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

Financial Stress Is Pushing Workers to Cut Back on Benefits Contributions, Including 401(k) Savings

By Fred Barstein / Communication, Company Contributions and Vesting, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Due Diligence, Emergency Savings, Employee Benefits, Employee happiness, Fiduciary, financial stress, financial stress management, Financial therapy, financial uncertainty, Financial Wellness, funds, inflation concerns, investment, Retirement Income

More than half of U.S. employees say financial stress is affecting their work, and many are responding by reducing contributions to the very benefits designed...

How the Retirement Industry Plans to Handle the Explosion of New 401(k) Plans

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, Changing dynamics, Client connection, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, Financial Wellness, PEPs, Plan Participation, Retirement Advisor Specialist, Retirement Plan Participation, Retirement Readiness

The defined contribution industry is facing a major structural shift as the number of retirement plans is expected to surge from roughly 830,000 in 2025...

TPSU Launches “TPSU for Health Plan Fiduciaries” Program

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, 401k Trends, Changing dynamics, Client connection, collaboration, Communication, Education, Financial Wellness, Health & Wellness, healthcare, TPSU for Health Plan Fiduciaries

The Plan Sponsor University (TPSU) has announced the launch of TPSU for Health Plan Fiduciaries, a new educational initiative focused on the growing financial, regulatory,...

Improving Participant Retirement Outcomes Through Better Financial Visualization

By Fred Barstein / 401k Advisor, artificial intelligence, benefit education, Client connection, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Participant Retirement Outcomes Financial Visualization, participation, Retirement Readiness

Participant Retirement Outcomes Financial Visualization

Small increases in retirement plan contributions can have a significant long-term impact, yet many participants struggle to fully understand what those changes mean for their...

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...

The 401(k) Backbone Is Finally Getting Its Upgrade

By Fred Barstein / AI, AI for Retirement, artificial intelligence, Changing dynamics, Changing Recordkeepers, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, DOL, Financial Wellness, Retirement Readiness

The backbone of the defined contribution (DC) industry—recordkeeping technology—is finally getting a long-overdue upgrade. For decades, legacy systems built on outdated infrastructure have limited innovation,...

Alternative Investments in 401(k)s: What the DOL’s New Safe Harbor Can—and Can’t—Do

By Fred Barstein / DOL, DOL Guidance, erisa, Fiduciary, Fiduciary Liability, investment, lawsuits, Plan design, Retirement plan management

When President Trump’s executive order encouraging 401(k) plans to include alternative investments first dropped, it sparked strong reactions. Some advisors warned plans to stay away...

How Paycheck Transparency Drives Higher 401(k) Participation

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, accumulation, auto enroll, auto escalate, Auto Portability, benefit education, CEO Engagement, Communication, Confidence, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Emergency Savings, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employee happiness, Plan Participation

Many employees enrolling in a 401(k) for the first time hesitate because they’re unsure how contributions will affect their take-home pay. This uncertainty can be...

AI Is Changing Retirement Plans And Fiduciary Risk Is Evolving With It

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) advisor trust, 401k Advisor, AI, AI for Retirement, artificial intelligence, Cyber Security, Data privacy, DC Plan Sponsors, erisa, Fiduciary, Improving Outcomes, Plan design, Risk Management, rpaDD

Artificial intelligence tools are showing up in more corners of retirement plan operations: record-keeping, investment advice, participant communications. That’s creating new questions for plan sponsors...

Lifetime Income Could Cut Retirement System Costs by 20%, Global Study Finds

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, DC Plan Sponsors, Distribution, Employee Benefits, Employer Contribution, Financial Wellness, global retirement trend, Legislation, Life expectancy, Lifetime Income Options, Remove term: in-plan retirement income solutions in-plan retirement income solutions, Retirement Readiness, Retirement Savings Concern, Retirement System, Savings Rates

Retirement savings have grown in many countries, but most systems still leave individuals on their own to manage the risk of outspending or outliving their...