close

Why Daily Eligibility Sounds Great Until Someone Has to Administer It

On paper, daily eligibility sounds like one of those ideas that makes perfect sense. Why make employees wait? Why force someone hired on Tuesday to sit around until the first of the next month or next quarter before they can defer into the 401(k) plan? Immedi...

In M&A, Saving the Retirement Plan Is Often the Better Option—Good Luck Convincing the Lawyers

As a plan provider, one of the more frustrating parts of asset sale transactions is watching a perfectly salvageable retirement plan get marched toward termination because the M&A lawyers want zero daylight between the buyer and anything that smells like ...

Your Call Center Is Your Brand

Providers love talking about technology. Modern platforms. Digital enrollment. AI tools. Partici...

The Vendor Blame Game

Every retirement plan problem seems to follow the same script. A contribution is wrong. A loan p...

If Your Best People Are Constantly Firefighting, Your Process Is Broken

When I worked for TPAs as an attorney, there were days I felt less like legal counsel and more like...

Your Recordkeeper Isn’t Your TPA, Even If They Act Like It

Plan sponsors love the idea of simplicity. One provider, one platform, one point of contact. The re...

When a Good Partnership Ends Over the Wrong Reason

I had a plan provider sponsoring many of my events. It was a great relationship, the kind that work...

Mediocrity Isn’t an Accident

I used to think it was random. Watching mediocre people get pushed forward at work and in life, I f...

The Lie of the Seamless Platform

Every provider sells the same story: seamless, integrated, all-in-one. One platform, one experience...

Your Best Employee Is Your Biggest Risk

Every provider has them. The person who knows everything. They understand every client nuance, ever...