Changing dynamics Archives - 401k Plan Optimization, Compliance, Investment & Partners

What Today’s Retirement Plan Participants Are Really Looking For

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, benefits committee, Changing dynamics, Communication, Creative approach, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee engagement, participation, Plan design, Plan Participation, Retirement Committee, Retirement Income, Retirement Plan Participation, Retirement Readiness

For many workers, retirement still feels like a distant goal—especially when today’s financial priorities include rising costs, student loans, housing expenses, and everyday bills. Yet...

Financial Literacy Drops to 10-Year Low as Gen Z Struggles Most

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, Adaptability, AI for Retirement, Authenticity, benefit education, Changing dynamics, Communication, Confidence, DC Plan Sponsors, education, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employee training, Fiduciary, Fiduciary Liability, financial literacy, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, Gen X, generational gap in retirement planning, Retirement Readiness

Americans’ financial literacy has fallen to its lowest level since tracking began a decade ago, with younger workers and women showing the widest gaps—and a...

How the Retirement Industry Plans to Handle the Explosion of New 401(k) Plans

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, Changing dynamics, Client connection, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, Financial Wellness, PEPs, Plan Participation, Retirement Advisor Specialist, Retirement Plan Participation, Retirement Readiness

The defined contribution industry is facing a major structural shift as the number of retirement plans is expected to surge from roughly 830,000 in 2025...

TPSU Launches “TPSU for Health Plan Fiduciaries” Program

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, 401k Trends, Changing dynamics, Client connection, collaboration, Communication, Education, Financial Wellness, Health & Wellness, healthcare, TPSU for Health Plan Fiduciaries

The Plan Sponsor University (TPSU) has announced the launch of TPSU for Health Plan Fiduciaries, a new educational initiative focused on the growing financial, regulatory,...

The 401(k) Backbone Is Finally Getting Its Upgrade

By Fred Barstein / AI, AI for Retirement, artificial intelligence, Changing dynamics, Changing Recordkeepers, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, DOL, Financial Wellness, Retirement Readiness

The backbone of the defined contribution (DC) industry—recordkeeping technology—is finally getting a long-overdue upgrade. For decades, legacy systems built on outdated infrastructure have limited innovation,...

AI and Convergence Are Reshaping the TPA Landscape

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, Adaptability, AI, AI for Retirement, Changing dynamics, Communication, Convergence & Advisor M&A, DC Plan Sponsors, Digital Tools, Financial Wellness, TPA Landscape

As the pace of change in the 401(k) industry accelerates—driven by artificial intelligence and the growing convergence of wealth and retirement—pressure is mounting across the...

401(k) Fees Are Falling—But Are You Overpaying?

By Fred Barstein / 401k Advisor, Benchmarking & Fees (ERISA, retirement plan), Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, benefit education, Changing dynamics, Changing Recordkeepers, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, education, erisa, Fiduciary, financial literacy

As 401(k) plans grow and add participants, fees are often left unchanged for years—despite ongoing fee compression across the industry driven by increased competition and...

Falling 401(k) Fees Are Only Half the Story

By Fred Barstein / 401k Advisor, Authenticity, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Changing dynamics, Client connection, Consolidation, DOL, Economy, fee compression, fee lawsuits, fees, Fiduciary, Fiduciary Liability, Financial Advisors, financial wellness, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Plan Advisor Due Diligence

401(k) fees are continuing to fall—and that’s a good thing. Increased competition, better pricing structures, and the rise of low-cost investment options are all helping...

Fee Compression Continues, Small Plans Still Pay More

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Changing dynamics, DC plans, Economy, ERISA Co-Fiduciaries, fee compression, fee lawsuits, fees, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, investment policy statement, Investments, Mutual Fund Fees, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement Plan Fees, Retirement Plan Fiduciary

Investment fees are still falling across all plan sizes, but smaller plans continue to pay significantly more than their larger counterparts—and cost variation across providers...

SECURE 2.0 Self-Certification: Why Easier Hardship Withdrawals Are Driving Plan Leakage

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, Changing dynamics, DC plans, Emergency Savings, Employee engagement, Fiduciary, Fiduciary, Financial Stress, Financial Wellness, Hardship Withdrawals & Loans, investment, SECURE 2.0, SECURE Act

SECURE 2.0’s self-certification rules mark a consequential shift in how hardship withdrawals are accessed, with meaningful implications for plan sponsors. By eliminating the need for...

What Today’s Retirement Plan Participants Are Really Looking For

Financial Literacy Drops to 10-Year Low as Gen Z Struggles Most

How the Retirement Industry Plans to Handle the Explosion of New 401(k) Plans

AI and Convergence Are Reshaping the TPA Landscape

401(k) Fees Are Falling—But Are You Overpaying?

Fee Compression Continues, Small Plans Still Pay More

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