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

Aligning 401(k) Auto-Escalation With Employee Pay Raises

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k rollovers, Adaptability, auto enroll, auto escalate, Auto Portability, auto re-enroll, benefit education, benefits committee, Benefits integration, Client connection, DC Plan Sponsors, education, Employee engagement, Employee happiness, employer match, Financial Wellness, HR

Increasing employee retirement contributions can be difficult when workers worry about reducing their take-home pay. Thoughtful plan design, however, can make higher savings rates feel...

Employers Are Pulling Back on 401(k) Matches and Flexibility, But Should They?

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, AI, AI for Retirement, benefit education, Benefits integration, CEO Engagement, Communication, DC plans, Emergency Savings, Employee Benefits, Employee happiness, Employer Contribution, employer match, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, Financial Wellness, investment, remote work, Retirement planning, Senior Management Engagement, Workplace flexibility

Fewer employers are offering generous 401(k) matches and flexible work arrangements this year, according to new SHRM research—a shift that could have consequences for hiring...

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...

Vanguard’s 25-Year Data Shows Plan Design Is Doing the Heavy Lifting

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, 401k rollovers, 401k Trends, accumulation, AI for Retirement, Auto Portability, automation, Benefits integration, Communication, Digital Design, Digital Tools, Employee engagement, employer match, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Investments, Plan design, Plan Optimization, Plan Participation

Automatic enrollment, higher default deferral rates, and stronger employer contributions have reshaped America’s defined contribution retirement plan system over the past 25 years — and...

Trump Account Matching Has Recruiting Appeal and Compliance Strings Attached

By Fred Barstein / benefits committee, Benefits integration, Communication, employer match, erisa, ERISA Advisory Council, Fiduciary, Fiduciary Training, ira, plan sponsor governance, Trump Accounts

Employer matching on Trump Accounts may sound like a natural extension of the family-first benefits trend that has reshaped recruiting over the past five years. ...

Why Explaining the Match in Dollars Can Improve Plan Participation

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, benefit education, CEO Engagement, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, education, Employee engagement, Employee training, employer match, Fiduciary

Presenting the employer match in tangible, easy-to-understand language can significantly improve how employees perceive and value the benefit. When the match is expressed as a...

Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs): A Simpler Path to Retirement Plans?

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, Adaptability, Auto Portability, Benefits integration, Change, Changing dynamics, Convergence, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Employee happiness, employer match, Financial Security, Financial Wellness, PEP, PEPs, Target Date Funds

Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) offer small to mid-sized employers a streamlined way to manage retirement benefits by joining a larger, shared plan overseen by a...

Navigating 401(k) Forfeitures During Layoffs

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Forfeitures, 401k News, Auto Portability, Communication, Company Contributions and Vesting, Compensation, education, Employee engagement, Employee happiness, employer match, financial wellness

With large-scale layoffs making headlines and more than 30 pending ERISA class action lawsuits targeting the misuse of forfeited 401(k) funds, plan sponsors need to...

401(k) Plans Offer a Strategic Advantage in Economic Downturns

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, 401k plan, 401k rollovers, auto enroll, auto escalate, Auto Portability, Communication, DC plans, diversity, diversity, Economy, Employee engagement, employer match, Financial Security, Financial Wellness, Independence planning, investment, Investment Managers, Recordkeeping

Recessions don’t announce themselves with a save-the-date card. When they arrive, plan sponsors and ERISA fiduciaries face mounting pressure to safeguard participants’ retirement savings. The...

Auto-Enrollment: Breaking Barriers to Retirement Savings

By Fred Barstein / 6th Annual RPA Broker/Dealer Roundtable, adult learning, auto enroll, auto escalate, Auto Portability, benefit education, benefits committee, CEO Engagement, Changing dynamics, Changing Recordkeepers, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, Early retirement, Employee happiness, employer match, Fiduciary, financial literacy, Financial Wellness, product quality, Savings Rates, specialized team

Auto-Enrollment: Breaking Barriers to Retirement Savings Saving for retirement can be challenging for many employees. Financial constraints, lack of awareness, or simply not knowing where...