MEPs, PEPs and Pooled Plan Providers
Check out the stories on research and data about these collective plans, plus feedback from employers that have decided to join one.
Special Coverage
Benefits |
Can Multiple Employer Plans Help Close the Retirement Coverage Gap?
Advertised as a more cost-efficient and less burdensome way for small employers to offer a retirement plan, pooled solutions may...
Benefits |
Into the Pool
Representatives from two different companies explain the process by which their firms chose their respective multiple employer retirement solutions.
Benefits |
Moving the Needle
What do the data say about the role MEPs and PEPs can play in getting more people access to employer-provided...
Benefits |
In PEPs, Attaining Economy of Scale Is Critical, Sometimes Illusive
While the pooled plan providers, sponsors of multiple employer plans, continue to see asset inflows, for sponsors, joining a PEP...
Products |
The 3-Letter Plan Type You Haven’t Heard of
Defined Contribution Groups—DCGs—offer another option for sponsors seeking to simplify some administrative tasks.
Past Special Coverage
403(b) Plans
An examination of the challenges and considerations employers face when offering 403(b) plans.
Benefits
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403(b) Participation Rates Reach Record Highs, but Savings Results ‘Still Not Great’
For 403(b) plan sponsors, automatic enrollment helps employees build retirement security, but participation is only half the task facing many, due to low savings rates.
Benefits
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Know Your DC Plans
Tax-exempt, church and governmental employers have a wide range of considerations when picking what retirement plan, or plans, to offer.
Benefits
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With Limited Resources, Managing 403(b) Plans in Higher Ed Brings Unique Challenges
As higher education plan sponsors often work with small benefits staffs and oversee diverse pools of employees, administering a retirement plan tailored to all employees’ needs is a difficult task.
Opinions
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Top Considerations for 403(b) Plans in 2024
Optional SECURE 2.0 provisions and IRS determination letters can help plan sponsors position their plans to meet participant needs.
Benefits
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Government Sponsors Say Payroll Systems Are Main Obstacle to Roth Catch-Ups
Government plans need more guidance from the IRS to address payroll-related complications that affect compliance with parts of SECURE 2.0.
Committee Education
A review of the work being done by retirement plan committees along with the tools and training available to ensure that committee members understand their duties and are up to the task.
Maintaining Successful Committee Requires Continuous Education, Right People
A retirement plan committee should include a diverse range of individuals, as well as frequent fiduciary training and education, experts say.
Beyond the Basics: When and Why a Second Retirement Plan Committee Makes Sense
Bigger organizations are more likely to need multiple standing or ad hoc groups to govern their plan or plans.
How to Teach Fiduciary Responsibility to Plan Committees
Where to find education and training, how often to meet and how to confirm members are prepared to serve participants well.
How Should Plan Sponsors Stand Up a New Retirement Plan Committee?
Plan sponsors can find education and training for their retirement plan committees from several sources, but how best to build one and why are separate questions.
Understanding Investments and Fees: A Key Part of Plan Committee Education
The issue of monitoring investments and plan fees is something that often comes up in retirement lawsuits and is therefore an important part of the fiduciary training process.
Plan Benchmarking
By benchmarking their plans across an array of factors, plan sponsors can gain insights about participants and juggle spending to best align with employee needs, company budgets and fiduciary duties.
Plan Sponsors Should Be Intentional When Adding Managed Accounts
Standard benchmarking may not yet cover such offerings, but plan sponsors can monitor participant satisfaction, plans’ stated objectives.
Plan Sponsors Benchmark Plan Data to Reveal Participant’s Disparities, Retirement Readiness
Plan sponsors dig deeper into data to define and measure the success of their retirement plans against the backdrop of auto-enrollment.
Offering Competitive Benefits Amid Budget Constraints: A Balancing Act for Plan Sponsors
Frequent plan benchmarking is a necessary exercise for plan sponsors who wish to remain competitive in recruitment and benefits offerings.
Research
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2023 DC Plan Benchmarking Survey
Sponsors can use the survey to compare their plan design with peers’, for self-assessment—and self-improvement.
Plan Communications
Plan sponsors and communications professionals review best practices for reaching out to participants and how communications can improve retirement savings.
How Social Media Influences Plan Sponsors' Communication
When crafting messages for up to five generations of workers, a more succinct, informal approach can help ‘maximize the exposure.’
How to Plan, Craft Successful Participant Communication
Plan sponsors and communications professionals examine the importance of reaching out to participants and how it can improve retirement savings.
How the University of Pittsburgh’s Communications Campaign Drove Retirement Savings
After making adjustments to its plan design, Pitt collaborated with TIAA to launch a campaign that educated the diverse population of employees about the changes.