Monthly Archives: September 2025

Another excessive fee case is wrapping up, this time involving the $5.6 billion Northwell Health 403(b) Plan. After five years of motions, amendments, and appeals, the parties have agreed to a $2.75 million settlement. The lawsuit, brought by plan participant … Continue reading →

One thing I’ve learned in the retirement plan business is that participant demand usually runs ahead of what plan sponsors and providers are willing to offer. The Schroders 2025 U.S. Retirement Survey drives that point home. Almost half of defined … Continue reading →

One of the biggest problems I see when new clients hire me is that they never bothered to review the provider contracts they signed years ago. It’s human nature — you’re excited to get the plan up and running, the … Continue reading →

I’ll admit it—I loved Cracker Barrel. Living in New York, I never had one nearby, so whenever I traveled, I made it a point to stop. In 2014, I was in Florida and ended up at three different Cracker Barrel … Continue reading →

When I look back on my brief tenure at that union law firm, the irony wasn’t lost on me. We were representing labor, but as associates, we were treated so poorly that the running joke was that we ought to … Continue reading →

The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) tried to play cleanup with the rulebook and instead found out that sometimes the “old” rules are still needed. After floating the idea of removing certain safe harbors — including guidance … Continue reading →

The retirement plan industry just hit another milestone, and it didn’t come from Wall Street or the big recordkeepers. State-run automatic IRAs have now passed $2 billion in assets, covering more than a million workers across 12 programs. That’s a … Continue reading →

I’ve always said that robbing a bank with a pair of pantyhose on your head is a smarter crime than stealing from a retirement plan. At least the bank robber has a shot at making it out the door. An … Continue reading →

When most people think about ERISA lawsuits, the usual suspects are plan sponsors. They’re the fiduciaries who pick the investments, hire the service providers, and have the crosshairs on their backs when plaintiffs’ firms go looking for blood. But every … Continue reading →