401(k) providers who pay for match-making services must cover these costs. The most common way is to limit investment choice to a single fund family or to pay-to-play share classes with the highest expense ratios. The next most popular is to charge large asset-based fees.

Nearly all ratings services charge these finders fees. Few rating services disclose these subsidies or the fact that rating services have strong incentive to favor vendors that pay them the most and ignore those who do not pay to be listed. Not surprisingly, 401k ratings typically exclude 401k fees from their rankings, especially investment and trading costs. Vendors are not penalized for limiting investment options and making it impossible for plan participants to invest solely in low cost investments, such as 401(k) ETFs or index funds, without paying a surcharge.

In contrast, Employee Fiduciary provides access to every fund from every fund family, even low cost index funds without markup. Employers and advisors can receive free plan comparisons with 401(k) companies—which include all plan costs and service standards.

And Employee Fiduciary guarantees its fees are the lowest in the business. Financial Advisor Magazine recently reported that among vendors offering any investment, Employee Fiduciary’s 401k retirement plans “may be the lowest cost in the industry.”