diversity Archives - 401k Plan Optimization, Compliance, Investment & Partners

Financial Wellness Across Generations: Meeting Diverse Needs

By Fred Barstein / 401k plan, benefit education, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, diversity, Financial Stress, Financial Wellness, managed financial stress, multi-generational workforce, Retirement Planning Inclusivity, retirement security

When a Gen Z employee and a Baby Boomer face financial stress, they experience it entirely differently—and their approaches to solving it differ just as...

401(k) Plans Offer a Strategic Advantage in Economic Downturns

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, 401k plan, 401k rollovers, auto enroll, auto escalate, Auto Portability, Communication, DC plans, diversity, diversity, Economy, Employee engagement, employer match, Financial Security, Financial Wellness, Independence planning, investment, Investment Managers, Recordkeeping

Recessions don’t announce themselves with a save-the-date card. When they arrive, plan sponsors and ERISA fiduciaries face mounting pressure to safeguard participants’ retirement savings. The...

Rethinking Retirement as Older Americans Stay in the Workforce

By Fred Barstein / Aging Workforce, Changing dynamics, Communication, DC plans, diversity, Financial Wellness, Life expectancy, multi-generational workforce, Retirement Happiness, Retirement Savings Concern

The traditional concept of retirement continues to evolve as a significant majority of older Americans remain in the workforce well into their golden years. A...

Why Purist 401(k) RPAs Face Growth Challenges

By Fred Barstein / Adaptability, adult learning, Authenticity, Client connection, collaboration, Communication, diversity, Financial Advisors, financial wellness, innovation, investment, Retirement Plan Advisor, Specialist vs. Generalist, specialized team

Independent 401(k) retirement plan advisors (RPAs) who focus only on retirement plans and avoid offering other services like financial planning or investment management are finding...

Making Retirement Planning Inclusive for All

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, adult learning, Authenticity, benefit education, Client connection, DC plans, diversity, Diversity equity inclusion, Employee engagement, Financial Wellness, Professional Retirement Plan Fiduciary Services, Retirement Advisor Specialist, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement planning, Retirement Planning Inclusivity, Retirement Readiness

Making Retirement Planning Inclusive for All Retirement planning shouldn’t be reserved for executives—it’s essential for every employee, especially those who have dedicated decades to their...

Auto Portability: A Potential Game-Changer for Retirement Savings in America

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, Auto Portability, Benefits integration, Consolidation, Convergence, diversity, Diversity equity inclusion, Employee engagement, Financial Wellness, investment, onboarding, participation, Savings Rates

Auto portability is a powerful innovation that’s addressing one of the most persistent challenges in the retirement industry: lost and forgotten 401(k) accounts. Auto portability...

Financial Inclusion Is an Opportunity for Employers to Support Financial Security

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, Adaptability, auto re-enroll, benefit education, benefits committee, Client connection, diversity, Emergency Savings, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, Inclusion, Retirement Savings Concern

Financial inclusion is about ensuring all individuals have access to essential financial tools and services that enable them to build financial stability and well-being. For...

Gen Z Most Optimistic About Their Retirement Outlook

By Fred Barstein / Aging Workforce, Behavioral Finance, Communication, Communication, DC plans, diversity, Emergency Savings, Employee Benefits, Employee happiness, Employer Contribution, employer match, Fiduciary, financial behaviors, financial insecurity, financial literacy, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, Future Self, generation x, Health & Wellness, Independence planning, inflation concerns, investment, Job growth, managed accounts, Millennials saving, multi-generational workforce, Partners, personal financial advice, Plan design, Plan Optimization, Plan Participation

Different generations have differing perspectives on their retirement prospects. Generation Z seems to be the most optimistic. A pair of recent BenefitsPro articles highlighted two...

Financial Wellness and DEI Are Two Sides of the Same Coin

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, Adaptability, Authenticity, benefits committee, Communication, DC plans, DEI, diversity, Fiduciary, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, Inclusion, nondiscrimination testing, office environment, Regs and Regulators

Employers say the biggest challenges they face in 2024 are financial wellness and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Good news: They can be addressed together,...

Evolving RPAs: Transforming Modern 401(k) and 403(b) Plans

By Fred Barstein / Adaptability, Authenticity, Change, Client connection, collaboration, Communication, Digital Tools, diversity, Economy, education, Employee happiness, evolving and adapting, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, financial stress, Financial Wellness, innovation, investment, Mobile apps, Regs and Regulators

The evolution of 401(k) and 403(b) plans from simple savings tools to comprehensive financial solutions has transformed the role of Retirement Plan Advisors (RPAs). Initially,...