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

How Advisor Engagement Drives Higher Retirement Plan Participation

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) advisor trust, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, Adaptability, benefit education, collaboration, Communication, DC plans, education, Employee Benefits, Employee happiness, Employee training, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, participation, Plan Participation, Retirement Readiness, virtual learning, Virtual Meeting

Working with a retirement plan advisor to increase participation is one of the most effective ways to strengthen an organization’s benefits strategy and improve long-term...

From Auto-Enroll to Outcomes: The Power of Day-One Guidance

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, auto enroll, auto escalate, Auto Portability, automation, benefit education, benefits committee, Benefits integration, boosting 401(k) contributions, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employee happiness, Employee training, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, payroll integration, Plan design, Plan Participation, Retirement Readiness

In a world where auto-enroll is table stakes, real outcomes still hinge on intentional onboarding and a documented process. That means giving new hires clear...

Plan Sponsors Face Wave of New SECURE 2.0 Requirements in 2025-26

By Fred Barstein / Compliance, DOL, erisa, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Plan Participation, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Readiness, SECURE 2.0, SECURE Act, Secure Act Changes

Plan sponsors are feeling the weight of SECURE 2.0’s ongoing rollout, and 2025 and 2026 bring no relief from the compliance pressures that have been...

Rethinking Retirement Support: Time for Plan Sponsors to Step Up

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, Changing dynamics, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, education, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employee happiness, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, Financial Wellness, Plan design, Plan Participation, Retirement Committee, Retirement plan management, Retirement Plan Participation, Retirement planning, retirement security

With nearly 59 million employees lacking access to workplace retirement plans, according to a recent TIAA study, we’re facing a retirement readiness crisis that demands...

Why Timing Matters: The Power of Vesting in Employee Retention

By Fred Barstein / Company Contributions and Vesting, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employee happiness, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, Ideal Plan, Improving Outcomes, incentivizing financial meetings, multi-generational workforce, office environment, onboarding, Plan design, Plan Participation, recruiting, Recruiting and Retaining Talent, vesting, Vesting

Why Timing Matters: The Power of Vesting in Employee Retention Vesting schedules may seem like a small detail in retirement plan design, but they can...

The 10 Biggest Mistakes Plan Sponsors Make with Their Retirement Plan Advisor

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, 401k plan, 401kCafé, benefit education, Communication, Compliance, DC Plan Sponsors, Due Diligence, Fiduciary, HR, Ideal Plan, Plan design, Plan Participation, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement Plan Advisor Due Diligence, Retirement Plan Fiduciary, Retirement Plan Participation, Retirement Readiness

We were overwhelmed by the response to the April 2nd 401(k) Café 30-minute webinar, “What You Don’t Know Could Hurt You.” Many of you were...

Senior Management’s Involvement in 401k Plans: Why It Makes a Difference

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, Education, Financial Advisors, financial literacy, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, participation, Peer to peer learning, Plan design, Plan Participation, Retirement Happiness, Senior Management Engagement, Senior Management Engagement

Senior Management’s Involvement in 401k Plans: Why It Makes a Difference While it may seem unnecessary to involve senior management in a company’s 401k plan,...

Effective Retirement Plan Design Can Help Boost Participation and Savings Rates

By Fred Barstein / Adaptability, auto enroll, Auto Portability, benefit education, DC plans, Economy, Emergency Savings, Employee engagement, Fiduciary, Ideal Plan, investment, participation, Plan Participation, Retirement Readiness, Retirement Savings Concern, Savings Rates

Retirement Plan Design Participation Savings

Although retirement planning is a top priority for many Americans, significant barriers persist. Nearly one in four workers with access to employer-sponsored retirement plans don’t...

New Auto Savings Features Could Help Address the Job Mobility Challenge

By Fred Barstein / 401k rollovers, Adaptability, auto enroll, auto escalate, Auto Portability, auto re-enroll, Changing dynamics, Company Contributions and Vesting, Consolidation, DC plans, Economy, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, investment, participation, Plan Participation, Regs and Regulators

The average employee changes jobs nine times throughout their career, creating a challenge for traditional 401(k) savers. A recent panel discussion hosted by the Brookings...

The Pros and Cons of Automatic Enrollment in Retirement Plans

By Fred Barstein / 401k News, 6th Annual RPA Broker/Dealer Roundtable, auto enroll, Benefits integration, CEO Engagement, Changing dynamics, Changing Recordkeepers, Client connection, Communication, Company Contributions and Vesting, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee Benefits, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, Financial Literacy, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, HR, HR, Ideal Plan, Improving Outcomes, IRA Roll overs and Roll ins, office environment, onboarding, participation, Plan design, Plan Participation, product quality, Retirement Advisory, Retirement Readiness, specialized team

The Pros and Cons of Automatic Enrollment in Retirement Plans Automatic enrollment in 401(k) and other retirement plans has gained popularity as a tool to...