How do plan sponsors operate and administer employee benefit plans in a manner that is both effective and compliant with applicable regulatory and fiduciary obligations?
Why you should encourage ‘mini’ retirement plan audits
“Audit” is practically a four-letter word for plan sponsors, advisers and administrators. But an audit doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
What happens when you squeeze a vendor too tight
When a plan sponsor (or search specialist working on the plan sponsor’s behalf) squeezes a vendor too tight, the resulting contract may come with an attractive price tag, but it will set plan sponsors up for a downstream nightmare of quality and service issues that negatively impact both plans and their participants.
This retirement change Congress is considering will help many families struggling with student loan debt
Congress wants more changes to the U.S. retirement system — and one likely retirement provision could benefit families with student loans, big time.
A closer look at SECURE Act 2.0’s less-talked-about provisions
What you need to know about provisions that could have a significant impact on retirement plan compliance.
(Webinar) Financial wellbeing: practical considerations and insights for employers
Program length: 60 minutes Register and view now (available through March 2021) Interest in financial wellbeing programs hit a fever pitch after the pandemic-related events of 2020 exposed weaknesses in employees’ preparation and readiness for volatile economic circumstances. Industry research confirms that financial wellbeing has become a topic of considerable interest to employees and a top priority for many organizations. Evaluating potential …
Pandemic sharpens focus on employee financial wellness
COVID-19 has made financial wellness a hot topic in 2020 as employees seek to become more financially resilient. Here are some initial steps plan sponsors can take to gauge how well employees are using their existing benefits and determine whether additional financial wellness benefits are called for.
‘Free’ plan implementation can come with big costs
“Free implementation” has become a ubiquitous element of benefit plan administration proposals. The appeal to plan sponsors is understandable, but rest assured, with free implementation, you get what you pay for. Understanding the true cost of implementation will help plan sponsors evaluate potential benefit administrators and initiate the implementation process with eyes wide open and a more realistic budget.
Here’s how to create a SECURE Act plan of action
Given the SECURE Act’s broad scope and nuanced provisions, how should plan sponsors prioritize their responsibilities under the new law? Here’s a systematic approach for developing a SECURE Act plan of action.
A background on retirement plan cyber crimes and how to mitigate them
The onus of safeguarding plan participants from fraud does not fall solely on the recordkeeper. Both DC plan sponsors and recordkeepers need to agree on fraud-resistant processes that are clearly documented, rigorously implemented and consistently followed. Here are a few tips.