Retirement plan design

PEPs Look Attractive to Larger Employers, But Are the Tradeoffs Worth It?

By Fred Barstein / 3(38) Investment Advisers, 401(k) Plan Management, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, erisa, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Improving Outcomes, Investments, participation, PEPs, Plan design, Retirement Plan Participation

Pooled employer plans have earned their reputation as a practical solution for smaller employers. But as adoption grows, larger plan sponsors have started asking whether...

Recordkeepers Are Betting Big on PEPs

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, bundling, Changing Recordkeepers, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Financial Wellness, Independent TPA, Investments, PEPs, Plan design, Plan Participation, Recordkeepers & PEPs, Recordkeeping, recordkeeping, Retirement Readiness

More than 50,000 employers have now joined a pooled employer plan, and recordkeepers are racing to capitalize on the growth. A recent PlanAdviser article highlights...

The PEP Puzzle: Finding the Right Fit for Your Retirement Plan

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, Documents & testing, financial wellness, PEP, PEPs, Plan design, Retirement Plan Fees, Retirement Plan Participation, Retirement readiness

Pep Retirement Plan Pooloed Employer Plan

PEPs may be one of the retirement industry’s hottest topics, but don’t let the buzz fool you—just because it’s a PEP doesn’t mean it’s the...

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...

Why Advisors and Record Keepers Need to Stop Competing — and Start Collaborating

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, Advisors and Record Keepers Collaborating, collaboration, Communication, Communication, DC plans, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, Merging Retirement Plan, Plan design, Recordkeeping, Retirement Committee, Retirement Readiness

Participants in defined contribution plans have more tools than ever — and many still don’t know if they’re on track. That gap isn’t a technology...

Help Younger Workers Start Saving Sooner

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k rollovers, accumulation, auto enroll, auto escalate, auto re-enroll, automation, Benefits integration, collaboration, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, Digital Tools, Early retirement, Education, education, Emergency Savings, Employee Benefits, financial literacy, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, Millennial saving, multi-generational workforce, participation, Plan design, Retirement Readiness, Retirement Savings Concern, student loan, Student Loan Debt

A new class of graduates and interns is entering the workforce this summer, and many will be making retirement planning decisions for the first time. ...

The Value of an Independent TPA

By Fred Barstein / Committees, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Independent TPA, investment, Plan design, TPA Landscape

Following a recent TPSU program at Bellevue College, Larry Shoemaker, Principal at Hunnex & Shoemaker, spoke with TPSU Founder and CEO Fred Barstein to discuss...

What Today’s Retirement Plan Participants Are Really Looking For

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, benefits committee, Changing dynamics, Communication, Creative approach, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee engagement, participation, Plan design, Plan Participation, Retirement Committee, Retirement Income, Retirement Plan Participation, Retirement Readiness

For many workers, retirement still feels like a distant goal—especially when today’s financial priorities include rising costs, student loans, housing expenses, and everyday bills. Yet...

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...

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...