Sending You Warm Holiday Wishes With the holiday season approaching, we want to take a moment to share our heartfelt appreciation for the opportunity to support your organization and its meaningful mission. Your commitment to helping others prepare for and navigate...
American Trust Retirement
Why Moving Your 401(k) Into a Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) Can Be a Smart Move
By Nick Capo For many employers, managing a traditional 401(k) can be time-consuming, expensive and full of administrative challenges. That’s one reason Pooled Employer Plans have become an appealing alternative. They offer a modern, simplified way to deliver a...
Need Protection from Creditors? Don’t Forget Retirement Plans
By Jerrod Weiss Employer-sponsored retirement plans offer many tax-based benefits and simplicity, enabling Americans to reach their retirement goals. One benefit often overlooked is the broad protection from creditors under federal law (ERISA). ERISA‑qualified plans...
Q3 2025 Plan Sponsor Insights
In today’s dynamic retirement landscape, our commitment to you and your plan participants remains steadfast. We recognize that exceptional service is the cornerstone of our partnership. It is our privilege to support our clients in achieving retirement success. As...
Make the Most of National 401(k) Day: Smart Steps for Your Retirement Plan
National 401(k) Day is more than just a calendar event. It is a powerful reminder to take control of your financial future. Observed on the Friday after Labor Day, this annual event encourages individuals to assess their retirement savings, adjust their contributions...
Unlocking Savings and Tax Sheltering Potential Via Cash Balance Plans
Many businesses are seeing the benefits of Cash Balance (CB) plans Offering Cash Balance as a sidecar to a 401(k) plan unlocks an additional retirement savings benefit for highly compensated employees. For high-income business owners or partners, a CB plan may create...
Auto-Enrollment Becomes Mandatory for New 401(k) Plans in 2025
Starting in 2025, most new 401(k) and 403(b) plans will be required to automatically enroll eligible employees, a change brought by the SECURE 2.0 Act passed by Congress in 2022. The provision aims to boost retirement savings by making enrollment the default option...
401(k) Nondiscrimination Testing: What You Need to Know
As the calendar flips into the new year, 401(k) compliance teams across the country are prepared for long days as they race against a March 15 deadline to complete the required Nondiscrimination Tests. These tests are required by the IRS to ensure that every employee...
American Trust Retirement Review Insights, Trends and Strategies for Success
At American Trust Retirement, it’s our goal to keep you informed. We are dedicated to adding value to your retirement plan practice by helping to keep you up-to-date on what’s going on in the industry. With 2024 nearing its end, we wanted to share a list of some of...
The Importance of 401(k) Benchmarking
In 2012, the Department of Labor issued final regulations for Section 408(b)2, requiring all 401(k) providers to fully disclose direct and indirect fees in a standardized format. This transparency has pressured Plan Sponsors and Advisors to scrutinize 401(k) fees,...








