Retirement Plan & ERISA Compliance Blog

Qualified Retirement Plan Definition: Benefits and Types

If you have ever looked at your paycheck and seen money going into a 401(k), you have already touched a qualified retirement plan. But the word “qualified” means something specific here. It is not just a label. It is a legal status that comes with tax perks, along with rules that employers have to follow […]

Defined Benefit Pension Options: 8 Types and How They Pay Out

If you sponsor a defined benefit pension plan, you probably already know it is not as simple as writing a check every month to a retiree. There are formulas, rules, and choices behind that check, and most of them affect how much money an employee actually walks away with once they stop working. A defined […]

Cash Balance Retirement Plan: The Complete 2026 Guide

Picture a pension that actually shows you a number on paper each year. That is basically what a cash balance retirement plan is. It is still technically a defined benefit plan, the kind where your employer guarantees the payout, but it feels a lot more like a 401(k) because you get a yearly statement with […]

Top 10 401(k) Contribution Strategy Tips For Maximum Savings

Most people save around 8% of their paycheck into their 401(k), and honestly, that’s just not enough for most of us. The 2023 EBRI Retirement Confidence Survey backs this up too. Workers saving 15% or more of their salary were almost three times as likely to feel confident about retiring comfortably, compared to people saving […]

How To Use A Retirement Bridge Strategy For Social Security

Leaving your job doesn’t always mean your Social Security check starts right away. For a lot of people, there’s a real gap between the day they stop working and the day those benefits actually begin. That gap can feel stressful if you haven’t planned for it, especially if bills keep coming in but no income […]

Government Retirement Plans: Types, Benefits & Comparisons

If you work for the government, in some way your retirement is already being planned for you. Federal workers, teachers, police officers, and city staff all fall under some kind of retirement system. Most people don’t think much about it until they’re a few years away from retiring, and by then there’s a lot of […]