Recordkeeper Data Breach: What 401(k) Plan Sponsors Must Do Next
October 12, 2026
A recordkeeper data breach notice lands on the sponsor’s desk, not the provider’s. Here is what plan sponsors must demand, document and decide, and which duties no vendor can take over.
401(k) Partial Termination After a Layoff: What Sponsors Must Do
October 11, 2026
A layoff is a payroll event and a plan event. Here is what plan sponsors must check for 401(k) partial termination risk, final deferrals, vesting, loans and distribution notices.
Changing Payroll Providers: What 401(k) Plan Sponsors Must Reconcile Before and After the Switch
October 10, 2026
Changing payroll providers is an HR project with fiduciary consequences. Here is what 401(k) plan sponsors must map, test and reconcile before and after the switch.
Worker Reclassification: Who Becomes Eligible for the 401(k)
October 8, 2026
A worker reclassification can quietly make contractors, leased staff or excluded employees eligible for your 401(k). Here is what plan sponsors must review, correct and document.
A DOL Investigation Letter Arrived: What Plan Sponsors Must Produce and Who Responds
October 7, 2026
A DOL investigation letter is a fiduciary event, not a paperwork request. Here is what plan sponsors are typically asked to produce, who should respond, and how to get organized.
When the Business Closes or Is Sold Suddenly: Who Is Responsible for the 401(k) Left Behind
October 6, 2026
When a business closes or is sold suddenly, the 401(k) plan does not wind itself down. Here is who stays responsible, what must be reconciled, and how sponsors keep the plan from being abandoned.
Catch-Up Contributions After SECURE 2.0: What Sponsors Must Set Up in Payroll
October 5, 2026
SECURE 2.0 turned catch-up contributions from a simple payroll toggle into a coordinated sponsor project. Here is what employers must decide, set up and monitor.
Plan Sponsor Duties When a Participant Dies: Claims, Beneficiaries and Spousal Rights
October 4, 2026
When a participant dies, the plan sponsor has to pay the right person, in the right amount, under the plan document. Here is the death-claim process step by step.
The Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program (VFCP): When to Use It
October 3, 2026
The Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program lets plan sponsors fix certain plan-asset errors and get DOL no-action relief. Here is when to use it, how the correction works, and what it does not cover.
Choosing a 401(k) Auditor: What the Auditor Needs From the Plan Sponsor
October 2, 2026
Hiring a 401(k) auditor is a fiduciary act, and the audit only goes as well as the records the sponsor hands over. Here is what to ask, what to provide, and where audits go wrong.
