Category Archives: Retirement Plans

Many plan sponsors believe that once they hire a recordkeeper, TPA, or investment advisor, their fiduciary responsibilities are largely taken care of. While service providers certainly help manage the plan, there is one fiduciary duty that plan sponsors can never … Continue reading →

Many plan sponsors assume that once a retirement plan is established and service providers are hired, the plan will simply run itself. Unfortunately, that assumption is one of the reasons operational mistakes in retirement plans are far more common than … Continue reading →

When plan providers lose a client, the first assumption is usually pricing. The advisor must have found a cheaper recordkeeper. The TPA must have been undercut by a competitor. The bundled provider must have offered a lower asset-based fee. While … Continue reading →

Anyone who works in the retirement plan industry has heard the complaint from advisors and plan sponsors alike: it’s getting harder to find a good TPA. That shouldn’t surprise anyone. Being a third-party administrator today requires a combination of legal … Continue reading →

Whenever Congress creates a new savings vehicle, the legislation is only the beginning. The real work begins when the IRS and Treasury try to translate the statute into operational rules. That’s exactly what we’re seeing now with the proposed regulations … Continue reading →

If you want to understand where the Department of Labor is headed on retirement plan investigations, the agency recently provided a roadmap. The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) updated its national enforcement projects, which essentially signal where investigators will focus … Continue reading →

In the world of retirement plans, it’s easy to overlook the fine print — until someone sues you over it. The IRS just reminded us why distribution notices matter with the release of Notice 2026-13, which updates the safe harbor … Continue reading →

In the world of retirement plans, it’s easy to overlook the fine print — until someone sues you over it. The IRS just reminded us why distribution notices matter with the release of Notice 2026-13, which updates the safe harbor … Continue reading →

Fee compression isn’t coming. It’s here. Every provider I speak to says the same thing: “We’re losing deals on price.” But here’s the uncomfortable question — are you losing on price, or are you losing on clarity? If a prospect … Continue reading →

Plan sponsors are busy people. Running a business involves managing employees, customers, vendors, and finances. In the middle of all that, a 401(k) plan can feel like just one more administrative burden competing for attention. The problem is that ERISA … Continue reading →