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Delap advisors can help you achieve your business goals. Learn How
Delap advisors can help you achieve your business goals. Learn How
Employers are increasingly recognizing the importance of providing competitive retirement benefits to their employees, and 401(k) plans are a popular option for many companies. While these plans can offer valuable benefits to employees, including tax advantages and the opportunity to save for retirement, many employers are looking for ways to enhance their 401(k) plans to better meet the needs of their workforce while also reducing administrative costs and plan fees.
In this blog post, we'll explore some of the strategies you can use to improve your 401(k) plan, ensure you are providing your employees with the best possible retirement benefits, and reduce plan overhead. From automatic enrollment to employer contributions and more, there are a variety of options available to help employers design a 401(k) plan that meets the unique needs of their workforce and helps employees achieve their retirement goals.
Frequent and effective communication with participants empowers them to take ownership of their own retirement. Do you wish your employee benefit plan had greater participation rates? The best 401(k) plans often include plan features involving automatic enrollment with opt-out as well as stepped-up contributions.
Additionally, plans with active investment advisers who are committed to educating your workforce will often have much higher participation rates.
Company executives and administrators are busy and pulled in many directions. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recognizes the need for employee benefit plans to hire experts if they do not possess the needed expertise. Great employee benefit plans know that financial incentives influence behavior and ultimately the advice rendered, so understand how your adviser is paid (fee vs. commission).
The historical lack of fee transparency has enabled many financial institutions to monetarily capitalize on the 401(k) market. Every basis point of fee reduction is redirected into the employees’ accounts and is compounded year after year.
With recent changes in rules requiring more transparency, employee benefit plan sponsors are able to more easily compare their plans' fees to potential other providers. Furthermore, nearly every fee is negotiable and most businesses can obtain the exact same plan with reduced fees.
Administrative expenses are a hidden cost some companies overlook when evaluating their 401(k) plan. Great plans reduce the time administrators spend keeping up with compliance and plan management by the use of a third-party administrator (TPA).
While a TPA has a cost, it may be less than the hidden costs of utilizing internal resources. And because they are experts, oftentimes, a TPA will be able to identify compliance issues and provide you with solutions to such challenges.
Obtain in writing a third-party investment fiduciary. A written third-party investment fiduciary can significantly reduce the plan sponsor’s liability. The fiduciary will monitor the plan, provide employee education, and evaluate overall performance among the funds.
Staying abreast of the rules and regulations that govern employee benefit plans is difficult in an ever-changing environment. Outsourcing this aspect to an expert will inevitably lower risk and liability that would otherwise be present.
Additionally, if your plan has more than 100 participants and requires an audit, select a firm with a deep level of employee benefit plan audit expertise. One-third of all employee benefit plans are audited by accounting firms that audit two or fewer plans per year. Even if you have your plan audited by an accounting firm, if the DOL takes issue with the work that your auditor does or if they find issues with the operation of your plan, they can assess fines to the plan sponsor, not the accounting firm.
Many of the 401(k) services are based on number of eligible or participating plan participants. As the number of participants and plan assets grow, companies can negotiate a reduced fee per employee. Furthermore, great plans have a process to aid terminated employees with rolling over 401(k) funds into their new plan or an IRA.
Great plans are constantly being evaluated, and occasionally there will be opportunities to improve fund performance and administration. The top employer 401(k) plans are willing to make the needed changes to ensure their employees are best served despite the status quo being the easiest option.
Another way to improve your 401(k) plan: Being aware of aspects of your 401(k) plan that are subject to lower fees could save you money. Funds that are passively managed, investments offered through a bundled program, and funds with greater total assets are all associated with lower fees.
How does this relate to your 401(k)? Find smart investments that do not require in-depth research or maintenance, offer bundled investment programs to employees, and if you have greater assets, utilize them by using special funds or classes of stock in funds.
What if you could avoid potential fees associated with your 401(k) plan? Without compromising the value of your 401(k) plan, consider the following ways to avoid higher fees.
These aspects create additional fees that could otherwise be avoided.
The U.S. Department of Labor provides 10 questions to ask yourself about your 401(k) plan, which you can use to gather information about the fees and expenses paid by your plan.>
Why should you audit your employee benefit plan? Beyond simply compliance, the process is a smart way to "cleanse" your plan to improve its quality, and relevance. As a good rule of thumb, look for a firm that is registered with the AICPA's audit quality center, and has a dedicated team of professionals focused on benefit plan audits.
Taking steps to improve your 401(k) plan is essential for employers who want to promote the financial well-being of their employees and attract and retain top talent. By following the best practices outlined above, such as encouraging employee participation, reducing fees, and getting an employee benefit plan audit, employers can make significant improvements to their 401(k) plans. While these improvements may require some initial investment, the benefits of a strong 401(k) plan will ultimately outweigh the costs by increasing employee satisfaction and productivity and potentially reducing turnover.
Our dedicated employee benefit plan team at Delap has extensive experience auditing a wide variety of employee benefit plans. We assist in interpreting Plan Documents, advising plan administrators, and helping implement best practices for plan operations. We would love to help you through any questions you might have regarding your plan.