Is a bad 401k plan better than no 401k plan? Small employers often escape scrutiny—leaving workers with costly, subpar retirement options.
In many small employer 401k plans, those pressures combine with poor vendor selection, weak oversight, and minimal participant education to create environments where employees pay more and get less.
401k decumulation defaults are coming. Does the past provide a blueprint—or just warnings? Explore one possible future.
That sense of distinctiveness opens the door to a deeper look at how automation has evolved in accumulation and how far that logic can be pushed into decumulation. AskFiduciaryNews.com approached the question by surveying patterns across FiduciaryNews.com coverage.
401k paternalism via embedded lifetime income closes savings gaps—but risks opacity and mismatched defaults. Is it help or overreach?
The broader plan-design conversation, including “Beyond Auto-Mania,” shows a shift from simple auto-features to guided, retirement-readiness approaches. That trajectory supports treating embedded income as part of a holistic, user-friendly design rather than a fringe option.
3(38) 3(21) fiduciary models promise relief—yet proprietary ties and fine print threaten independence. Which truly protects participants?
Seasoned advisors caution plan sponsors not to confuse delegation with disappearance. Every fiduciary duty can be shared. None can be erased.
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401k Christmas Wish List
Viewed through that lens, a 401k Christmas wish list isn’t just about outcomes, but about predictability. A stable rulebook can make it easier to design, monitor, and maintain plans that work in practice as well as on paper.