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

How One Plan Sponsor Is Rethinking 401(k) Automatic Enrollment

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Automatic Enrollment, 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Participant Education, 401(k) Plan Management, auto enroll, auto escalate, Auto Portability, benefit education, benefits committee, CEO Engagement, DC plans, Employee engagement, Employee training, employer match, Fiduciary

Could a small change to automatic enrollment make a big difference in employees’ retirement savings? Following a recent TPSU program in Tacoma, Washington, Fred Barstein,...

What Really Matters to 401(k) Plan Sponsors?

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Participant Education, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k News, Adaptability, Advisors and Record Keepers Collaborating, benefit education, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Digital Tools, education, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employee happiness, Employee training, employer match, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, Plan Sponsor, Retirement plan management, Retirement planning, Retirement readiness, Retirement Readiness, SECURE 2.0, SECURE Act, Secure Act Changes

The retirement industry is constantly introducing new products, technology and investment solutions. But are these the issues plan sponsors are most concerned about? At a...

Could AI Make 401(k) Education More Personal?

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Participant Education, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, AI, AI for Retirement, artificial intelligence, benefit education, Communication, Confidence, DC plans, education, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employer Contribution, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Retirement Happiness

What if plan sponsors could pinpoint which employees need help with their 401(k) and offer education tailored to them? After a recent TPSU program at...

What Plan Sponsors Really Need as the 401(k) Industry Evolves

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, AI, AI for Retirement, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Employee engagement, erisa, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, participant education, Retirement planning, Retirement Readiness, Retirement readiness, Secure Act Changes

The retirement industry is changing quickly, but are advisors and providers focusing on what plan sponsors actually need? From artificial intelligence and industry consolidation to...

Could Voluntary Benefits Become the Next Target for ERISA Lawsuits?

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Participant Education, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, benefit education, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, DOL, DOL Guidance, erisa, ERISA Advisory Council, ERISA Attorneys, ERISA Lawsuits, fee lawsuits, Fiduciary, Financial planning, Financial Wellness

Retirement plan sponsors have spent years navigating lawsuits about excessive fees and fiduciary responsibilities. Now, another category of employee benefits may be attracting plaintiffs’ attorneys’...

A More Engaged 401(k) Committee Starts With New Voices

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, benefits committee, Committees, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee feedback, Employee happiness, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Plan design, Retirement Committee, Retirement Plan Committee

A retirement plan committee helps guide decisions that affect employees’ savings and financial futures. But when the same people serve year after year, discussions can...

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...

Vanguard: Small 401(k) Plans Show Strong Savings Habits, With Room to Improve Access

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Participant Education, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, auto enroll, auto re-enroll, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Communication, Company Contributions and Vesting, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee Benefits, Financial Advice, Financial Wellness, Participant data, Savings Habits, Savings Rates, Small Balance Retirement Acccount, small business, Small business retirement plans, Target Date Funds

Small businesses employ nearly half of all private-sector workers and represent the vast majority of employers offering defined contribution retirement plans. New Vanguard data suggests...

The Road to Wealth and Retirement Convergence Still Has Roadblocks

By Fred Barstein / 401k Advisor, 401k plan, adult learning, Advisors and Record Keepers Collaborating, AI, AI for Retirement, artificial intelligence, Communication, Consolidation, Convergence, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Digital Tools, Employee Benefits, Financial Wellness, Retirement Readiness, Wealth Advisor

The retirement and wealth worlds are moving closer together but getting them fully connected is proving easier said than done. The opportunity is clear. As...

Making 401(k) Education Simple, Visual and Actionable

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Participant Education, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, adult learning, benefit education, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, Digital Tools, Education, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, employer match, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, multi-generational workforce, Retirement Plan Fiduciary, Retirement Readiness

For participant education to work, employees first have to pay attention. And sometimes, four minutes is all you need. Following a recent TPSU program at...