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Happy Holidays from the Frugal Fiduciary! As 2017 comes to a close, we looked back through this year’s blogs to find the most read.
- 401(k) plan features – Our top 3 blogs for the year were FAQs with information about popular plan features
- 401(k) fees – How much service providers are charging and instructions for employers and employees to calculate plan fees.
- 401(k) providers – How employers can cut through the complexity of 401(k) services and fees to pick service providers with reasonable fees for necessary plan services.
So, in case you missed them the first time, or just want a refresher, here are our top 10 most-read blogs of 2017.
- 401(k) Distribution Rules – Frequently Asked Questions - 401(k) plans have restrictive distribution rules that are tied to your age and employment status. Use our FAQ to understand when you can take a distribution from your account and avoid penalties.
- Roth 401(k) Deferrals — Answers to Common Questions - 66% of 401(k) plans permit participants to make after-tax Roth deferrals to their personal account. Use our FAQ to help decide if Roth 401k deferrals are right for you.
- New Comparability 401(k) Plans - Are They Right for Your Small Business? - If you’re a high-paid business owner looking to maximize your annual 401(k) plan contributions, you owe it to yourself to learn about new comparability contributions. They can save you thousands of dollars in employer contributions annually versus other 401(k) profit sharing types.
- Fee Study of 525 401(k) Financial Advisors – Why Trump Can’t Reverse Tide of Fiduciary Advice – Believe it or not, 401(k) plans with an impartial fiduciary-grade financial advisor are often cheaper than plans with a potentially-conflicted, non-fiduciary broker or insurance agent. And I have the numbers to prove it!
- 401(k) Fees – Frequently Asked Questions by Plan Fiduciaries - Keeping plan fees in check is one of the most important 401(k) fiduciary responsibilities of an employer because excessive fees reduce investment returns unnecessarily, making a comfortable retirement for employees less affordable. If you’re a 401(k) fiduciary, use our FAQ to understand 401k fee basics.
- 4 Traits of the Best Small Business 401k Providers – Shopping for a new 401(k) provider for your small business? Look for these 4 traits to avoid excessive 401(k) fees, fiduciary liability or poor service.
- 401(k) Index Funds – They Make it Easy to Reduce Fiduciary Liability – Investors are choosing index funds over comparable actively managed funds by a growing margin. These funds also make it dead simple for employers to meet their investment-related fiduciary responsibilities.
- Acquisition or Merger? Don’t Overlook the Seller’s 401(k) Plan! - If your company is considering the purchase of another company, don’t overlook the seller’s 401(k) plan. Otherwise, you could be stuck with a 401(k) plan that includes costly protected benefits or uncorrected defects.
- Finding Hidden 401(k) Fees in Participant Disclosure Notices – According to a study, 89% of 401(k) plan participants could not correctly calculate their account fees. That’s a big problem when you consider the corrosive effect of 401(k) fees on participant account balances over time. Learn how to calculate 401(k) fees from annual participant fee disclosure notices.
- The Top 4 Lies Told by 401(k) Providers - Some 401(k) providers make false claims. Their lies can easily go unnoticed by 401(k) fiduciaries due to the highly-technical nature of 401(k) services. However, believing these lies – and hiring the provider that makes them – can trigger severe consequences like excessive 401(k) fees or a lack of expertise. It’s easy to see through these lies with some basic facts
Curious to see our top 10 blogs of 2016? Check out our 2016 Top 10 list. Last year, our top topics were plan design, annual administration and provider fees.
Want additional retirement plan information? Check out our 401(k) Resource Center. It includes retirement plan insights and information by Employee Fiduciary experts.
I hope you find Employee Fiduciary blogs and Help Center informative. There is no reason for small business or their employees to be intimidated by 401(k) plans. Plan sponsorship and participation should be simple, safe and cost-effective. It can be with some basic, common-sense guidance.
Best wishes for 2018!
