If you think the web of fiduciary duties is complex in a 401k plan that focuses on getting employees to save for retirement, imagine how much more intricate it becomes if the plan also has to cater to retired employees.
Tag "retirement"
While diligence is to be applauded, that’s not to say you can’t carry it to an extreme. If fact, some folks are so hung up on fees, they sometimes fail to see the bigger picture.
Clearly, you wouldn’t pay more for 2 apples if you could get 3 for the same price, but would you pay more to get 2 oranges instead?
Once a person enters retirement, the number of scenarios proliferate. Unless the plan sponsor is a financial professional, it’s going to be a challenge to quickly comprehend all these options.
This isn’t to say younger employees should be left out of this type of education altogether. They shouldn’t. It’s important the message is drip, drip, dripped from the beginning of the onboarding sequence.
Before you scorn the use of badges, remember, the company match is the ultimate badge. If you meet a minimum savings goal, the company awards you a “badge” of a matching contribution.
The mistaken promise of participation may have an all-too-familiar ring to corporate retirement plan veterans.
Before you start to panic, take a deep breath and relax. The retirement savings industry is an aircraft carrier. It can’t turn on a dime.
“That is one of the key weaknesses of the SEC’s Reg BI. It allows brokers to claim they are working in an investor’s best interest without being held to a legal duty of loyalty”
If plan sponsors want to alleviate retirement angst among plan participants, they need to ensure they provide full transparency regarding factors that extend beyond the plan. Plan sponsors have an obligation to explain their retirement benefits within the context of these outside factors.
