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The Frugal Fiduciary Small Business 401(k) Blog

Get the latest industry news, deadlines and tips you need to know to help tackle your fiduciary responsibility needs.

401(k) vs SIMPLE IRA: Which is Right for Your Business?

How to “Value” 401(k) Administration Services and Investments

401(k) Plan Design Checklist

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Subscribe to the The Frugal Financial Small Business 401(k) Blog and receive this free checklist for help in determing the best 401(k) plan design options and fit for your company.

A “Rosetta Stone” for Finding 401(k) Provider Fees

The CARES Act - 401(k) Participant Distribution and Loan Options

COVID-19 – 401(k) FAQs for Business Owners and Plan Participants

Safe Harbor 401(k) Plans: Answers To Common Questions

Index Funds Are Indisputably Prudent 401(k) Investments - How to Pick a Lineup

401(k) Investing – Professional Advice is Easy to Access Today

Don’t Let Your 401(k) Provider Hide the Cost of Your Plan

401(k) Testing – Deadlines Employers Should Know

The SECURE Act of 2019 – An Analysis of Key 401(k) Changes

The Top Ten Frugal Fiduciary 401(k) Blogs of 2019

401(k) Administration Checklist for the 2020 Plan Year

How to Attribute Family Ownership When 401(k) Plan Testing

The DOL Proposes New Electronic 401(k) Disclosure Rules

How MEPs Signal a Broken 401(k) Industry

3 Warning Signs Your 401(k) Provider is Ripping You Off

401(k) Fees - Rules for Allocating Among Plan Participants

401(k) Amendment Rules – Strict, but (Mostly) Straightforward

Steps for Reducing the Out-of-Pocket Cost of Retirement

Traditional Safe Harbor 401(k) Plan vs. QACA – How to Choose

401(k) Fee Study: What Does a Fiduciary-Grade Advisor Cost?

Revenue Sharing - 5 Reasons for 401(k) Fiduciaries to Avoid it

The SPIVA Scorecard – A Must-Read for 401(k) Fiduciaries

Switching 401(k) Providers? What to Expect and Pitfalls to Avoid

Employers Must Avoid 401(k) Providers They Can't Understand

The SECURE Act and RESA - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

401(k) Rollovers: When One is in Your Best Interest

401(k) Mutual Funds – Pay Attention to Share Class!

It's Too Easy to Conceal 401k Fees – We Need 408b-2 Reform

401k Investment Advice – Pros and Cons of the 3 Basic Forms

Small Business 401(k) Plan Design Study: What 3,975 401(k) Plans Are Doing

Safe Harbor or Traditional 401(k) Plan – How to Decide

Hardship 401(k) Distributions – Frequently Asked Questions

Applying Jack Bogle’s Guiding Principle to 401(k) Provider Fees

How Compound Interest and Dollar Cost Averaging Reduce the Cost of Retirement

401(k) Contribution Deadlines – You Don’t Want to Miss Them!

The Top Ten Frugal Fiduciary 401(k) Blogs of 2018

Replacing SIMPLE IRAs with a 401(k) – Frequently Asked Questions

2018 Small Business 401(k) Fee Study – What’s Too High?

401(k) Plan Administration Checklist - 2020

Calculating American Funds 401(k) Fees Using Their 408b-2

Apathy is the #1 Source of 401(k) Liability – It’s Easy to Avoid

TSP-like 401(k)s + Tax Credits = More Small Business Plans

How Trump’s Executive Order on Retirement Plans Falls Short

How to Total Paychex 401(k) Fees Using Their 408b-2 Disclosure

Calculating ADP 401(k) Fees Using Their 408b-2 Disclosure

Guidelines for Benchmarking 401k Admin and Investment Fees

401(k) Participant Disclosures - What Employers Need to Know

401(k) Fee Levelization – It Can Make Revenue Sharing Worse!

401(k) Fidelity Bonds – Frequently Asked Questions

401(k) Matching Contributions – What Employers Need to Know

Four 401(k) Plan Services That Justify Higher Provider Fees

Solo 401(k) Plans – Their Benefits to Self-Employed Workers

3 Common 401(k) Provider Conflicts of Interest!

401(k) Plan Coverage Testing – What Employers Need to Know

DOL Guidance for Paying 401(k) Fees from Plan Assets

Unpacking the Complex Web of Insurance Company 401k Fees

The 401(k) Form 5500 – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

401(k) Plan Compensation – What Employers Need to Know

A Simple Guide for Meeting 401(k) Fiduciary Responsibilities

401(k) Admin Fees – The Benefits to Business Owners That Pay Them

Are Profit Sharing Contributions Right for Your 401(k) Plan?

The Top Ten Frugal Fiduciary 401(k) Blogs of 2017

Why Multiple Employer 401(k) Plans are Obsolete Today

Worried Your 401(k) Pays Hidden Fees? Answer 2 Questions to Find Out

401(k) Required Minimum Distributions – What You Need to Know

3-Step Guide for Employers to Select and Monitor 401(k) Index Funds

Top 10 401(k) Mistakes Found in the IRS Voluntary Compliance Program

Automatic Enrollment – Is It Right for Your Small Business 401(k) Plan?

401(k) Cybercrime – Key to Keeping a Plan Safe Is Not Delegating Fiduciary Responsibilities

Employers Should Avoid Providers That Treat 401(k) Plans Like a Product, Not a Service

A Common Sense 401(k) Plan for Small Businesses

401(k) Loan Rules – What Plan Participants Need to Know

403(b) vs. 401(k) Plans for Non-Financial People

Expanding Small Biz Retirement Plan Coverage – 401(k) Reforms Are Needed

Are Your 401(k) Fees “Reasonable?”  Benchmark Them to Find Out

The DOL Fiduciary Rule – What Employers Need to Know

401(k) Distribution Rules – Frequently Asked Questions

Acquisition or Merger? Don’t Overlook the Seller’s 401(k) Plan!

DOL Fiduciary Rule: Good for Business But Opposed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

New Comparability 401(k) Plans - Are They Right for Your Small Business?

Fee Study of 525 401(k) Financial Advisors – Fiduciary Advice Costs Less!

The Top 4 Lies Told by 401(k) Providers

401(k) Fees – Frequently Asked Questions by Plan Fiduciaries

401(k) Index Funds – They Make it Easy to Reduce Fiduciary Liability

Finding Hidden 401(k) Fees in Participant Disclosure Notices

Roth 401(k) Deferrals — Answers to Common Questions

4 Traits of the Best Small Business 401k Providers

Our Top 10 401k Blogs of 2016: What Topics Were the Most Popular?

401(k) Eligibility: When to Let Employees Join Your 401(k) Plan

401k Plan Design Study: What 2,767 Small Business 401k Plans Are Doing

401k Fees: Are Traditional 401k Services Worth a Smaller Retirement Nest Egg?

How MEPs Complicate 401(k) Plan Terminations

Asset-Based 401k Admin Fees Are Unreasonable; Fiduciaries Should Avoid Them

3 Questions for Calculating Small Business 401k Provider Fees

Government Shocker! The 401k Form 5500 May Become Useful Soon

Is Human 401k Advice More Expensive Than Robo Advice? You Might Be Surprised

(Possibly) The Biggest Small Business 401(k) Fee Study Ever!

401k Fiduciary Pro Tip: Uninvested Cash Can Be a Symptom of a Bad 401k Recordkeeper

401k Enrollment: Is a Meeting or E-Delivery Best For Your Small Business 401k Plan?

The Myth of the 15 Minute 401k Plan Setup

John Oliver Should Be Upset; His Hancock 401k Fees Are Too High!

401k Disclosure Rules Are Out of Date; It’s Time for Common Sense Reform

What’s Old Is New Again: “Mega Back Door” Roth IRA Contributions Spark New Interest in Old School After-Tax Contributions

How to Evaluate 401k Provider Competence in 2 Easy Steps

Plan Participation Problems? No Problem

What’s the #1 Reason for 401k Lawsuits?  Overpriced or Superfluous 401k Services

Setting Up A 401(k) Plan: The Cliff Notes

The DOL’s New Fiduciary Rule – the Value of 401k Investment Services Will Be More Critical Than Ever

3 Tax Advantages of 401k Plans

Picking 401k Investments and Related Services Is Easy When Fiduciaries Know Their Options

When ADP/ACP Testing Fails, 401k Fiduciaries Should Understand Their Options

SEC Money Market Reform Will Affect Many Small Business 401ks in 2016; 401k Fiduciaries Should Understand its Consequences

It’s 401(k) Testing Season! What Small Businesses Need to Know About 401(k) Testing

Small Business Retirement Plan Options: 401(k)s vs. SIMPLE and SEP IRAs

Shopping For a 401k Plan Doesn’t Need To Be Overwhelming For Small Businesses; A Checklist Can Help

Is Your Company Part of a Controlled Group?  You Need to Know or Risk 401(k) Plan Disqualification

Happy Holidays from the Frugal Fiduciary! Our Top 10 Blogs of 2015

Understanding a 401(k) Plan’s Fiduciary Hierarchy Can Make It Easier for Employers To Meet Fiduciary Responsibilities

Good News, 401k Fiduciaries! DOL Fee Disclosure Rules Make ERISA 404(c) Compliance Simple

Managing 401k Deadlines for the 2016 Plan Year – A Checklist Can Help

401k Plan Design – Our Checklist Can Make the Process Simple

Selecting 401k Service Providers: Determine the Professional Help You Need Before You Shop

401(k) Document Retention Rules Made Simple

The Federal TSP Is a Baseline for 401k Plans – And Any Small Business Can Match It

401k Fiduciary Outsourcing: Does it Actually Increase an Employer’s Fiduciary Liability?

Avoiding 401k Fiduciary Liability Doesn’t Need to Be Difficult; Simple “Best Practices” are the Key

VC-Backed 401k Startups: A Paradigm Shift or Flash in the Pan?

Will Trial Lawyers be the Sole Beneficiary of a Watered-Down Fiduciary Rule?

A Common Sense 401k Reform - Retirement Labels and Receipts

Clarity in a Complex World? A 408b-2 Review

The DOL’s Fiduciary Rule: Why Can’t Regulators do Simple?

401k Participants Should Leave Investing to the Pros; Focus on Saving

Is Conflict-Free Investment Advice More Expensive than Conflicted Advice?

“Bundling” 401k services with other corporate services can result in fiduciary liability

Watered-Down Fiduciary Rule May be the Best Case Scenario for Investors

Online 401k fee analyzers are a marketing gimmick; fiduciaries and participants should avoid them

Beware of Surrender Charges and Other Extraordinary 401(k) Fees Charged by Insurance Companies

Jerry Schlichter Interviewed by Frontline; 401k Sponsors Should Take Note

DOL’s Fiduciary Rule Advances to OMB; Not Everyone is Happy about It

Target Monthly Income and not an Account Balance When Saving for Retirement

Evaluating 401k Providers: Separating Commodity from Value-Added Services

NAPA stakes a position against the DOL’s fiduciary rule

Keeping my Fingers Crossed for 401k Reform in Tonight’s SOTU Address

MyRAs are not the answer for expanding retirement plan coverage

New Year’s Resolution # 1 for Fiduciaries – “I WILL Evaluate My 401k Plan Fees"

JP Morgan publishes a piece on choosing target date funds for your plan. Good points made, but even better points are left out.

There are no “economies of scale” in 401k plans – unless you are trying to beat the market

Multiple Employer Plans (MEPs) are a marketing play, not a way to cut costs. We don’t need them.

Reforming Roth provisions may be key to improving savings rates for Millennials. My proposal.

Let’s put “Income” back in ERISA

MassMutual settled its “functional fiduciary” lawsuit – a cause for hope for greater fee transparency.

Small business owners are redefining the market for 401k plans. Result: Mass market “products” are about to go extinct.

Edison International case highlights a needed reform: Share class restrictions in 401k plans.

Hiring an ERISA 3(38) Investment Manager can be the simplest way to limit 401k investment liability.

Financial wellness is impossible to achieve without plan participation. Here’s how to address the issue with your employees.

Why small business retirement plans with high asset balances actually pay more for their plan services.

Vanguard’s John Bogle makes his case for improving 401k plans. Here’s why his Senate testimony rocks.

Senate Finance Committee holds a hearing today on “Retirement Savings 2.0.” Here is what they should address to help small business retirement plans.

Brokerage Windows in 401k Plans: Nope. Not even if they say “pretty please.”

Why All Employers Should Know their “All-In” 401(k) Fee

Former DOL Deputy Director declares scandal in IRA rollovers. It’s a scandal, just not the one he thinks it is.

New companies are trying to fill the gaps in 401k fee disclosure regulations. Here’s why they all fall short.

Plan re-enrollment: The “Wonder Drug” for your company’s retirement plan. It’s cheap, simple and benefits sponsors and employees.

Former Obama administration official offers a plan to “fix” the tax incentives for retirement plans. Here is why it is dead wrong.

In small business retirement plans, the employees with the smallest balances need the most help. Here’s my frugal guide to making the plan work for everyone in your organization.

Revenue sharing is on the decline in 401(k) plans. Three reasons why it will soon be gone altogether.

GAO suggests changes to the Form 5500 to promote clarity and consistency. We agree.

Low-cost target date index funds will fundamentally reshape the market for small business retirement plans – and soon!

Wall Street Journal article proposes sweeping changes to improve small business retirement plans – including simplifying fee disclosures and requiring index funds. Here’s our analysis.

Employee Fiduciary Announces Free 401k Fee Comparison Service

Indirect compensation in small business retirement plans made a lot of sense in 1980. So did leisure suits. It’s time to move on.

Small business 401k participants using their 401k plans to save for retirement (!) Part 3 of 3

Here’s how our small business 401k plan clients use low-cost investments. Not the conventional wisdom. Part 2 of 3

The Small Business 401k Plan in 2014: Our Clients Redefine the Conventional Wisdom - Part 1 of 3

Industry heavyweight SPARK weighs in on 408(b)(2) fee disclosure reform. We take issue with their key point.

ERISA Section 404(c) turns forty this year. Here is a common sense proposal for meaningful reform.

The DOL asked for input on enhancing its 2012 fee disclosures rules and talking real change. Here are our suggestions on getting it done.

Yale law professor again hammers high fees and revenue sharing. With a few reservations, I like what they have to say.

A Good Try from Congress, but Multiple Employer Plans are not the answer.

New Year’s resolution: Be a better fiduciary to my plan.

Retirement readiness begins by getting organized. Here are some great free tools.

Retirement readiness? Even with a great 401k most will have to work hard to retire well.

Press spins industry “research” puff piece into a retirement crisis denial story. Allow me to retort.

Schwab’s CEO embraces passive management. And Fidelity confirms a trend. Tipping point?

Consulting giant produces “Seven Little Pages of Retirement Plan Wisdom.” It is a must read.

Mandatory 401(k) Participation. Trending? (I hope not.)

Let’s go shopping! For a 401k plan?

Uncooked Pizza and the Low Cost 401K Plan, Part 2 of 2

The “Take and Bake Revolution” Comes to the 401k, Part 1

Guess what percentage of ETF assets are actively managed?

Going “Bold” on Safe Harbor Plans

Form 5500: The Form that Needs Reform

The Two-Headed Monster, Fairness and Safe Harbor Plans

“Amateur Hour”? Professor makes waves with Form 5500 study

Life After the 401k Fee Disclosure Rule

The ETF moment?

In Praise of the 401k Employer Match

Self-directed investing in 401ks: Paternalism or Freedom?

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