Author Archives: admin

Providers love talking about technology. Modern platforms. Digital enrollment. AI tools. Participant dashboards. Mobile apps. That’s all nice. But when participants have an actual problem, they don’t care about your shiny interface. They call. And the person who answers that … Continue reading →

Every retirement plan problem seems to follow the same script. A contribution is wrong. A loan payment disappears. Eligibility is miscalculated. Payroll deductions don’t match elections. A participant calls angry. Then the finger-pointing begins. Payroll says the file went out … Continue reading →

When I worked for TPAs as an attorney, there were days I felt less like legal counsel and more like a firefighter. Not the glamorous kind. Not the heroic calendar photo kind. More the exhausted guy showing up because someone … Continue reading →

There’s a certain kind of victory that doesn’t come with applause. No trophy. No recognition. Just quiet proof that you made it through something that was designed—whether intentionally or not—to break you. I’m still here. If you’ve read anything I’ve … Continue reading →

Plan sponsors love the idea of simplicity. One provider, one platform, one point of contact. The recordkeeper says they can “handle the TPA work,” and suddenly it feels like you’ve eliminated a layer. Cleaner, cheaper, easier. Until it isn’t. The … Continue reading →

I had a plan provider sponsoring many of my events. It was a great relationship, the kind that works because both sides understand the value. Then in one city, the local salesperson dropped out. Not once, but twice. His reason … Continue reading →

I used to think it was random. Watching mediocre people get pushed forward at work and in life, I figured maybe I was missing something. Maybe there was a skill I didn’t see, something behind the curtain that explained it. … Continue reading →

I’ve always liked immediate eligibility for deferrals. Clean, simple, easy to explain. Let people in the door and let them start saving. Where things go sideways is when a provider layers on a safe harbor contribution, a match, or even … Continue reading →

The most expensive calls I get usually start the same way. “Our payroll provider handles the TPA work too, and something went wrong.” Contributions were missed, eligibility was misapplied, or the match didn’t follow the document. The assumption is that … Continue reading →

The latest executive order aimed at expanding retirement savings sounds like a win on paper. Millions of Americans without access to workplace plans are now being nudged into the system through simplified IRA access, a new federal matching contribution, and … Continue reading →