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

Ted Benna Has a New Idea: A Retirement Savings Plan for Lower Earners

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Managed Accounts, 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Advisor, benefit education, Client connection, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Employee engagement, employee retention, Fiduciary, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, Retirement plan management, Retirement Plan Participation, Retirement Readiness, Retirement Savings Concern

Ted Benna, the Father of the 401(k), is 84 years old and has a regret. The 401(k) he helped create has worked well for higher...

Why Auditors Are Warming Up to Pooled Employer Plans

By Fred Barstein / 401k Advisor, 401k plan, Audit, Auditor, Benefits integration, Communication, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Employee feedback, Fiduciary, Financial Wellness, Investments, Multiple Employer Plans, PEPs, pooled employer plan, Retirement Plan Participation

Retirement plan administration has never exactly been a thrill ride — but Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) are giving plan sponsors a reason to pay attention. ...

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...

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...

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...

Why Today’s Fintech Record Keepers Are Succeeding Where Others Failed

By Fred Barstein / 401(k) Plan Management, 401k Trends, Adaptability, AI, AI for Retirement, Benchmarking & Fees (ERISA, retirement plan), Change, Communication, DC plans, Employee Benefits, evolving and adapting, Financial Wellness, Fintech Record Keepers, Recordkeeping, Regs and Regulators, Retirement Plan Participation

Fintech record keepers are gaining serious momentum in the retirement plan industry, raising billions in capital and serving a growing share of defined contribution plans. ...

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...

Financial Stress Is Reshaping Employee Benefits & Retirement Saving

By Fred Barstein / Adaptability, benefit education, DC Plan Sponsors, DC plans, Employee Benefits, Employee engagement, Employee happiness, Fiduciary, financial stress management, Financial Wellness, Health & Wellness, Investments, retirement committee, Retirement Income, Retirement plan management, Retirement Plan Participation, Retirement Readiness

Financial Stress Employee Benefits Retirement Saving

More employees are feeling financially overwhelmed — and ironically, many are responding by cutting back on the very workplace benefits designed to help them long...

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...

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...