401(k) Plans Are Changing Fast: PEPs, Hidden Fees, and Smarter Default Investing

Описание: EP21 Enlightened Wealth Strategies with James and Jim
James and Jim welcome special guest John Edwards of Allaris to break down what recordkeeping actually does inside a 401(k), why “open architecture” matters, and how newer plan structures like PEPs and MEPs are reshaping retirement plans for small and mid-sized businesses. They also dig into fee transparency (and why it still feels confusing), Secure Act-driven participation changes, innovations in target-date and managed account defaults, and where the industry may be heading with alternative investments plus a clear primer on ESOPs and cash balance plans.

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Key Discussion Points:
Time Stamps:
0:00 Podcast intro and welcome back
1:23 Introducing guest John Edwards (Allaris)
2:37 John’s background and path into retirement plan recordkeeping
4:22 What “recordkeeping” is and what it covers inside a 401(k)
5:06 The key components of a retirement plan and what bundled vs. unbundled means
6:34 What makes Allaris different: bank-owned, open architecture, no proprietary funds
8:05 Secure Act 2.0, PEPs vs. MEPs, and why these structures expanded
10:07 Retirement plan mandates and why small employers are being pushed to offer plans
11:18 Why PEPs can reduce fiduciary and admin burden for small businesses
15:11 Hidden fees, revenue sharing, and how fee disclosures actually work (408b2 / 404a5)
22:25 Fees vs. value: why higher fees can be justified if services are documented
26:11 Payroll integration, 5500 reporting, and common operational pitfalls
29:16 Auto-enrollment, auto-escalation, QDIA defaults, and participant inertia
31:56 Target-date innovation, managed accounts, and personalized glide paths
35:39 Alternatives and private placements in retirement plans: risks and suitability concerns
43:46 What participants actually do with allocations (target date / S&P 500 / money market)
46:21 Multi-manager and synthetic target-date approaches
48:03 How the sales and setup process differs for a 10-person startup vs. a 500-person plan
50:15 ESOPs explained and when they make sense
52:37 Cash balance plans and cross-testing with 401(k)s
54:11 Allaris background, history, and retirement plan capabilities
55:28 Closing remarks

🎧 Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/2A0qhM0...

📧 Contact us:
Jim Lombardo — [email protected]

James DiGesu — [email protected]

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