Auto-Enrollment & Auto-Escalation: A Case Study in Thoughtful Plan Design
For many plan sponsors, the question is no longer whether to implement automatic features, it’s how to do it well. With the continued evolution of legislation like SECURE 2.0 and a growing focus on participant outcomes, auto-enrollment and auto-escalation have…
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Managing Investment Risk: Understanding Your Risk Tolerance
Managing money has never felt more complex. Rising costs, competing priorities, and the pressure to make smart financial decisions can leave anyone feeling uncertain. If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re budgeting correctly, saving enough, or choosing the right investments, you’re…
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Financial Wellness: Budgeting, Saving, and Investing Beyond Your Workplace Retirement Plan
Managing money has never felt more complex. Rising costs, competing priorities, and the pressure to make smart financial decisions can leave anyone feeling uncertain. If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re budgeting correctly, saving enough, or choosing the right investments, you’re…
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What Are the Pros and Cons of In-Plan Income Guarantees vs. Out-of-Plan Options. And Why Consider One Over the Other?
As more employees approach retirement, one question continues to rise to the surface:“How do I turn my savings into a reliable paycheck?” With the passage of the SECURE 2.0 Act, employers now have more flexibility to incorporate in-plan income solutions, including…
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Rose Street Advisors Recognized as One of the Nation’s Top DC Advisor Teams for the Fourth Consecutive Year
Rose Street Advisors is honored to be recognized once again by the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) as one of the nation’s Top Defined Contribution (DC) Advisor Teams. This marks our fourth consecutive year receiving this distinction, an achievement…
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Creating a Retirement Budget: Tips for Creating and Sticking to a Budget During Retirement
Retirement is one of life’s biggest transitions. Your paycheck may stop, but your expenses don’t. And your time, priorities, and goals often shift in meaningful ways. If you’ve never created a formal budget before, you’re not alone. Many people haven’t…
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Why Retirement Plan Benchmarking Matters for 401(k) and 403(b) Plans
For HR leaders, finance professionals and retirement plan committees, sponsoring a 401(k) or 403(b) plan is both a valuable employee benefit and an important fiduciary responsibility. Plan sponsors must ensure that their plan operates in the best interests of participants…
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Maximizing Social Security Benefits: Tips on How to Optimize Your Claiming Strategy
For many retirees, Social Security is a foundational source of income—yet most people claim without fully understanding how their timing and strategy can impact lifetime benefits. By learning how different claiming options work, you can make a more informed decision…
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Why Financial Wellness Matters More Than Ever in 2026 and How Plan Sponsors Can Make a Meaningful Impact
Financial wellness has become a defining issue for today’s workforce. In 2026, employees are navigating ongoing financial pressure from rising living costs to increased complexity around benefits and retirement decisions. As a result, financial stress is no longer confined to…
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Tax-Efficient Withdrawals Can Significantly Extend the Life of Your Retirement Savings
Many participants focus on how to save, but few think about how to withdraw. A thoughtful income strategy in retirement may reduce taxes, provide more flexibility, and increase the longevity of your nest egg. Here are three simple guidelines to…
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Optimizing Retirement Benefits for Key Employees with a Retroactive Cash Balance Plan
As a business owner or CFO, you know how important it is to attract and retain top talent. One powerful, but often overlooked, tool for rewarding key employees is a cash balance plan, especially when implemented retroactively for the prior…
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Understanding the Rule of 72 and the Rule of 55
Two Simple Tools for Smarter Retirement Planning When it comes to planning for retirement, a few simple rules can make complex concepts easier to understand. Two of the most helpful are the Rule of 72 and the Rule of 55.…
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Five Retirement Plan Priorities Plan Sponsors Should Address During a Merger or Acquisition
When organizations begin exploring a merger or acquisition, most of the attention naturally goes to valuation, legal structure, synergies, and integration timelines. Yet one critical element often sits just beneath the surface; the retirement plan. For business owners, CFOs, and…
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The Impact of Inflation on Retirement Savings
How Inflation Can Affect Retirement Savings and Ways to Mitigate Its Impact Planning for retirement is challenging enough, but one factor often underestimated is inflation, the gradual increase in prices over time. Even modest inflation can erode the purchasing power…
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Top 6 Estate Planning Essentials
As you near retirement, your focus often shifts from building wealth to protecting it and to making sure the people and causes you care about are provided for. Estate planning plays a key role in that transition. It’s not just about…
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Retirement Planning for Small Business Owners: A Smart Approach to Business and Personal Wealth
Retirement Planning for Small Business Owners: A Smart Approach to Business and Personal Wealth As a small business owner, you’re often focused on running and growing your company such as managing employees, balancing cash flow, and planning for the next…
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Roth Catch-Up Contributions - Are You Ready for January 1, 2026?
Roth Catch-Up Contributions - Are You Ready for January 1, 2026? Starting January 1, 2026, a key provision of SECURE 2.0 will officially take effect: Roth Catch-Up Contributions will be mandatory for certain high-income earners aged 50 and older. This…
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Top 5 Things to Consider in Retirement
Top 5 Things to Consider in Retirement For many people, retirement feels like the finish line but in reality, it’s the start of a whole new chapter. Whether you’re just a few years away or already in your first years…
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401(k) Plan Design Tweaks That Can Drive Big Results
401(k) Plan Design Tweaks That Can Drive Big Results As a retirement plan sponsor, you have a powerful role in shaping how well your employees prepare for retirement. The good news? You don’t have to reinvent your 401(k) plan to…
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Visualize Retirement
Beyond the Numbers: Envisioning Your Retirement Lifestyle When people think about retirement planning, the first question is often, Do I have enough money? While financial readiness is crucial, an equally important, yet often overlooked, aspect is the emotional side of…
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How Plan Sponsors Can Help Employees Retire on Time: Turning Plan Design into Positive Outcomes
How Plan Sponsors Can Help Employees Retire on Time: Turning Plan Design into Positive Outcomes As a corporate plan sponsor, your role in your employees’ retirement journey is more significant than you might think. Yes, you’re responsible for managing the…
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Unlocking Financial Security: The Power of Qualified Longevity Annuity Contracts (QLACs)
Unlocking Financial Security: The Power of Qualified Longevity Annuity Contracts (QLACs) What is a Qualified Longevity Annuity Contract (QLAC)? A Qualified Longevity Annuity Contract(QLAC) is a type of deferred annuity funded with money from a qualified retirement plan, such as…
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What Is a Collective Investment Trust (CIT)? And How It Differs from a Mutual Fund
What is a Collective Investment Trust (CIT)? And How it Differs from a Mutual Fund As a retirement plan sponsor or committee member, you're probably familiar with mutual funds as the go-to investment option in most 401(k) and 403(b) plans.…
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Roth 401(k): To Contribute or Not to Contribute? A Comprehensive Comparison
Roth 401(k): To Contribute or Not to Contribute? A Comprehensive Comparison Top 7 Reasons to Contribute to a Roth 401(k) 1. Tax-Free Withdrawals Contributions grow tax-free, and qualified withdrawals in retirement are tax-free, providing a tax-free income stream. 2. No Required Minimum…
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Simple IRA vs 401(k): Should You Consider Upgrading?
Simple IRA vs 401(k): Should You Consider Upgrading? As your company evolves, your retirement plan should keep pace. If you're considering upgrading from a SIMPLE IRA to a 401(k), here are the top five advantages and considerations to keep in…
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Maximizing Returns: Strategic Asset Allocation for Roth and Pre-Tax Retirement Accounts
Maximizing Returns: Strategic Asset Allocation for Roth and Pre-Tax Retirement Accounts As a financial advisor, we employ a strategy that allocates more aggressive and growth-oriented assets to Roth accounts while positioning conservative assets in pre-tax retirement accounts. This approach is…
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Trustee vs. Authorizes Signer: Who Does What in Your Retirement Plan?
Trustee vs. Authorized Signer: Who Does What in Your Retirement Plan? When managing a retirement plan, such as a 401(k), it's important to understand the distinct roles involved in overseeing and operating the plan. Two key roles that often get…
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5 Strategies to Reduce Future Required Minimum Distributions
5 Strategies to Reduce Future Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) Before They Begin If your retirement savings exceed what's needed to support your lifestyle, required minimum distributions (RMDs) could significantly increase your taxable income and even raise your Medicare premiums. Fortunately,…
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Staying Ahead: Key Focus Areas for 401(k) Plan Success in 2025
Staying Ahead: Key Focus Areas for 401(k) Plan Success in 2025 As 2025 begins, 401(k) plan sponsors are entering another dynamic year shaped by fresh regulatory updates, technological advancements, and the evolving expectations of employees. At Rose Street Advisors, our…
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Pros & Cons of Loans & Early Withdrawals from Retirement Account
Pros & Cons of Loans and Early Withdrawals from Your Retirement Account When faced with financial needs, taking a loan from your employer-sponsored retirement account, such as a 401(k), can seem like a tempting solution. However, it's important to understand…
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