Category Archives: Retirement Plans

One of the things that has always amazed me about the retirement plan business is how we can manage billions of dollars electronically, yet moving a participant’s 401(k) account from one retirement plan to another can sometimes feel like we’re … Continue reading →

One of the biggest misconceptions among plan sponsors is that once a 401(k) plan is established, it somehow goes on autopilot. After all, payroll deductions are happening automatically, participant statements arrive every quarter, and the recordkeeper has an attractive website. … Continue reading →

Nobody climbs onto their roof every weekend looking for loose shingles. Yet responsible homeowners know that small leaks have a nasty habit of becoming expensive disasters if they’re ignored. Retirement plans work much the same way. Most fiduciary failures don’t … Continue reading →

Technology has transformed the retirement plan industry. We have sophisticated recordkeeping platforms, participant websites, mobile apps, artificial intelligence, and automated workflows that would have seemed impossible twenty years ago. Yet despite all of those advances, the retirement plan business remains … Continue reading →

One of the questions I’m asked most often is whether I recommend retirement plan providers to clients. The answer is yes—but probably not for the reasons many providers think. The first thing I look for isn’t price. It isn’t technology. … Continue reading →

Whenever a retirement plan provider tells me they need a better CRM to generate more business, I usually ask one simple question: “How many prospects from six months ago have you called this month?” The answer is almost always silence. … Continue reading →

Most retirement plan providers pride themselves on providing great service. They answer emails quickly, return phone calls promptly, and resolve issues efficiently. Those are all good qualities, but they describe a provider who is responsive—not necessarily one who is proactive. … Continue reading →

The Treasury Department and IRS have officially begun the rulemaking process for the Saver’s Match program, which takes effect for the 2027 tax year. While many of the details will be finalized through the regulatory process, one thing is already … Continue reading →

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 →