Monthly Archives: September 2026

There are certain problems in life where waiting might actually help. Late 401(k) deposits aren’t one of them. Employee salary deferrals are plan assets once they’re withheld from employees’ paychecks and are required to be deposited into the plan on … Continue reading →

One of the biggest sources of confusion for 401(k) plan sponsors is figuring out who is actually responsible for what. You have a financial advisor. You have a TPA. You have a recordkeeper. Maybe you have an ERISA attorney. Everybody … Continue reading →

Every year, most 401(k) plan sponsors get a Form 5500 from their TPA or other provider with instructions to electronically sign and file it. And I’m convinced plenty of plan sponsors spend more time deciding what they want for lunch … Continue reading →

One of the biggest mistakes retirement plan providers make is assuming every client wants to be serviced the same way. They don’t. I’ve had clients who want to talk regularly. They want explanations. They want reminders. They want somebody holding … Continue reading →

One of the easiest ways for a retirement plan provider to lose business is also one of the easiest things to fix: stop making the financial advisor chase you. I’ve been in the retirement plan business long enough to know … Continue reading →

I’m generally not a big fan of government mandates. In the retirement plan business, however, it’s hard to argue with results when a mandate actually accomplishes what it was designed to do. New research from Gusto shows just how much … Continue reading →

One of the biggest mistakes retirement plan providers make is believing that every prospect has to become a client. They don’t. Sometimes the best thing you can tell a prospect is that they don’t need you. Maybe their current provider … Continue reading →

One of the biggest mistakes retirement plan providers make is assuming that a quiet client is a happy client. Sometimes they’re just quietly looking for another provider. Clients rarely wake up one morning and decide to fire their TPA, advisor, … Continue reading →

Retirement plan providers love technology. They love talking about their new portal, their app, their payroll integration, their participant experience, and whatever artificial intelligence tool they added last Tuesday. Technology is great. It makes our jobs easier and can make … Continue reading →

There is a big difference between a checkup and an autopsy. A checkup is designed to find problems while you still have an opportunity to do something about them. An autopsy tells you what went wrong after it’s already too … Continue reading →