Brian Danos joins JD Carlson to break down participant vs. employer-paid fee strategies, recordkeeper pricing tactics, and how AI is transforming 401(k) compliance documents. Essential insights for advisors navigating fee debates and modernizing plan administration.

In this episode of Retireholics, Brian Danos dives deep into some of the thorniest issues facing 401(k) advisors today. We start with the ongoing fee debate: should participants or employers shoulder the cost? Brian walks through real recordkeeper pricing strategies and how to benchmark fees effectively in a competitive market.

As compliance requirements evolve, we tackle the practical challenges of electronic delivery and notice requirements, plus best practices for communicating with terminated participants. But the real game-changer? Artificial intelligence's growing role in 401(k) administration. Brian explores how AI is reshaping legal documents, improving plan notices, and helping advisors create compliance materials that actually get read by participants.

We also dig into the data challenges advisors face when working with recordkeepers, what's broken, what's fixable, and how to demand better tools. Whether you're a TPA, plan sponsor, recordkeeper, or independent advisor, this conversation covers the regulatory, operational, and strategic issues that keep 401(k) professionals up at night. Grab a cold one and tune in.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Cold Open: Retireholics Intro

2:08 Welcoming Guest Brian Danos

11:22 Fee Debates: Participant vs Employer Paid

20:30 Record Keeper Pricing Strategies

26:33 Electronic Delivery and Notice Requirements

35:03 Terminated Participant Communications

46:59 Artificial Intelligence in 401k

54:12 AI's Impact on Legal Documents

1:00:16 Plan Notice: The Company Pitch

1:03:18 Data Challenges with Record Keepers

1:08:42 Making Compliance Documents Actually Useful

1:11:31 Wrap Up and Final Thoughts