Attitudes about employer-sponsored retirement plans’ retaining the assets of terminated employees are starting to change. Asset retention strategies can benefit the plan as a whole and participants. However, an employer implementing an asset retention strategy needs to determine if the plan recordkeeper is also vying for those same assets and has an economic interest in undermining the employer’s strategy.

Revenue for “bundled” recordkeepers have been facing downward pressure for years--both on recordkeeping fees and asset management fees. Over the past decade recordkeeping fees have dropped 50 percent and investment fees paid by 401(k) plans have dropped by 38 percent over a similar period. These bundled recordkeepers are looking to fund managers, plans, and individual participants to compensate for this decline. The recordkeepers’ search for new revenue sources can create challenges for plan fiduciaries and sponsors and should be monitored closely.

As recordkeeping fees continue to decline, recordkeepers are becoming more resourceful. As a result, representatives servicing your retirement plan may be paid based on their ability to sell financial products to your employees. Employer beware.