Late Deferral Deposits: How Employers Correct the Most Common ERISA Error
Late deferral deposits are the error the DOL sees most often from plan sponsors. Here’s how employers detect, correct, and prevent them.
Texas Employers and 401(k) Administration: What Plan Sponsors Need to Know
Texas 401(k) administration runs on federal ERISA rules, but Texas employers still face state-specific practicalities: payroll timing, multi-site workforces, and no state-run retirement mandate. Here’s what sponsors must own and what can be delegated.
401(k) Plan Audit Readiness: The Employer’s Document Checklist
The documents your independent auditor will ask for, why each one exists, and how plan sponsors keep audit readiness a year-round habit instead of a spring fire drill.
Outsourcing 401(k) Administration: True Cost vs. In-House HR Time
Outsourcing 401(k) administration is not just a fee comparison. Here is how plan sponsors price in-house HR hours, compliance rework, and fiduciary risk side by side.
3(16) vs. 3(21) vs. 3(38) vs. 402(a): What Each Fiduciary Role Actually Covers
3(16), 3(21), 3(38) and 402(a) each cover a different job and a different slice of liability. Here is what each role actually transfers — and the one appointment most providers decline.
What 401(k) Management Companies Do — And What They Don’t
401(k) management companies handle recordkeeping, testing and Form 5500 prep — but key fiduciary duties stay with the employer. Here’s the real division of labor.
401(k) Providers vs. 401(k) Administrators: What Employers Actually Need
401(k) providers sell infrastructure; 401(k) administrators perform the compliance work — and only a properly appointed fiduciary takes the duty off the employer. Here’s how to tell which one your plan needs.
How to Choose a 401(k) Administrator: The Employer’s 2026 Checklist
A plan sponsor’s checklist for comparing 401k administrators: fiduciary role, Form 5500 signing, deferral timing, fees, audit support and exit terms.
Who Signs the Form 5500? An Employer’s 2026 Guide to Signing and Filing
Every year a plan sponsor emails us the same question in late July: “Who is actually supposed to sign the Form 5500 — me, my TPA, or my recordkeeper?” It matters more than most employers realize. The signature on a Form 5500 is a sworn statement made under penalty of perjury, and the person who […]
402(a) Named Fiduciary: What It Is and Who Holds It
ERISA 402(a) requires your plan to name a fiduciary with top-level control. Here is what the role covers, how it differs from 3(16) and 3(38), and when to outsource it.
