Defined Benefit Actuary: What They Do & Why You Need One
A defined benefit actuary is the credentialed professional who calculates and certifies the contributions needed to keep a pension’s lifetime promises funded—and, under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code, most defined benefit plans cannot file their annual reports without one. Because these plans involve millions of dollars, volatile markets, and stiff IRS and PBGC penalties, […]
Understanding the Average Cost to Manage Retirement Funds
Retirement plans exist to secure your employees’ futures, but the cost of actually running one often goes unnoticed, quietly chipping away at participant savings over time. Recordkeeping, trustee fees, fund expense ratios, and participant-level charges all add up, and even small differences compound into real money over a career. For CFOs, HR leaders, and business […]
Best Strategy for RMD Withdrawals: 7 Tips to Cut Your Tax Burden
Required minimum distributions are simply part of retirement once you have tax-deferred accounts like a 401(k), 403(b), or traditional IRA. Once you hit age 73, the IRS expects you to start drawing that money down, and taxes are due on every dollar. Miss an RMD entirely and the penalty can run as high as 25% […]
7 Best Tax-Efficient Withdrawal Strategies in Retirement
Retirement brings a real shift. You spend decades building a nest egg, then suddenly need to turn it into reliable, tax-smart income that actually lasts. That is not as simple as it sounds. Taxable accounts, tax-deferred accounts, Roth IRAs, HSAs, each comes with its own tax rules and withdrawal quirks. Layer in Social Security taxation, […]
Comprehensive Form 5500 Filing Service: Transferring Your Fiduciary Liability in 2026
The signature on your Form 5500 is far more than a routine administrative task; it is a legal attestation that places your personal and corporate…
How to Adjust Your Asset Allocation 5 Years From Retirement
Five years out from retirement, every investment decision starts to carry more weight. This stretch is not just a countdown. It is the window where the balance between growth and protection can genuinely shape how comfortable your retirement actually feels. A lot of people are surprised to learn that a single market downturn during this […]
401(h) vs Traditional 401(k): What’s the Real Difference
Retirement benefits can get confusing fast once you move past the familiar 401(k). One option that surprises a lot of employers is the 401(h) plan, which sounds similar but actually solves a completely different problem. Both are employer-sponsored, but their purpose and mechanics diverge in some pretty significant ways. Knowing the difference matters if you […]
Largest 401(k) Providers: A Simple Breakdown for Plan Sponsors
Names like Fidelity, Vanguard, and Empower come up a lot when people talk about 401(k) plans. These companies sit at the top of the 401(k) world. They hold trillions of dollars in retirement savings and serve millions of workers across the country. But size alone does not tell you everything about a provider, and it […]
A Guide to Setting Up a 401(h) Retirement Plan
In today’s competitive talent landscape, a comprehensive benefits package is no longer just a perk – it’s a strategic imperative for attracting and retaining top-tier employees. While retirement savings plans like the 401(k) are essential, forward-thinking companies are increasingly exploring innovative ways to support their employees’ long-term well-being. Enter the 401(h) retirement plan, a unique and […]
Eligibility Tracking Retirement Plan Checklist: A 2026 Compliance Guide
Most plan sponsors don’t realize that a simple spreadsheet error in your eligibility tracking retirement plan process isn’t just a clerical mistake;…
