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.
Tag "retirement"
While the current landscape is still taking shape, the trajectory of AI’s influence is undeniable. There’s no question 401k AI is moving in a direction where it will take on a critical role in moving beyond averages to identify specific savings gaps and in enabling more precise, effective fiduciary interventions.
Before widespread use, 401k AI personalization needs careful management of fairness, transparency, and fiduciary duty. And when you read “plan sponsors must,” you’re really reading “plan sponsors’ service providers must.”
For ERISA fiduciaries, the challenge is clear: move beyond the default, and design a 401k plan that truly serves the diverse needs of its participants. In doing so, you not only safeguard retirement incomes but also reinforce the trust placed in you by those relying on your expertise.
As recessions become an inevitable part of the economic cycle, the responsibility of ERISA fiduciaries and 401k plan sponsors is clear. For plan sponsors, the answer lies in a proactive, hands-on approach. It’s about continuously reviewing plan design, investing in technology, and fostering a culture of financial literacy among participants.
The blend of traditional and modern retirement plan types could evolve further with SECURE 3.0.
Proposals focus on recalibrating the program’s benefit formulas and exploring new contribution models to secure future solvency. Proponents argue that modernizing these aspects will help the program adapt to longer life spans and changing economic conditions without sacrificing current commitments.
If you look at headlines in the retirement industry trade press, rarely does a week go by when you don’t see an article lamenting the low retirement savings numbers. How do we change this?
Ironically, while some see lowering the savings limit as politically palatable because it impacts only a small segment of the population, that same fact reduces the effect of such a policy shift.
401k New Year Opportunities
The calendar flipped to 2026, and with it came a fresh crop of 401k new year opportunities. Will this be the year 403(b) plans finally shed legacy costs, SECURE 2.0 provisions hit their stride, and markets remind participants that risk never really sleeps?