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

New Auto Savings Features Could Help Address the Job Mobility Challenge

By Fred Barstein / 401k rollovers, Adaptability, auto enroll, auto escalate, Auto Portability, auto re-enroll, Changing dynamics, Company Contributions and Vesting, Consolidation, DC plans, Economy, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, investment, participation, Plan Participation, Regs and Regulators

The average employee changes jobs nine times throughout their career, creating a challenge for traditional 401(k) savers. A recent panel discussion hosted by the Brookings...

Most U.S. Retirement Plans Have Red Flags – Is Yours at Risk?

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, 6th Annual RPA Broker/Dealer Roundtable, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, CEO Engagement, Changing dynamics, Changing Recordkeepers, Collective Investment Trust, Communication, Compliance, Early retirement, Economy, fee lawsuits, fee transparency, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, Financial Security, fraud, Legislation, litigation, Managed Accounts, product quality, Professional Retirement Plan Fiduciary Services, Regs and Regulators, Retirement planning, Specialization, specialized team, Target Date Fund, Target Date Funds

If you oversee a company retirement plan, here’s a startling statistic that should grab your attention: 84% of U.S.-based retirement plans have at least one...

Preparing for the 401(k) Boom: How the Industry Must Adapt

By Fred Barstein / 6th Annual RPA Broker/Dealer Roundtable, Adaptability, CEO Engagement, Changing dynamics, Changing Recordkeepers, Client connection, collaboration, Communication, Convergence, Employee happiness, Fiduciary, innovation, PEPs, personal financial advice, product quality, Professional Retirement Plan Fiduciary Services, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Advisor Specialist, Retirement Advisory, Retirement Plan Advisor, Specialization, specialized team

A surge of new 401(k) plans is on the horizon, driven by state mandates, SECURE 2.0 tax credits, and the growth of group plans like...

PE Industry Considers Move to Enter 401(k) Market

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, 6th Annual RPA Broker/Dealer Roundtable, CEO Engagement, Changing dynamics, Changing Recordkeepers, DC plans, DOL, DOL Guidance, Early retirement, Economy, education, fee compression, fee transparency, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, investment, Investments, Private equity, product quality, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Advisory, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement Plan Advisor Due Diligence, specialized team

With President Trump just days away from his second term in the White House, private equity firms are eyeing the massive 401(k) market with renewed...

The Evolving Retirement Industry: What Advisors Need to Know

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, 6th Annual RPA Broker/Dealer Roundtable, Adaptability, adult learning, CEO Engagement, Changing dynamics, Changing Recordkeepers, Client connection, Communication, Convergence & Advisor M&A, DC Plan Sponsors, Early retirement, evolving and adapting, fee compression, fee lawsuits, Fiduciary, Fiduciary Training, generational gap in retirement planning, HR, incentivizing financial meetings, Legislation, product quality, Professional Retirement Plan Fiduciary Services, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Advisory, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement Plan Advisor Due Diligence, RPA Aggregator Roundtable, Specialization

The Evolving Retirement Industry: What Advisors Need to Know The retirement industry has evolved dramatically over the past decade, bringing new challenges and opportunities for...

The Race to the Bottom: Fee Compression’s Impact on the 401(k) System

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, Adaptability, AI, Convergence, Cyber Security, fee compression, fee lawsuits, fee transparency, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, inflation concerns, Regs and Regulators

The push for lower fees in the 401(k) industry has led to substantial changes over the past 25 years, benefiting plan sponsors and participants initially,...

RPA Aggregator Roundtable: Navigating a Radical Shift in Retirement

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, 6th Annual RPA Broker/Dealer Roundtable, Adaptability, AI, artificial intelligence, automation, Benchmarking & Fees (ERISA, retirement plan), Changing dynamics, Communication, Digital Tools, education, evolving and adapting, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, financial literacy, financial wellness, Governance, Investments, Recordkeeping, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Income, RPA Aggregator Roundtable

At the seventh annual RPA Aggregator Roundtable, industry leaders tackled a transformative shift in the retirement space driven by three major trends: Scaling Advice: With...

Target Date Funds: The Key to Enhanced Retirement Outcomes

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, 403b, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Collective Investment Trust, Communication, Compliance, DC Plan Sponsors, Documents & testing, DOL, ESG, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Regs and Regulators, Secure Act Changes, Target Date Funds

Target Date Funds (TDFs) have significantly changed the Defined Contribution (DC) retirement landscape, making retirement planning simpler. TDFs allow individuals to invest in a single...

Transforming 401(k) Plans Through AI

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, AI, artificial intelligence, auto enroll, Auto Portability, automation, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, benefit education, Client connection, Communication, Consolidation, DC Plan Sponsors, Digital Tools, Economy, ESG, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, financial literacy, Financial Wellness, innovation, Managed Accounts, Regs and Regulators, Robo Advisor Technology, Selecting & Monitoring

Artificial intelligence (AI) could transform the 401(k) industry in a way similar to the impact behavioral finance has had on retirement planning. While the industry...

Annual Benchmarking Is a Must for Plan Sponsors

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, auto enroll, auto escalate, Auto Portability, Benchmarking & Fees (ERISA, retirement plan), Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Benchmarking Fees, Benchmarking Funds, Benefits integration, Communication, Compensation, Compliance, Consolidation, Convergence, cybersecurity, DC Plan Sponsors, Documents & testing, Due Diligence, Fiduciary, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, investment, Recordkeeping, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Committee, Retirement Plan Fees

Evolving regulations mean plan sponsors continue to face increasing scrutiny when it comes to their fiduciary responsibilities. A recent analysis of 50,000 retirement plans in...