Benchmarking Fees Archives - 401k Plan Optimization, Compliance, Investment & Partners

Supreme Court Decision Lowers the Bar for ERISA Lawsuits Against Plan Sponsors

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Benchmarking Fees, Communication, DOL, DOL Guidance, erisa, ERISA Advisory Council, fee compression, fee lawsuits, fee transparency, Fiduciary, Fiduciary, investment, Managed Accounts, provider due diligence, Record Keepers, Recordkeeping, Retirement Plan Advisor Due Diligence, Retirement Plan Fees

A recent Supreme Court decision has changed the legal landscape for plan sponsors, making it easier for plaintiffs to file lawsuits over how plans do...

Six Red Flags That Signal Your 401(k) Advisor Isn’t Worth the Cost

By Fred Barstein / 401k Advisor, 401k News, 401k plan, Benchmarking Fees, Client connection, DC Plan Sponsors, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, Financial Security, Financial Wellness, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement planning, Retirement Readiness, Target Date Fund

After 25 years of benchmarking retirement plans across Oklahoma, Terry Morgan, AIF, CPFA of OK 401k has seen some patterns that have become impossible to...

The Overlooked RPA Checkup: Why Advisors Need Reviews Too

By Fred Barstein / 401k plan, Benchmarking Fees, DC Plan Sponsors, Fiduciary, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement Plan Advisor Due Diligence

Most plan sponsors carefully review investment managers and recordkeepers, yet rarely apply the same scrutiny to their retirement plan advisors (RPAs). It’s an odd gap—especially...

Considering a New 401(k) Provider? Tips for a Successful Switch

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, 6th Annual RPA Broker/Dealer Roundtable, Benchmarking & Fees (ERISA, retirement plan), Benchmarking Fees, CEO Engagement, Changing dynamics, Changing Recordkeepers, education, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, product quality, Research, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement Plan Advisor Due Diligence, Retirement plan provider, Secure Act Changes, Selecting & Monitoring, specialized team

Making the switch to a new 401(k) service provider has the potential to significantly improve retirement outcomes and plan performance while reducing plan costs. While...

Why Retirement Plan Advisor Due Diligence is so Critical Now

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, Adaptability, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Benchmarking Fees, benefit education, Changing dynamics, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, fee transparency, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, Recordkeeping, Retirement Happiness, Retirement Plan Advisor Due Diligence

Anatomy of a Recent RFP When the benefits administrator at an $80 million plan contacted TPSU (The Plan Sponsor University) recently about conducting due diligence...

Why Hire a Professional Fiduciary?

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, auto enroll, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Benchmarking Fees, benefits committee, Client connection, Communication, Compliance, Confidence, DC Plan Sponsors, DOL, erisa, fee lawsuits, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, Financial Advisors, Financial Security, Financial Wellness, Improving Outcomes, Legislation, participation, personal financial advice, Retirement Advisor Specialist, retirement income, Retirement Plan Participation, Senior Management Engagement, Specialization, wellness assessment

Retirement plan sponsors often grapple with the decision to hire an outside fiduciary. With regulatory scrutiny increasing in intensity and fee lawsuits continuing to proliferate,...

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...

Proactive 401(k) Management: How RPA Due Diligence Can Save Costs & Boost Engagement

By Fred Barstein / 401k Monitoring, 401k News, Adaptability, Benchmarking & Fees (ERISA, retirement plan), Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Benchmarking Fees, benefit education, Client connection, Communication, Confidence, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, retirement advisor satisfaction, rpaDD, TRIPLE F ADVISOR

Proactive 401(k) Management: How RPA Due Diligence Can Save Costs & Boost Engagement During a recent conversation on 401kTV, Fred Barstein interviewed Kristina, a controller...

Key Takeaways from the 6th Annual RPA Roundtable & Think Tank

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, 6th Annual RPA Broker/Dealer Roundtable, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Benchmarking Fees, Benchmarking Funds, benefit education, collaboration, Committees, Communication, Compliance, Conflict of Interest, Convergence & Advisor M&A, DOL, Economy, evolving and adapting, Fiduciary, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, financial wellness, participation, Recordkeeping, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Committee, Retirement Plan Committee, Senior Management Engagement

At the 6th Annual RPA Broker/Dealer Roundtable held in NYC September 4 and 5, key themes centered on the convergence of wealth management and retirement...

Fidelity’s 2024 Plan Sponsor Survey: Evolving Advisor Roles & Expectations

By Fred Barstein / adult learning, auto re-enroll, Benchmarking Fees, Communication, Compensation, Consolidation, Convergence, Economy, evolving and adapting, fee transparency, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, Financial Advisors, financial behaviors, Financial Stress, PEP, Regs and Regulators, Target Date Funds

Fidelity Investments’ 15th annual plan sponsor survey, conducted in January 2024, reveals significant trends and shifts in the retirement plan landscape, particularly in the role...