401(k) Fees & Performance

Small Business Owners: Maximize Your Retirement Savings Using a 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan

If you’re a business owner looking to maximize your retirement savings, a 401(k) alone may not be enough to create the nest egg you want. However, there are additional features that can be added to your company 401(k) that can increase your 401(k) contribution limits—and make it easier to reward your employees.

The E for Expenses essay focuses on 401(k) plans and their costs. Here we will explore the fees you are likely to see in your plan, understand who should be responsible, how best to analyze, and how often you should review. Nathan Fisher developed a mnemonic device called R.E.T.I.R.E. ® an employer's go-to resource for 401(k) plans.

Regardless of why people choose to change what their long-term investments are, the research shows that too many people are buying high and selling low. A study by Dalbar shows that if an investor holds a good mix of investments, they’ll do better over time than a reactionary and always-changing investment strategy will.

2018 report on the U.S. job market and 401(k) impacts for business owners competing in today’s economy. Key topics include: where we are in the labor market cycle, how the economy’s strength is reflected in the labor market, employment trends by state and industry, and how a 401(k) plan can help your business thrive.

As an employer offering a retirement plan, you are helping your employees achieve a secure financial future. Your decision making will include selecting plan investments, investment options and service providers. When you make these choices, cost will be a key component. This whitepaper by the DOL will help you better understand and evaluate your plan’s fees and expenses. Understanding Retirement Plan Fees and Expenses is a document of the U.S.…

Here is a sample investment benchmarking report from a third party. The report reviews the funds in your company 401(k) plan and identifies if they are good (green), at risk (yellow) or bad (red). Once a fund is in the red category, it should be put on a fund watch list and removed if it doesn’t improve. See this sample report to get an idea of what an investment benchmarking report can do for your 401(k) plan.

Clear up your 401(k) fees and uncover what you and your employees are paying for your 401(k) plan. Unfortunately, complex fee structures make that easier said than done. This paper explains why it’s crucial to take the time to review and understand your company’s fees, what the three main “fee buckets” are, who actually pays these costs, and how the types of funds you have in your 401(k) plan can affect your fees.

Check out this infographic to see the nine reasons why, in Q4 2017, Fisher Investments did not predict a bear market on the horizon. Stock market trends can be difficult to predict, especially if you follow news stories creating worry and stress for the investor. That’s why we develop timely market insights for our clients to help them navigate today’s economic trends.

Understanding your 401(k) plan fees is important when determining if they are necessary and reasonable. Plans may charge just one fee, or any combination of fees depending on your service providers. This outline addresses the three main types of fees common to 401(k) plans and how to look for hidden fees.

While stocks have the strongest historical returns, many Americans still reeling from the 2008 financial crisis remain afraid of investing their retirement savings in the stock market. This information sheet plots historical S&P 500 data going back to 1926 to show how returns behave over time shows that over a 30-year period, there has never been a time when cash or bonds have outperformed stocks.

When it comes to mutual fund evaluation, there are five common biases that make it difficult for employers and advisers alike to get a complete picture of each option and appropriately compare the funds to others. It also reviews how employers can avoid them when evaluating investment options for their company’s 401(k) plan.  Learn about how you can anticipate and overcome these biases to make good decisions for your plan and your employees.