Client connection Archives - 401k Plan Optimization, Compliance, Investment & Partners

The Five Qualities That Set Great Retirement Plan Advisors Apart

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) advisor trust, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, 401k plan, benefit education, Client connection, Communication, Confidence, Creative approach, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, education, Employee engagement, erisa, Fiduciary, Financial Literacy, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, Health & Wellness, managed financial stress, participant education, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement Readiness

What makes a great retirement plan advisor? Is it investment knowledge, fiduciary expertise or something more personal? Technical expertise is important, but being a truly...

11 Years of Change: What Matters Most to Retirement Plan Sponsors Today?

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Participant Education, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, 401k plan, benefit education, benefits committee, Changing dynamics, Client connection, DC Plan Sponsors, education, Employee engagement, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, participant education, peer-to-peer education, Retirement readiness

A lot has changed in the retirement industry over the past decade. From investment options and financial wellness to private markets and evolving target date...

Breaking Language Barriers to Improve 401(k) Participation

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Participant Education, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, benefit education, bilingual retirement education, CEO Engagement, Client connection, Communication, DC plans, Digital Tools, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employee happiness, Fiduciary, financial literacy, financial wellness, financial wellness programs, hiring, Inclusion, Mobile apps, Plan design, Spanish-language education

Breaking Language Barriers 401(k) Participation

For retirement plan education to be effective, employees need to understand the information they’re receiving. Sometimes, that starts with offering it in their own language....

Retirement Plan Advisors Face Growing Expectations as Plan Complexity Increases

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) advisor trust, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Trends, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Client connection, Communication, DC plans, employee outcomes, fees, Financial planning, Financial Wellness, Investments, Plan design, Retirement Plan Advisor

As retirement plans become more complex and employees look for more financial guidance, plan sponsors are expecting more from their retirement plan advisors. In a...

Meeting Participants Where They Are: Making 401(k) Education Click

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, 401k plan, adult learning, Authenticity, benefit education, Client connection, collaboration, Communication, Confidence, DC plans, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employee happiness, Employee training, Financial Advice, financial wellness, Retirement Readiness

For many employees, understanding a 401(k) starts with a basic question: How does this actually work? It’s a question John Poole, Director of Participant Engagement...

Small Plans, Big Shift: Who’s Built for the Next Retirement Market?

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, Client connection, Communication, Convergence, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee engagement, Financial Wellness, Recordkeeping, Retirement Advisor Specialist, Retirement plan management, Retirement planning, Small Balance Retirement Acccount, small business, Small business retirement plans, workplace benefits

Small businesses and gig workers are opening a new lane in workplace retirement savings, but much of the industry is still driving with an old...

Making Retirement Plan Complexity Easier to Understand

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, AI for Retirement, benefit education, benefits committee, Client connection, Communication, education, Employee engagement, Employee happiness, Fiduciary Training, Financial Wellness, Participant Retirement Outcomes Financial Visualization, payroll integration

Plan sponsors face an increasingly complex retirement plan environment, from evolving legislation and compliance requirements to fiduciary responsibilities and plan design decisions. For many, the...

Small Business Retirement Plans: Is Predictable Pricing Part of the Answer?

By Fred Barstein / 401k plan, Client connection, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, employee retention, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, recruiting, retirement income, Small business retirement plans

Small business owners overwhelmingly see the value of offering a retirement plan. But keeping one affordable and sustainable as the business grows can be another...