Financial Wellness Archives - Page 2 of 41 - 401k Plan Optimization, Compliance, Investment & Partners

The Road to Wealth and Retirement Convergence Still Has Roadblocks

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...

Making Retirement Real: Helping Participants Budget for the Future

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Trends, benefits committee, Benefits integration, Communication, Confidence, DC plans, education, Employee feedback, Employee happiness, Fiduciary, Financial planning, Financial Wellness, participation

Saving for retirement can feel abstract, especially when participants haven’t considered what their life after work might actually cost. Following a recent TPSU program at...

Let’s Rethink the Role of 401(k) Loans in Retirement Planning

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Loans, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, benefit education, Employee happiness, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, investment, managed accounts, Retirement Income, Retirement planning

Borrowing from a 401(k) is often treated as something participants should avoid whenever possible. Taking money out of a retirement account means less money invested...

When Should Participant Preferences Shape Retirement Plan Decisions?

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k News, benefit education, Benefits integration, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employee Survey, Employee training, employer match, erisa, Fiduciary, financial literacy, Financial Wellness, Retirement plan management, Retirement Plan Participation

Participant feedback can offer valuable insight into what employees want from their retirement benefits. But translating those preferences into plan decisions requires plan sponsors and...

How Plan Sponsors Can Better Engage Employees in Their Financial Lives

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, benefit education, Benefits integration, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, education, Employee engagement, Employee happiness, financial literacy, financial stress management, Financial Wellness

Employee engagement continues to be one of the most persistent challenges facing retirement plan sponsors, particularly as employees juggle retirement savings alongside healthcare costs and...

AI Can Help Run Your Plan But Fiduciaries Still Own the Mistakes

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, AI, AI for Retirement, Benefits integration, cybersecurity, erisa, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, Independent TPA, managed accounts, TPA Landscape

AI is showing up in more corners of plan administration: personalized communications, claims processing, investment reviews, even committee minutes. The time savings are real. But...

PBM Transparency Gives Plan Sponsors Greater Control

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, DC plans, Emergency Savings, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, investment, PBM, pharmacy benefit management, Transparency

There is a growing shift in the pharmacy benefit management industry toward greater transparency. A PBM, or pharmacy benefit manager, helps employers and health plans...

Healthcare Costs Are Set to Jump Again and Retirement Savings Could Feel the Squeeze

By Fred Barstein / benefit education, DC Plan Sponsors, Economy, Emergency Savings, Employee Benefits, Financial Stress, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, Health & Wellness, healthcare, Healthcare & other benefits, investment, Lifestyle Benefits, Retirement Plan Fees, Retirement Savings Concern, wellness assessment

Employer healthcare costs are expected to rise 8.2% in 2027, according to Marsh Inc.’s latest national survey—the fifth straight year of increases and the largest...

Why Plan Sponsors Are Taking a Closer Look at PEPs & MEPs

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, Changing dynamics, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, MEPs, PEPs, Plan design, pooled employer plan, Retirement planning, Retirement Readiness

For many HR teams, retirement plan oversight is competing for attention with an already crowded list of responsibilities. That pressure is helping drive new interest...