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

The Five Qualities That Set Great Retirement Plan Advisors Apart

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) advisor trust, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, 401k plan, benefit education, Client connection, Communication, Confidence, Creative approach, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, education, Employee engagement, erisa, Fiduciary, Financial Literacy, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, Health & Wellness, managed financial stress, participant education, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement Readiness

What makes a great retirement plan advisor? Is it investment knowledge, fiduciary expertise or something more personal? Technical expertise is important, but being a truly...

Small 401(k) Balances Remain at Risk Despite Progress on Auto Portability

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, accumulation, acquisition, auto enroll, Auto Portability, automation, DC Plan Sponsors, Financial Wellness, Improving Outcomes, investment, IRA fees, participant education, Plan Sponsor, Retirement Readiness, Retirement Savings Concern

Changing jobs can put retirement savings at risk, particularly for workers with small 401(k) balances. While automatic portability programs are helping reduce cash-outs, new research...

What Plan Sponsors Really Need as the 401(k) Industry Evolves

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, AI, AI for Retirement, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Employee engagement, erisa, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, participant education, Retirement planning, Retirement readiness, Retirement Readiness, Secure Act Changes

The retirement industry is changing quickly, but are advisors and providers focusing on what plan sponsors actually need? From artificial intelligence and industry consolidation to...

The Road to Wealth and Retirement Convergence Still Has Roadblocks

By Fred Barstein / 401k Advisor, 401k plan, adult learning, Advisors and Record Keepers Collaborating, AI, AI for Retirement, artificial intelligence, Communication, Consolidation, Convergence, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Digital Tools, Employee Benefits, Financial Wellness, Retirement Readiness, Wealth Advisor

The retirement and wealth worlds are moving closer together but getting them fully connected is proving easier said than done. The opportunity is clear. As...

Making 401(k) Education Simple, Visual and Actionable

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Participant Education, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, adult learning, benefit education, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, Digital Tools, Education, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, employer match, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, multi-generational workforce, Retirement Plan Fiduciary, Retirement Readiness

For participant education to work, employees first have to pay attention. And sometimes, four minutes is all you need. Following a recent TPSU program at...

Why Retirement Income Is Still Dancing in the Dark

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, Adaptability, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Retirement Income, Retirement income solutions, Retirement plan management, Retirement planning, Retirement Readiness

The retirement industry has been talking about guaranteed income for decades. The idea makes sense: if 401(k) plans are supposed to help people retire, shouldn’t...

As the Lines Blur, the DC Market Race Heats Up

By Fred Barstein / 401k plan, 401k Trends, Adaptability, AI, AI for Retirement, Changing dynamics, Consolidation, Convergence, DC Market Race, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, DOL Guidance, Employee Benefits, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, financial wellness, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement plan management, Retirement Readiness, RPA Consolidation

The defined contribution market once had fairly clear lanes. Retirement plan advisors served one part of the market, while institutional investment consultants largely stayed in...

Meeting Participants Where They Are: Making 401(k) Education Click

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, 401k plan, adult learning, Authenticity, benefit education, Client connection, collaboration, Communication, Confidence, DC plans, Employee engagement, Employee feedback, Employee happiness, Employee training, Financial Advice, financial wellness, Retirement Readiness

For many employees, understanding a 401(k) starts with a basic question: How does this actually work? It’s a question John Poole, Director of Participant Engagement...

Target-Date Funds Are the Default Choice — But They Can’t Be a Default Decision

By David Witz / 401k plan, Benchmarking & Fees (ERISA, retirement plan), Benchmarking Fees, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, DOL, education, erisa, Fiduciary, Fiduciary, Participant data, Participant Retirement Outcomes Financial Visualization, Retirement Readiness, Target Date Funds

The Investment Company Institute reports that approximately $4.9 trillion was invested in target-date strategies at year-end 2025.[1] A clear indication that Target-date funds (“TDFs”) have...

Why Plan Sponsors Are Taking a Closer Look at PEPs & MEPs

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, Changing dynamics, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, MEPs, PEPs, Plan design, pooled employer plan, Retirement planning, Retirement Readiness

For many HR teams, retirement plan oversight is competing for attention with an already crowded list of responsibilities. That pressure is helping drive new interest...