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Plans paying more? Well, yeah

I read that a recent study showed the 80% of 401(k) plans are overpaying in fees. Tell me something I don’t know. For most small and medium-sized plans, there is absolutely no check by the plan sponsors on whether the fees that they’re paying are reasonab...

Get that Final 5500 done ASAP

When a plan terminates and distributes all its assets or merges all its assets into another plan, you need to understand that a Final Form 5500 needs to be completed. Otherwise, you will get notified by the Internal Revenue Service or Department of Labor that...

The issue with 3(16)

Over the last few years, we’ve seen the proliferation of companies offering ERISA §3(16) service...

Terminate the plan before the deal

Company A wants to buy Company B and everyone wants to terminate Company B’s 401(k) Plan. In an i...

A good plan provider will admit they’re wrong

A long-time advisor-client called with a chuckle that both he and I were right and a partner at a l...

There is no such thing as free administration

In England, many of the top pubs are owned by British breweries because watering holes are an effec...

I hate short plan years

When drafting new 401(k) plans for clients during the middle of the year, I like drafting them with...

I wish the DOL would act over TPA termination

It’s all friendly between the plan sponsor and the Third-Party Administrator (TPA) until the plan...

Filing that late 5500 can be a weapon of mass destruction

Missing that deadline to file a Form 5500 is a huge problem. Sometimes people forget even when the ...

The Problem of Plan design

When you start fixing up the house (for me, a never-ending battle) and replacing appliances or item...