Free Checklist · 7 pages
The 401(k) Fiduciary Checklist
Forty questions for owners, HR and finance leaders about fees, investments, operations and filings, with a calendar of key dates for a calendar-year plan.
About This Guide
Sponsoring a Plan Makes You a Fiduciary
When a company offers a 401(k), the people who make decisions about it take on legal responsibilities under ERISA, and many owners and HR leaders are never told. Fiduciaries who do not follow those rules can be personally liable for plan losses. This checklist turns the responsibilities into forty plain yes-or-no questions, so you can see what is in good order and where to start.
What's Inside
What You'll Find
- Governance and roles: who the fiduciaries are, committees, minutes, bonding and insurance
- Fees and service providers: the 408(b)(2) disclosure, total plan cost, revenue sharing and benchmarking
- Investments: the investment policy statement, share classes, the default investment and fund reviews
- Plan operations: deposit timing, eligibility, long-term part-time employees, automatic enrollment and the 2026 Roth catch-up rule
- Compliance and filings: Form 5500, audits, testing, SECURE 2.0 amendments and required notices
- A month-by-month calendar for a calendar-year plan
Who It's For
- Business owners and executives who sign for the company's plan
- HR, benefits and finance leaders who run the plan day to day
- Retirement plan committee members
Common Questions
About This Guide
No. It is general educational information about how 401(k) plans work. Every plan is different, so please discuss your plan with your ERISA counsel, third-party administrator and tax professional.
Yes. Enter your name, work email and a few details about your company, and you can download the PDF right away. We may follow up to see if it was helpful and to offer a complimentary plan review, and you can tell us if you would rather we did not.
Yes. Contribution limits change every year and SECURE 2.0 provisions are still phasing in. The guide notes the date its information was current and points you to the sources to confirm.
Yes. Many of the plans we review already have a provider. Often we can step in as the plan's investment adviser alongside an independent third-party administrator without changing recordkeepers, so no assets move. A review comes with no cost and no obligation.
Prefer to Talk It Through?
Request a Complimentary Plan Review
Send us your plan's most recent fee disclosure and we will review its costs, investments and structure, then explain what we find in plain terms. No cost and no obligation.
This guide is general educational information, not individualized investment, tax or legal advice and not a substitute for advice from your ERISA counsel or third-party administrator, and is not an offer to buy or sell any security. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Radius Wealth Management LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. 1 Marina Park Drive #1410, Boston, MA 02210.