Financial Advice Archives - 401k Plan Optimization, Compliance, Investment & Partners

Who Should Help 401(k) Participants: Advisors or Record Keepers?

By Fred Barstein / 401k plan, AI, benefit education, benefits committee, Changing Recordkeepers, collaboration, Communication, competition, DC Plan Sponsors, education, Employee Benefits, Financial Advice, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, Private Wealth & Retirement Planning, Professional Retirement Plan Fiduciary Services, Retirement Plan Advisor

As the retirement industry shifts focus from just saving to helping people use their 401(k) money wisely, a big question has come up:Who’s best suited...

Addressing Hourly Workers’ Financial Challenges is Key to Retention and Productivity

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, Adaptability, Artificial Intelligence, auto enroll, Behavioral Finance, benefit education, Communication, Digital Tools, Employee engagement, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, Financial Literacy, financial stress, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, Retirement Savings Concern, retirement security

Six in 10 hourly workers are struggling financially, with many working multiple jobs just to stay afloat. For retirement plan sponsors, this harsh reality creates...

The Ongoing Consolidation of the 401(k) Industry

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, Adaptability, Consolidation, Convergence, Convergence & Advisor M&A, DC Plan Sponsors, Financial Advice, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, Improving Outcomes, participation, RPA Aggregator Roundtable, RPA Consolidation

The 401(k) industry is experiencing consolidation, driven by plan sponsors who are becoming more involved in managing their plans. This consolidation follows a four-stage process:...

What Makes a Great Retirement Plan Advisor?

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, 6th Annual RPA Broker/Dealer Roundtable, Adaptability, Authenticity, CEO Engagement, Changing dynamics, Changing Recordkeepers, Client connection, Communication, Communication, Confidence, Early retirement, Employee happiness, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, Financial Advisors, financial wellness, generational gap in retirement planning, HR, Plan design, product quality, Retirement Advisory, Retirement Plan Advisor, specialized team

What Makes a Great Retirement Plan Advisor? A great retirement plan advisor combines expertise, strong communication skills, and a true dedication to client success. They...

Employers Should Offer Reliable Financial Education – Social Media Isn’t the Answer

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, 6th Annual RPA Broker/Dealer Roundtable, adult learning, benefit education, CEO Engagement, Changing dynamics, Changing Recordkeepers, Communication, education, Employee happiness, Employee training, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, Financial Literacy, Financial Wellness, product quality, Retirement Happiness, Retirement Readiness, Social media

A recent study by blockchain technology hub Social Capital Markets reveals a troubling trend: 71% of financial advice consumed by younger generations on social media...

Bridging the Generational Gap: Adapting Retirement Planning for Changing Expectations

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, Aging Workforce, benefits committee, Change, Changing dynamics, Communication, Consolidation, Convergence, DC plans, diversity, Diversity equity inclusion, Education, education, Employee engagement, Employee happiness, employer match, evolving and adapting, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, financial literacy, Financial Wellness, generational gap in retirement planning, Independence planning, inflation concerns, Millennials Delaying Milestones, Millennials saving, multi-generational workforce, office environment, participation, Peer to peer learning, Record Keepers, Retirement Happiness, Retirement Readiness, Retirement Savings Concern, Savings Rates, social security

Bridge Private Wealth Retirement Planning

A seismic shift is occurring in the constantly shifting retirement planning space. Plan sponsors and advisers now find themselves navigating dramatically varying expectations about retirement...

Words Make All the Difference in Improving Participation and Outcomes

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, acquisition, adult learning, Authenticity, benefit education, Client connection, Communication, Communication, Creative approach, DC Plan Sponsors, Economy, education, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Employee training, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, Financial Advisors, financial literacy, Financial Wellness, personal financial advice, Private Wealth & Retirement Planning, Retirement Happiness, small plans

Canadian philosopher and media theorist Marshall McLuhan is famous for coining the phrase, “The medium is the message.” His iconic observation suggested that the form...

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,...

Convergence and Competition: Redefining the Future of DC Plans

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, artificial intelligence, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, benefit education, benefits committee, Communication, Compliance, Consolidation, Convergence, DC plans, DOL, fee transparency, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, Plan Optimization, Recordkeeping, recordkeeping, Retirement Committee

The convergence of wealth, retirement, and benefits at the workplace is shedding light on both the strengths and vulnerabilities of the defined contribution (DC) system. ...

Convergence & Advisor M&A: Shaping the Future of Wealth, Retirement, & Benefits

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, Client connection, collaboration, Communication, Convergence, Convergence & Advisor M&A, DC Plan Sponsors, evolving and adapting, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, Financial Advisors, financial literacy, Financial Wellness, innovation

The concept of convergence between wealth management, retirement planning, and workplace benefits is no longer seen as a passing trend, as indicated by a recent...