Author Archives: admin

Why Most Plan Providers Don’t Lose Clients, They Abandon Them Slowly

The Long, Quiet Goodbye Most plan providers don’t wake up one morning and get fired. It’s not a dramatic breakup with yelling, lawyers, and a new recordkeeper waiting in the lobby. It’s quieter than that. Clients leave the way a … Continue reading

Posted in Retirement Plans | Leave a comment

Why Your 401(k) Worked Fine for 20 Years—Until It Didn’t

For many plan sponsors, the story is the same. The plan was set up years ago. Employees participated. Contributions flowed. Nobody complained. From the sponsor’s perspective, the 401(k) worked exactly as intended. And for a long time, that was true. … Continue reading

Posted in Retirement Plans | Leave a comment

Late Deposits Aren’t Moral Failures, They’re Process Failures

When a plan sponsor hears the words “late deposit,” they react like they’ve been accused of shoplifting. Faces turn red, voices get defensive, and someone inevitably says, “We would never steal from employees.” The truth is less dramatic and more … Continue reading

Posted in Retirement Plans | Leave a comment

Trump Accounts: Will Employers Make This a Real Benefit or Just Another Glossy Bullet Point?

If you’ve been watching the headlines, you’ve probably heard about the new Trump Accounts—a savings vehicle created by federal law that lets kids start building tax-advantaged investment accounts early in life and gives eligible children a federal seed contribution. Employers … Continue reading

Posted in Retirement Plans | Leave a comment

What Plan Sponsors Really Need to Know About the New IRS Rollover Notices

If you thought your rollover notice obligations were settled a few years ago, think again. The IRS has released two new model rollover notices—one for Roth distributions and one for non-Roth distributions—and they are effective immediately. That means every plan … Continue reading

Posted in Retirement Plans | Leave a comment

IRS Updates Safe Harbor Explanations for Retirement Plan Administrators — What You Need to Know

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Department of the Treasury issued Notice 2026-13 on January 15, 2026 — a key update for retirement plan sponsors and administrators responsible for communicating rollover distribution options to participants. This guidance revises the safe … Continue reading

Posted in Retirement Plans | Leave a comment

When a Top 401(k) Plan Ends Up in Court: Lessons from the Bloomberg ERISA Suit

Big headlines in retirement plan litigation don’t just hit household names; they’re a reminder that fiduciary duty doesn’t come with automatic immunity for size or reputation. Last week, a $70 million ERISA class action lawsuit was filed against the Bloomberg … Continue reading

Posted in Retirement Plans | Leave a comment

Niche Markets: Doctors, Law Firms, Unions, and Family Businesses

Every plan provider says the same thing: “We work with everyone.” That sounds inclusive, but it’s terrible marketing and even worse strategy. The most successful TPAs and advisors I know don’t chase everyone—they own niches. Doctors, law firms, unions, family … Continue reading

Posted in Retirement Plans | Leave a comment

How Advisors Can Stop Competing Only on Investments

For decades the advisor sales pitch sounded like a broken record: better funds, better performance, better returns. The problem is that every advisor says the same thing, and in a world of index funds and target-date glidepaths, “better investments” isn’t … Continue reading

Posted in Retirement Plans | Leave a comment

The 5 Documents Every Plan Sponsor Should Have in a Drawer

Running a 401(k) plan isn’t just about picking a fund lineup and hoping employees save enough for retirement. It’s about process, documentation, and proving that you acted like a prudent fiduciary even when markets misbehave. I always tell plan sponsors … Continue reading

Posted in Retirement Plans | Leave a comment