The Quintes Blog

Your employees deserve every opportunity to reach their goal of an ideal retirement – and the Quintes blog is part of our goal to inform both employers and employees of the options and choices available to make confident financial decisions for the future.

Self-Directed Brokerage Accounts: To Add to Your Plan or Not, That is the Question

Participants may be attracted to self-directed brokerage accounts (SDBAs) because of the seemingly infinite choice of investment options. While it’s tempting to please these often-vocal employees, much consideration should be given when contemplating an SDBA option for your qualified retirement plan. There are several fiduciary issues your committee should discuss, decide, and document. Outside Advisors Read More…

Regret Aversion: Fighting the FOMO of the Financial World

Regret aversion is a construct in behavioral finance theory that suggests investing decisions are, at least in part, driven by fear of later regretting a “wrong” choice. And this isn’t just some psychological mumbo jumbo. Functional MRI neuroimaging studies of the brain have demonstrated a biological correlate to this phenomenon in the form of increased Read More…

DOL Cybersecurity Tips

In this age of relying heavily on technology, it is vital to take the necessary cyber security precautions. You want to make sure that all sensitive information is highly protected. Per the DOL, plan sponsors should ask their service provider about the following: Security Standards Security Practices Security Policies Audit Results Security Validation Process Security Read More…

Beneficiary of Unintended Consequences

Upon becoming eligible to participate in your company’s 401(k) plan, participants are asked to select investments, contribution rate and to indicate a beneficiary designation. This is obvious and it is likely that an application would not be accepted unless this information was completed. What is often less obvious is the need to update beneficiary designation in Read More…

Three Ways to Strengthen Your Retirement Plan Committee

Retirement plan committees aren’t required by ERISA, but they can be extremely beneficial nonetheless — especially for larger plans. And if they’re constructed and operated appropriately, they can even help in the event a sponsor is sued. Depending on the size of the plan, some organizations split up committee responsibilities into investment oversight, administration, and Read More…

When It Comes to Financial Wellness… the Time Is Now

While one could say it’s always a good idea to focus on well-being of any type — whether that’s physical, mental, or financial wellness — there’s perhaps never been a more important time to help employees improve their financial literacy, behaviors, and resilience than right now More workers under greater financial strain. It would be Read More…

Department of Labor Issues Relief Guidance for Victims of California Wildfires

Bill Tugaw, Senior Vice President, Governmental Plan Practice Leader The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued benefit plan guidance and relief for plans and participants affected by the 2018 California Wildfires.  The DOL recognizes that plan sponsors and participants may be affected in their ability to achieve compliance with various regulatory requirements.  The guidance Read More…

Too Many Choices: How Many Investment Options Should You Offer?

Many plan providers struggle with deciding how many investment options to offer in their retirement plans. While people generally like to have lots of options when making other decisions, having too many plan options can potentially lead to poor investment decisions by plan participants. In addition, increasing plan options can also increase plan costs, as Read More…

Financial Wellness and Productivity: How are your Employees Affected?

Employees worried about their personal finances are less productive, more distracted and are easier targets for poachers. While none of that is a revelation, a recent nationwide survey showed just how pervasive financial insecurity is in the workforce and how large the losses and potential risks are for employers at every level. When asked what Read More…

The Benefits of Matching Retirement Contributions

As the unemployment rate has dropped, hiring has grown increasingly competitive – especially for businesses with highly-specialized positions. It’s important to understand how retirement matches factor into the hiring process and how they can financially benefit your company. Here are a few reasons why offering a retirement match helps your business. Competitive Hiring If you Read More…