401(k) Plan Management Archives - 401k Plan Optimization, Compliance, Investment & Partners

Fiduciary Duty Doesn’t End With a Good Hire

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, benefit education, benefits committee, Benefits integration, Client connection, Confidence, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, DOL Guidance, Due Diligence, education, Employee engagement, Fiduciary

Plan sponsors are held to a fiduciary standard most never trained for — on top of the job they were actually hired to do. Understanding...

The Rope Just Came Down for ETFs and 401(k)s

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, Collective Investment Trust, DC Plan Sponsors, ETFs, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, investment, Retirement Plan Advisor, SEC ruling

For decades, ETFs and 401(k) plans circled each other like dance partners kept apart by a velvet rope — plenty of chemistry, but the recordkeeping...

PEPs Look Attractive to Larger Employers, But Are the Tradeoffs Worth It?

By Fred Barstein / 3(38) Investment Advisers, 401(k) Plan Management, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, erisa, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Improving Outcomes, Investments, participation, PEPs, Plan design, Retirement Plan Participation

Pooled employer plans have earned their reputation as a practical solution for smaller employers. But as adoption grows, larger plan sponsors have started asking whether...

Aligning 401(k) Auto-Escalation With Employee Pay Raises

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k rollovers, Adaptability, auto enroll, auto escalate, Auto Portability, auto re-enroll, benefit education, benefits committee, Benefits integration, Client connection, DC Plan Sponsors, education, Employee engagement, Employee happiness, employer match, Financial Wellness, HR

Increasing employee retirement contributions can be difficult when workers worry about reducing their take-home pay. Thoughtful plan design, however, can make higher savings rates feel...

What Really Drives Change in Retirement Plans?

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 403b plans, Change, Changing dynamics, Convergence, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Financial Wellness, Retirement Plan Advisor, retirement plan innovation, Retirement Plan Participation, WealthManagement.com

Change in the 401(k) and 403(b) market is often shaped less by plan sponsors themselves and more by the advisors who guide them. Advisors are...

Recordkeepers Are Betting Big on PEPs

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, bundling, Changing Recordkeepers, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Financial Wellness, Independent TPA, Investments, PEPs, Plan design, Plan Participation, Recordkeepers & PEPs, recordkeeping, Recordkeeping, Retirement Readiness

More than 50,000 employers have now joined a pooled employer plan, and recordkeepers are racing to capitalize on the growth. A recent PlanAdviser article highlights...

How One Anonymous Survey Reshaped a Company’s Medical Plan

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, benefit education, Benefits integration, CEO Engagement, collaboration, Communication, Creative approach, DC Plan Sponsors, Emergency Savings, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employee Survey, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Health & Wellness, Health Savings Account, healthcare, Healthcare & other benefits, HR, Ideal Plan, Improving Outcomes, Lifestyle Benefits, participation, Retirement Happiness

An employee benefits survey gives organizations a direct line into what their workforce actually values, rather than relying on assumptions or industry benchmarks alone. It...

Is Convergence the Future of Retirement Benefits? Empower Just Bet Big on It

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, benefit education, Client connection, Communication, Consolidation, Convergence, DC Plan Sponsors, Economy, Financial Advisors, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, Health & Wellness, healthcare, hiring, Investments, managed financial stress, recordkeeping, Retirement Readiness

Empower just closed a $340 million deal to acquire Milliman’s retirement and benefits administration business — adding about 750,000 DC and 780,000 DB participants across...

Employers Are Pulling Back on 401(k) Matches and Flexibility, But Should They?

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, AI, AI for Retirement, benefit education, Benefits integration, CEO Engagement, Communication, DC plans, Emergency Savings, Employee Benefits, Employee happiness, Employer Contribution, employer match, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, Financial Wellness, investment, remote work, Retirement planning, Senior Management Engagement, Workplace flexibility

Fewer employers are offering generous 401(k) matches and flexible work arrangements this year, according to new SHRM research—a shift that could have consequences for hiring...

The PEP Puzzle: Finding the Right Fit for Your Retirement Plan

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, Documents & testing, financial wellness, PEP, PEPs, Plan design, Retirement Plan Fees, Retirement Plan Participation, Retirement readiness

Pep Retirement Plan Pooloed Employer Plan

PEPs may be one of the retirement industry’s hottest topics, but don’t let the buzz fool you—just because it’s a PEP doesn’t mean it’s the...