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

Helping Younger Employees Understand the Value of Their 401(k)

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, benefit education, benefits committee, Communication, Company Contributions and Vesting, DC Plan Sponsors, education, Employee engagement, Employee happiness, employer match, Family involvement, financial literacy, Financial Wellness, Gen Z, generational gap in retirement planning, investment, Millennial saving, Millennials Delaying Milestones, Peer to peer learning

For younger employees, the value of participating in a 401(k) plan is not always immediately clear—which makes effective communication especially important. At a recent TPSU...

Help Younger Workers Start Saving Sooner

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k rollovers, accumulation, auto enroll, auto escalate, auto re-enroll, automation, Benefits integration, collaboration, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, Digital Tools, Early retirement, Education, education, Emergency Savings, Employee Benefits, financial literacy, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, Millennial saving, multi-generational workforce, participation, Plan design, Retirement Readiness, Retirement Savings Concern, student loan, Student Loan Debt

A new class of graduates and interns is entering the workforce this summer, and many will be making retirement planning decisions for the first time. ...

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...

Employers Increasingly Address Student Loan Stress Among Younger Workers

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k News, 401k Trends, benefits committee, Client connection, Creative approach, DC Plan Sponsors, education, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employee happiness, Employee training, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, Health & Wellness, Student Loan Debt

As student loan debt continues to weigh heavily on younger generations entering the workforce, employers are increasingly recognizing the impact financial stress can have on...

How AI and HR Technology Are Transforming Employee Access to Benefits

By Fred Barstein / AI, AI for Retirement, artificial intelligence, Communication, education, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Fiduciary, Fiduciary, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, HR, Investments-research, Payroll, Plan Conversion, Plan design, Plan Participation, Retirement Committee, Retirement Plan Participation

More and more employers are turning to AI and integrated HR technology to help employees easily access the information they need — from payroll and...

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...

The 10 Mistakes Plan Sponsors Are Still Making

By Fred Barstein / Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, benefit education, DC Plan Sponsors, education, fee transparency, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, investment, participation, retirement income

Defined contribution plans have evolved significantly, but one persistent challenge remains: many plan sponsors are still not fully equipped to manage their responsibilities. Despite overseeing...

Why Employers Are Overlooking Student Loan Benefits (And Why It Matters)

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, benefits committee, Benefits integration, CEO Engagement, education, Employee Benefits, Financial Wellness, SAVI, Student Loan Benefits, Student Loan Debt

Not every employee experiences student debt in the same way. A recent graduate navigating repayment options faces a very different reality than a mid-career professional...

Why HR Can’t Stop at Enrollment When It Comes to Retirement Plans

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, auto enroll, auto escalate, auto re-enroll, benefit education, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, education, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employee training, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, HR, Retirement Readiness, Retirement Savings Concern

For many companies, the work of managing a retirement plan feels complete once employees are enrolled. But Teresa believes that’s only the starting point. As...

Employee Champions: Turning Peer Trust Into Powerful Benefits Engagement

By Fred Barstein / benefit education, Benefits integration, collaboration, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, education, Employee Benefits, employee champions, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Financial Wellness, financial wellness, participation, Peer to peer learning, Retirement Happiness, specialized team

Have you ever heard the term employee champions? At first glance, it may sound like a buzzword, but in practice it describes a powerful internal...