Monthly Archives: July 2025

The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) just did what many plan sponsors wish they could do, clear out old, confusing clutter that no longer serves a purpose. On June 30, the DOL issued a Direct Final Rule … Continue reading →

In the world of ERISA litigation, process often trumps perfection. That was the story in Waldner v. Natixis, where a federal judge dismissed claims that Natixis and its plan committee acted disloyally and imprudently by loading up a $440 million … Continue reading →

If you’re a 401(k) plan sponsor, you don’t need to be an ERISA expert—you just need to avoid doing dumb things. Here are a few quick tips to help you stay on the right side of your fiduciary duties and … Continue reading →

Every once in a while, the data tells a story that plan sponsors should actually feel good about. Vanguard’s latest How America Saves report offers just that, a story of progress. Thanks to smarter plan design choices, participants are saving … Continue reading →

Forfeitures have long been a sleepy corner of 401(k) plan administration, but recent class-action lawsuits are waking everyone up. Over the past couple of years, plaintiffs’ attorneys have set their sights on how plan sponsors use forfeitures, those leftover funds … Continue reading →

When I was getting ready for law school, I watched The Firm. Tom Cruise, fresh-faced and full of promise, with all these big-name law firms throwing money at him like he was a first-round draft pick. A Mercedes. A Rolex. … Continue reading →

If you’re a plan provider—advisor, TPA, recordkeeper, or pooled plan provider—you’ve probably heard the advice a million times: “Create content to stay top of mind with plan sponsors.” But what kind of content actually works? Here’s the secret: plan sponsors … Continue reading →

I once volunteered for an organization where I flat-out said the leadership—excluding myself—was stuck in 1986. I didn’t say it to be funny. I said it because it was true. They were using the same dated tactics to bring in … Continue reading →

Vanguard’s latest report makes a blunt point: allowing collective investment trusts (CITs) in 403(b) plans could save the median plan participant about 0.08% to 0.09% annually compared to mutual fund fees—translating into $23,000–$28,000 less paid in fees by age 65 … Continue reading →

A massive new study by Abernathy-Daley covering nearly 58,000 corporate 401(k) plans delivered a simple—but startling—message: virtually every plan suffers from overpriced, underperforming funds. In fact, 99% of plans have at least one fund with a cheaper, better-performing alternative over … Continue reading →