Monthly Archives: May 2026

There’s a certain strain of thinking in this business that more is better. More funds. More features. More “solutions.” If a lineup has 18 options, someone will suggest 28. If the platform works, someone wants to bolt on three more … Continue reading →

Everyone loves a “partner” who agrees with them. Until it blows up. In the retirement plan world, there’s a dangerous kind of service model—the nod-and-smile model. Sponsor says they want a bloated investment lineup? “Sounds great.” Wants to keep a … Continue reading →

Plan providers think they win the business at the RFP. Nice presentation, polished deck, competitive pricing. Everyone shakes hands, everyone’s excited, and the deal is done. Not even close. The real sale happens during implementation. And sponsors remember those first … Continue reading →

Plan sponsors spend a lot of time worrying about the market. Is it too high? Too low? Are we heading into a recession? Should we swap out funds before the next downturn? It’s a natural instinct—but it’s also the wrong … Continue reading →

Plan sponsors love a good illusion. And the biggest one in the 401(k) world is this: if the recordkeeper is doing a lot, they must be responsible for a lot. They’re not. Recordkeepers are service providers. Very important ones. They … Continue reading →

Every now and then, the industry rolls out a headline that sounds like it belongs in a late-night infomercial. “Boost your retirement income by 30%.” No extra savings. No extra work. Just one simple tweak. This time, the hook comes … Continue reading →

There’s a dangerous assumption in the retirement plan world: that people who fall for scams somehow weren’t paying attention. That they should have known better. That’s nonsense. A 58-year-old woman in Michigan recently lost part of her 401(k) after being … Continue reading →

Plan sponsors love to say participants don’t engage. They don’t enroll, don’t increase deferrals, don’t rebalance. The conclusion? Participants are lazy. No, they’re not. They’re human. And humans are wired for inertia. We avoid decisions, delay action, and stick with … Continue reading →

There are phrases in the retirement plan business that should set off alarms. Not the obvious ones—those usually get handled. It’s the quiet, casual ones that do the real damage. And none is more dangerous than this: “We’ll fix it … Continue reading →

You just described one of the most underrated killers of otherwise good ideas: bad timing. That autograph show didn’t suddenly become worse. Same vendors, same celebrities, same concept. What changed? The calendar. And the calendar is undefeated. Running on Good … Continue reading →