In the retirement community, the emphasis of financial wellness for 401(k) plan participants is trending. Educating and engaging participants on financial topics outside their retirement plan means employees can expand their knowledge base, gain control of their personal finances and plan for a better retirement.
By acknowledging that participants are only going to maximize their participation in any 401(k) plan if their financial houses are in order, the financial wellness movement aims to provide overarching assistance that considers the big picture of every family's unique finances.
Enhanced education beyond the 401(k) plan teaches participants how to deal with concerns like debt, college loans, large purchases, budgeting and more. By assisting with real-life situations, financial wellness can help individuals understand and make adjustments in their everyday lives to help ease financial pressures. Once in control, financial wellness programs can educate participants on more advanced topics to help increase their financial literacy.
You can provide your employees with the best plan in the world, a comprehensive benefits package and a great salary, but if they cannot control their daily finances, they will not be able to take advantage of the plan's offerings. By helping employees reduce the stress of financial burdens, you create a positive change that impacts everything from their work habits to their savings.
The Big "I" MEP 401(k) Plan recently added a new online portal to help you and your participants achieve financial goals. The My Financial Fitness portal offers a wide array of personalized tools engineered to boost financial literacy in an easy, engaging way. We offer topics for every stage of life, pinpointed knowledge-building exercises, how-to tutorials, games, progress tracking and live webinars!
The Big "I" MEP 401(k) Plan, available exclusively to Big "I" members, has helped many agencies fulfill part of their fiduciary obligation by reviewing their plan expenses and educating them on the true cost of their plan. If you are interested in a free, no-pressure, apples-to-apples comparison for your plan, complete the application form and return it to Christine Muñoz.