting on the specific topic of the importance of the company 401k Plan. During the TPSU Program Adjunct Lecturer, Brad Larsen stressed the benefits of having the plan sponsor allocate some time for educating new employees on the benefits of participating in the company retirement plan. At the conclusion of the TPSU Program, TPSU Executive Director, Steff Chalk interviewed Tania Torres, Human Resources Professional at a regional law firm, with approximately 50 employees, that believes in participant education.
The law firm has a standard practice of educating every employee just prior to their becoming eligible for the company 401k Plan. In this case, the company notices a very high success rate in holding such education meetings. They feel strongly that “education works” when it is conducted as a one-on-one meeting, in tandem with participants becoming newly eligible.
