Consolidation Corner Blog

Consolidation Corner is the Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) blog, and features the latest articles and bylines from our executives, addressing important retirement savings portability topics.


Mar
09
2016

Small Balance Cash-Outs: The Easy Choice Is Not The Right One

In a previous blog post, we asked, "Why dump mandatory distributions in a landfill when you can recycle?" As we wrote then, sponsors exercising their authority to automatically roll over separated participants' small balances into safe harbor IRAs' without encouraging participants to take their retirement account savings with them at the point of job change, or facilitating "auto portability" to make plan-to-plan asset transfers a seamless process' are doing themselves and their participants a disservice in the long run.

Mar
04
2016

Saving For Retirement is not a Trivial Pursuit

In his March 3rd column in MarketWatch, RCH President & CEO Spencer Williams establishes an important link between the board games we played as children (ex. Candy Land, Trivial Pursuit and Snakes & Ladders) and the games we can play in adulthood, while managing our retirement savings. The children's games are harmless, fun and instructive, but the adult retirement games (ex. Cashing Out, Stranding Accounts, and Not Updating Your Address) are anything but.

Feb
29
2016

Tales from the Roll-In Front Lines, Part II

In a previous post, Tales from the Roll-In Front Lines, Part I, we described a roll-in transaction gone awry: a comedy of errors that occurs all too often when service providers are unfamiliar with consolidating retirement savings from one plan into another.

Feb
25
2016

401(k) Plan Termination Video Series Part 3: Five Criteria for Selecting a Services Provider

Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) is pleased to offer a three-part series of educational videos on plan terminations, presented by Mike Wilder, RCH's Vice President of Client Services. These videos are intended to provide plan sponsors with a basic understanding of key plan termination process steps, the common mistakes that are made by plan sponsors, and the key criteria for selecting a plan termination services provider. We hope you will find these videos interesting & informative!

Feb
19
2016

401(k) Plan Termination Video Series Part 2: Common Mistakes Plan Sponsors Make

Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) is pleased to offer a three-part series of educational videos on 401(k) plan terminations, presented by Mike Wilder, RCH's Vice President of Client Services. These videos are intended to provide plan sponsors with a basic understanding of key plan termination process steps, the common mistakes that are made by plan sponsors, and the key criteria for selecting a plan termination services provider. We hope you will find these videos interesting & informative!

Feb
12
2016

401(k) Plan Termination Video Series Part 1: 1 Project, 5 Phases

Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) is pleased to offer the first educational video of a three-part series on DC plan terminations, presented by Mike Wilder, RCH's Vice President of Client Services. These videos are intended to provide plan sponsors with a basic understanding of key plan termination process steps, the common mistakes that are made by plan sponsors, and the key criteria for selecting a plan termination services provider. We hope you will find these videos interesting & informative!

Feb
01
2016

Cutting the Gordian Knot: Portability & Small Accounts

Have you ever wondered why so few participants move their old 401(k)s into their current employers' plans? Or why so many participants prematurely cash out their retirement savings accounts, regardless of taxes and penalties? Or why job-changing participants leave their savings behind only to lose track of them as if their assets for retirement belong on some remote desert island away from all their other savings?

Jan
26
2016

Tales from the Roll-In Front Lines, Part I

In previous articles, we have discussed the many benefits that occur when participants roll in multiple retirement savings accounts into their current employer's 401(k) account. Participants benefit from reduced cash outs, lower investment fees and simplified retirement planning. A program of facilitated roll-ins delivers positive results for plans as well, including increased average balances, lower record keeping costs and improved retirement readiness metrics.

Page: