Monthly Archives: September 2026

Every retirement plan provider seems to have amazing technology. At least that’s what the sales presentation says. There are dashboards, mobile apps, payroll integrations, artificial intelligence, automated enrollment, participant engagement tools, and portals that supposedly do everything except make your … Continue reading →

There is always someone willing to do it cheaper. That’s why I’ve never understood retirement plan providers who build their entire business around being the lowest-priced option. Price matters. I’m a flat-fee ERISA attorney, so I’m certainly not suggesting that … Continue reading →

One of the biggest mistakes retirement plan providers make is believing that every client is worth saving. They’re not. I understand why providers obsess over retention. Losing clients doesn’t look good. Nobody wants to explain why ten plans left last … Continue reading →

When business owners establish a 401(k) or profit-sharing plan, one of the first questions they usually ask is: “How much can I put away?” I understand. The tax deduction and retirement contribution are often major reasons they established the plan … Continue reading →

A typical 401(k) plan may have a TPA, recordkeeper, financial advisor, payroll provider, accountant, investment manager, and ERISA attorney. That’s a lot of cooks in the kitchen. The problem isn’t having multiple providers. Each provider can play an important role. … Continue reading →

One of the biggest problems with administering a 401(k) plan is that sometimes all the knowledge about the plan resides with one employee. Then that employee quits. Suddenly, nobody knows how contributions are transmitted, who sends the census to the … Continue reading →

One of my biggest complaints about the retirement plan industry is when a service provider gets hired to perform one job and then discovers another way to make money off the relationship. Participant data is becoming the latest example. A … Continue reading →

Every time Bitcoin spikes, you can almost set your watch to what happens next in the 401(k) world. People start talking about cryptocurrency in retirement plans. Again. Participants see Bitcoin going through the roof and wonder why they can’t invest … Continue reading →

Mistakes happen in the retirement plan business. I’ve been doing this long enough to know that perfection isn’t a realistic standard. What bothers me is when the plan sponsor repeatedly discovers the mistakes. A census gets uploaded incorrectly. An eligibility … Continue reading →

One of the most frustrating experiences for a retirement plan sponsor is being bounced around between departments. That’s a recordkeeping issue. That’s a TPA issue. You need payroll. That’s handled by distributions. Talk to your relationship manager. Nobody cares about … Continue reading →