Beyond savings: 3 insights transforming retirement income
Insights signal that retirement plans likely need to make a design change. One that includes possible solutions for in-plan retirement income.
5 min read
401(k) 2.0—retirement income: Building the next-gen retirement plan
Plan sponsors face a pivotal shift in retirement plan needs. Discover the possible solutions for in-plan retirement income. Learn how they can help transform traditional retirement savings plans to support participants’ long-term financial security.
5 min read
Cutting the cost of delayed retirement with an employee-first strategy
Explore how automated plan features may create a win-win scenario by helping employees achieve retirement readiness to retire on their own terms while reducing the significant costs of delayed retirement.
5 min read
Smart ideas to help fund automated features, part II: Looking beyond the retirement plan
Here we look beyond the retirement plan budget to uncover broader funding strategies. Delaying automated features may cost participants potential savings. From rethinking total rewards to leveraging tax incentives, organizations can find ways to implement these plan features without significantly increasing overall costs.
6 min read
Smart ideas to help fund automated features Part I: Looking within the retirement plan
Some plan sponsors are concerned that adding automated features could come with additional organization costs. But waiting may cost participants more in potential savings. It’s possible to support these features strategically within the plan’s existing funding structure without compromising the balance sheet.
5 min read
Help boost 401(k) savings for non-desk employees
Help boost retirement savings for workers in physically demanding jobs using retirement plan automated features.
Maximizing employers’ 401(k) contributions
Have you ever considered whether the employer contributions made to your employees’ retirement plans are being used to help make the maximum impact to both the company and participants?
Why are employees not participating in their 401(k)s?
Discover three roadblocks preventing employees from participating in their retirement plans. Learn how plan design can impact participation amid changing employee demographics and new regulations.
Tailor retirement benefits to help retain specialized talent
Retaining top-tier talent in specialized roles typically requires more than standard benefits. Offering thoughtfully designed, customized retirement plan options is a way to address the unique needs of these professionals, helping ensure they feel valued and motivated to stay.
A simple test for your 401(k) plan design: Flip the numbers
When interpreting retirement plan data and statistics, a simple guideline is to flip the numbers to see the full story. This simple test can help employers and financial professionals better understand if plan design changes might be needed.
5 min read
Embracing 401(k) auto-enrollment with the budget in mind
Data shows that automated features such as automatic (auto) enrollment, auto-increase, and re-enrollment can significantly improve participation rates and help employees save for retirement. Explore cost-neutral ways of adding such automated features to your plan design.
4 min read
Enhanced benefits to help reduce nurse turnover
A significant shortage of registered nurses is projected through 2036. As health care administrators face challenges in both hiring and retaining nurses, there are opportunities to offer enhanced employee benefits to reduce nurse turnover.
6 min read
How to make saving in a 401(k) plan hard (to avoid)
Retirement plans today tend to be designed with features so the average person can begin saving with little effort. Yet, it’s seemingly not working for many employees. Instead of easier, do we need to make it harder to avoid?
4 min read
5 of the top questions about pension risk—answered
In today’s uncertain market environment, many plan sponsors are asking the same questions about risk, timing, and long-term strategy for their defined benefit (DB) plans. Get clear and practical insights to five of the top questions to help navigate key decisions with greater confidence.
4 min read
Navigating market volatility in DB plans: Comparing those with and without a de-risking strategy
Discover how de-risking can help DB plans better withstand market volatility and protect funded status, using a recent market event as a case study.
5 min read
Locking in success: Why LDI matters now more than ever for DB plans
The recent market downturn is a stark reminder of the importance of using a strategy that seeks to lock in gains and reduces investment risk when the timing is right.
5 min read
Annuity buy-ins: It’s time to explore a new pension risk management option
A comparison of the risk management options for defined benefit plans: Liability-driven investing, annuity buy-outs, and annuity buy-ins.
5 min read
Get ready for the Roth catch-up requirement: What plan sponsors should know for 2026
The Roth catch-up contribution requirements will take effect in 2026 for most plans. Get details on implementation, including key updates to final regulations, who is impacted, and five important considerations for plan sponsors to prepare for this change.
4 min read
The Cunningham ruling: What it can mean for plan sponsors
A recent Supreme Court ruling paves the way for more ERISA lawsuits to survive early dismissal. This article breaks down what’s changed and offers practical information to help protect your plan and manage fiduciary risk.
5 min read
From mandate to momentum: Turn your state’s retirement rule into a strategic advantage
Explore how employers can turn state-mandate retirement plan requirements into a strategic opportunity. Go beyond minimum compliance to help enhance employee financial well-being and potentially gain advantages in talent retention and recruitment.
4 min read
Top retirement policy and legislation questions answered
Get answers to the top questions employers have about retirement legislation and policy under the second Trump administration.
6 min read
What could be next for retirement policy in the Trump 2.0 administration
Stay in-the-know of how looming tax battles, regulatory shakeups, and legal risks are converging to potentially reshape the retirement landscape.
4 min read
Retirement policy in focus: Key bills to watch in 2025
While enactment of major retirement legislation in 2025 appears unlikely, there are several bipartisan retirement bills that are expected to be reintroduced. These bills signal a continued commitment to strengthening Americans’ retirement security.
4 min read
Myths vs. Facts: The state of Social Security
Let’s dispel some of the common myths about Social Security and its funding status. Here we explore the program’s structure, demographic challenges, and possible outcomes if no legislative action is taken soon.
3 min read
SECURE 2.0: The new Roth election for 401(k) employer contributions
In the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 there’s now an option plan sponsors can add allowing participants to elect to receive employer matching and nonelective contributions as Roth contributions. While initially expected to follow the same process as employee Roth contributions, recent IRS guidance reveals a different tax treatment for employer contributions, prompting important considerations for implementation and potential tax impacts for employees.
3 min read
Help boost recruiting with the SECURE 2.0 student loan repayment 401(k) match
Student loan debt is hindering employees’ retirement savings. To help, a new provision within SECURE 2.0 lets employers match student loan payments with contributions to the employee’s retirement account.
7 min read
What does the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 mean for employers?
Find answers to trending questions and answers about the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, including required minimum distributions (RMDs), Roth catch-up contributions, hardship self-certification and more.
SECURE 2.0 Act: IRS offers updated guidance to new retirement rules
Discover the latest IRS guidance on the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022. Get clarity on matching qualified student loan payments (QSLP), automated features, using financial incentives, and treating certain funds as Roth contributions.
Check out these helpful resources and materials below. Still have questions? Reach out to your local Principal® representative or support team.