Department of Labor, DOL, EBSA, employee benefit security administration, IRS, Internal Revenue Service, SEC, Securities and Exchange Commission, FINRA, Phyllis Borzi, plan audits, disclosure, 408b2, 4045a, fee and investment benchmarking

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...

The Next Wave of 401(k) Record Keeper Consolidation

By Fred Barstein / Changing dynamics, Changing Recordkeepers, Consolidation, Convergence, Financial Wellness, Record Keepers, recordkeeper consolidation, Recordkeeping, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Plan Advisor Due Diligence

The 401(k) record-keeping industry is entering a new wave of consolidation, with more providers expected to merge or exit in the next three to five...

Free Tools Plan Sponsors Can Use to Vet Prospective Retirement Plan Advisors

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) advisor trust, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, Client connection, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Digital Tools, Employee happiness, Fiduciary, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, Financial Advisors, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, Improving Outcomes, Professional Retirement Plan Fiduciary Services, Record Keepers, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement Plan Fiduciary, Retirement Readiness

Choosing the right financial advisor for your retirement plan is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a plan sponsor. It’s also a...

The Future of Aggregators: Key Takeaways From the 2025 Roundtable

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, Aggregators, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Changing Recordkeepers, Client connection, DC plans, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, Investment Managers, Plan Acquisition, Recordkeeping, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Committee, Roundtables

Aggregator Roundtable 2025: How RPAs and RIAs are Reshaping Workplace Saving and Benefits

The 2025 Aggregator Roundtable brought together leaders from major RIA and RPA aggregators to discuss how workplace retirement, wealth, and benefits are converging. With fees...

Six Common Myths That Increase Plan Sponsors’ Fiduciary Liability

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee Benefits, erisa, fee lawsuits, Fiduciary, Fiduciary Liability, Financial Advice, Financial Advisors, Financial Literacy, Financial Stress, Financial Wellness, Regs and Regulators

Fiduciary lawsuits continue to make headlines, but many plan sponsors don’t realize they’re operating under dangerous misconceptions about their responsibilities. In a recent article, Carol...

Are Managed Accounts the Future of 401(k) Defaults?

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k News, Alternative Investing, benefit education, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Due Diligence, Fiduciary, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, Ideal Plan, Improving Outcomes, investment comittee, Investment Managers, Investments, managed accounts, Mutual Fund Fees, Plan Conversion, Plan design, Regs and Regulators, Research, Target Date Fund, Target Date Funds

As retirement plans evolve, so do the default investment options offered to participants. Target date funds still dominate the market, but attention is shifting toward...