Benefits integration Archives - 401k Plan Optimization, Compliance, Investment & Partners

Why Auditors Are Warming Up to Pooled Employer Plans

By Fred Barstein / 401k Advisor, 401k plan, Audit, Auditor, Benefits integration, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Employee feedback, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Investments, Multiple Employer Plans, PEPs, pooled employer plan, Retirement Plan Participation

Retirement plan administration has never exactly been a thrill ride — but Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) are giving plan sponsors a reason to pay attention. ...

Employees Feel Better About Their Finances, But Employers Are Overestimating How Much

By Fred Barstein / 401k plan, benefit education, Benefits integration, Communication, Convergence, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employee happiness, Employee training, Employer Contribution, employer match, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, Health & Wellness, Healthcare & other benefits, HR, investment, multi-generational workforce, Retirement Income, Retirement Readiness, workplace benefits

Employee financial well-being has reached a four-year high, but employers are more optimistic about their workforce’s financial health than employees themselves. Bank of America’s 2026...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Vanguard’s 25-Year Data Shows Plan Design Is Doing the Heavy Lifting

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, 401k rollovers, 401k Trends, accumulation, AI for Retirement, Auto Portability, automation, Benefits integration, Communication, Digital Design, Digital Tools, Employee engagement, employer match, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Investments, Plan design, Plan Optimization, Plan Participation

Automatic enrollment, higher default deferral rates, and stronger employer contributions have reshaped America’s defined contribution retirement plan system over the past 25 years — and...

It Starts at the Top: How Leadership Engagement Strengthens a Retirement Plan

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, Benefits integration, CEO Engagement, collaboration, DC plans, Distribution, Effects of Compound Interest, Employee engagement, Employer Contribution, Fiduciary, Financial Literacy, Financial Security, Financial Wellness, participation, Retirement Committee, Retirement Readiness

What does a well-run retirement plan actually look like from the inside? At a recent TPSU program held at the Thunderbird School of Global Management...

Help Younger Workers Start Saving Sooner

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k rollovers, accumulation, auto enroll, auto escalate, auto re-enroll, automation, Benefits integration, collaboration, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, Digital Tools, Early retirement, Education, education, Emergency Savings, Employee Benefits, financial literacy, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, Millennial saving, multi-generational workforce, participation, Plan design, Retirement Readiness, Retirement Savings Concern, student loan, Student Loan Debt

A new class of graduates and interns is entering the workforce this summer, and many will be making retirement planning decisions for the first time. ...

How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming Participant Engagement in Retirement Plans

By Fred Barstein / AI, AI for Retirement, artificial intelligence, automation, benefit education, Benefits integration, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee engagement, Employee happiness, Employee training, Fiduciary, financial literacy, Financial Wellness

Artificial intelligence is poised to fundamentally reshape how plan sponsors engage with participants by enabling more personalized, data-driven interactions at scale. Rather than relying on...