The No Surprises Act: A Cost Saving Opportunity for Employer Plan Sponsors
I was very lucky that when I started as an ERISA attorney in 1998, I worked as a staff attorney for a third-party administrator (TPA). It gave me insight and experience that I could never have gotten as an attorney working...more
Unfiltered 401(k) Views On What Is Going On Now - For years, dating back to college and law school, I had an unfiltered view of things. I have strong opinions and the opinions are based on my experiences. The problem,...more
I always say one of the beauties of retirement plans is not one is alike. They are like snowflakes because every plan sponsor has a different retirement plan need based on the size of their business, profits, and demographics...more
Organization Ideas For 401(k) Plan Sponsors To Limit Liability Organization tools always pop up for sale after New Year’s because a lot of people want to try to keep their resolutions. My local Costco always trots out the...more
The Problems With Free and Small Retirement Plans - There is no such thing as a free lunch. There is no such thing as free advice. The more years I spend in the retirement plan business; I know that there is no such thing...more
I worked at the college newspaper and if you said something to one staff member, they would tell someone else in 5 minutes. However, like the game of telephone, the story would get misconstrued. I remember telling someone...more
You Have To Deal With Some Unpleasant Facts About Your 401(k) Plan. The greatest benefit you can provide as an employer is a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k) plan. The problem is that most employers treat a...more
A third-party administrator (TPA) and/or plan fiduciary stealing plans assets is easier than you think. TPA Vantage Benefits stole $14 million from 6-7 of their clients wasn’t be surprising to me because I saw it before with...more
Most administration conducted by third-party administrators (TPAs) is quite good, but the juicy and scary stories are about the terrible TPAs and the havoc they create....more
A lot of talk in political circles surround politicians using fighting words. I’m not a politician and I don’t like to use my space for that....more
The Problems and Perils In Changing Your 401(k) TPA - I hate moving and I’ve only had to do it a handful of times in my life. I’ve always said that moving can be a traumatic experience. Packing away items over time isn’t...more
After Hurricane Sandy decimated my house with five feet of water downstairs, I needed to replace our hot water heater and furnace. My plumber got us a new hot water heater, but couldn’t find a new furnace. A neighbor had a...more
When I was a law firm associate, my most painful part was filling out my timesheet. Trying to fill it out before I’d get in trouble with the powers that be was the worst part of the month. There has to be a better way to...more
When it comes to health and fitness, you constantly hear studies about what foods fight or cause cancer. Of course, those studies are then debunked. I remember how oat bran was cited to cut down on cholesterol and how...more
I always talk about how plan sponsors need to work with experienced financial advisors, third party administration (TPA) firms, and ERISA attorneys on their plan needs. Like with reasonable fees, I believe that the term...more
As an ERISA attorney, I always have an open phone policy with plan sponsors, financial advisors, accountants, TPAs, and other attorneys from around the country on questions they may have about their plan or a client’s...more
Hiring Your Payroll Provider As Your 401(k) TPA? Forget About It . Every year, I say the same thing. 10 years ago, I first wrote about the dangers of hiring a payroll provider as your 401(k) third-party administrator...more
10 years in, I’m glad I went on my own as an ERISA attorney, so I could provide value to clients, instead of being wedded to a billable hour because of a huge overhead working for a law firm. I have championed the use of...more
The first time I heard the word Schnorrer, I was 7 years old and my parents took me on a trip to Mystic, Connecticut. During those days, the Connecticut Turnpike had eight toll booths from Greenwich to Mystic. It felt that...more
How To Be A Big Thing In The 401(k) Plan Business Or Play One On TV. You may not be able to handle it. As a retirement plan provider, you need to stand out in the crowd be- cause of the competitive nature of the...more
As A Plan Provider, How You Can Think Outside the Box. You have to be creative. Being a retirement plan provider isn't easy and one of the reasons it isn't easy is because it's so competitive. As I always say, there is...more
Many years ago, I started the idea of creating a law firm that intended to be the Wal-Mart of legal service where I would do wills for $100 and tax returns for $150. The business miserably failed because the fact is that most...more
The To-Do List For 401(k) Plans Now: 2018-2019 Edition. Do it now. Being a retirement plan sponsor is a tremendous responsibility and the problem is that most plan sponsors don't understand that. Plan sponsors often act...more
A few years back, I had the worst call with a prospective client in the 19 years I have been an ERISA attorney. This 401(k) plan sponsor was like many prospective clients, poor participation and paying too much in fees....more
Editor's Overview - This month, we have re-published an interview of our colleague Seth Safra discussing the Department of Labor’s final regulation concerning fiduciaries and conflicts of interest. In this interview,...more