Author Archives: admin

There was a time when cybersecurity was viewed as the responsibility of the IT department. If the network was protected and the antivirus software was up to date, management considered the job done. Those days are over—especially when it comes … Continue reading →

One of the simplest pieces of advice I give plan sponsors is also one of the most important: document everything. Good decisions that aren’t documented can be difficult to prove years later. Committee meetings, investment reviews, fee discussions, vendor evaluations, … Continue reading →

One of the most common questions I receive from plan sponsors is how to fix a retirement plan mistake after it has already happened. An employee was left out of the plan. Deferrals weren’t deposited on time. Compensation was calculated … Continue reading →

No retirement plan provider is perfect. If you’ve been in this business long enough, you’ve made a mistake. The difference between firms that keep clients and firms that lose them isn’t whether errors occur—it’s how they respond when they do. … Continue reading →

The biggest mistakes in the retirement plan industry usually don’t come out of nowhere. They often start as close calls that someone caught just in time. A payroll file almost included the wrong compensation. An employee was almost excluded from … Continue reading →

Technology has transformed the retirement plan industry. We have automated workflows, integrated payroll systems, online participant portals, artificial intelligence, and countless ways to make administration more efficient. Yet one competitive advantage hasn’t changed in decades: answering your clients. Plan sponsors … Continue reading →

For years, Congress has debated whether retirement accounts were being used for retirement or as unlimited tax shelters. A newly introduced bill would take direct aim at that issue by restricting additional contributions and increasing required distributions for high-income individuals … Continue reading →

One of the biggest misconceptions in retirement plan administration is believing that a small mistake will stay small. It rarely does. A payroll employee accidentally misses one participant’s salary deferral. Someone figures they’ll catch it next pay period. Six months … Continue reading →

After nearly three decades working with retirement plans, I’ve noticed something. The plan sponsors who sleep best at night aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest companies, the most sophisticated plans, or the highest-paid advisors. They’re the ones who consistently … Continue reading →

Sometimes the best career lessons don’t come from a mentor. They come from someone you promise yourself you’ll never become. Early in my career, I worked for a retirement plan firm where employee turnover was so frequent that I joked … Continue reading →