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

Retirement Plan Advisors Face Growing Expectations as Plan Complexity Increases

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) advisor trust, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Trends, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Client connection, Communication, DC plans, employee outcomes, fees, Financial planning, Financial Wellness, Investments, Plan design, Retirement Plan Advisor

As retirement plans become more complex and employees look for more financial guidance, plan sponsors are expecting more from their retirement plan advisors. In a...

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...

RPA Aggregators Enter the Shakeout Phase

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, Consolidation, Financial Wellness, Retirement Plan Advisor, RPA Aggregator Roundtable, RPA Aggregators, RPA Consolidation

The RPA aggregator market may be heading for a shakeout. After years of aggressive dealmaking and a “buy for scale” mindset, the next phase of...

The Rope Just Came Down for ETFs and 401(k)s

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k plan, Collective Investment Trust, DC Plan Sponsors, ETFs, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, investment, Retirement Plan Advisor, SEC ruling

For decades, ETFs and 401(k) plans circled each other like dance partners kept apart by a velvet rope — plenty of chemistry, but the recordkeeping...

What Really Drives Change in Retirement Plans?

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 403b plans, Change, Changing dynamics, Convergence, DC Plan Sponsors, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Financial Wellness, Retirement Plan Advisor, retirement plan innovation, Retirement Plan Participation, WealthManagement.com

Change in the 401(k) and 403(b) market is often shaped less by plan sponsors themselves and more by the advisors who guide them. Advisors are...

Fee Compression Continues, Small Plans Still Pay More

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, Benchmarking & Monitoring Fees & Partners, Changing dynamics, DC plans, Economy, ERISA Co-Fiduciaries, fee compression, fee lawsuits, fees, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, investment policy statement, Investments, Mutual Fund Fees, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement Plan Fees, Retirement Plan Fiduciary

Investment fees are still falling across all plan sizes, but smaller plans continue to pay significantly more than their larger counterparts—and cost variation across providers...

Why the 401(k) Industry Must Adapt to Phased Retirement

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) advisor trust, 401k Trends, AI, AI for Retirement, Client connection, Communication, Digital Tools, financial literacy, Financial Wellness, participation, Recordkeeping, recordkeeping, Retirement Plan Advisor

Defined contribution plans have evolved, but the industry still isn’t fully aligned with how today’s workforce approaches retirement. As employees live longer and seek more...

Could a Centralized Clearinghouse Fix 401(k) System Challenges?

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, Auto Portability, auto re-enroll, Compensation, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Fiduciary, Fiduciary, Financial Advisors, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, Investments, participation, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement planning

Defined contribution plans have come a long way, but the system still struggles with one big reality: people change jobs frequently. Over the course of...

Wealth Advisors Are Coming for the 401(k) Market

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, acquisition, Adaptability, Client connection, Communication, competition, Conflict of Interest, Convergence, DC Plan Sponsors, Economy, Fiduciary, Financial Advice, Financial Advisors, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, Financial Wellness, Hybrid Advisors, Retirement Plan Advisor, Wealth Advisor

Retirement plan advisors (RPAs) and recordkeepers have a real challenge on their hands: wealth advisors are coming for their turf. And honestly, it’s not hard...

Preparing Employees for Retirement: What Plan Sponsors Should Do Now

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, benefit education, DC Plan Sponsors, education, Employee engagement, Employee happiness, Employee training, Fiduciary, financial literacy, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, participation, Retirement Plan Advisor, Retirement Readiness

When a company has a growing segment of employees approaching retirement age, it should proactively shift from simply “offering” a retirement plan to actively supporting...