Skip to content
Friday, October 23, 2026 · Today’s edition, 6:30 a.m. ETFri, Oct 23 · 6:30 a.m. editionSign inMy Desk 0EditionsSign in

401(k) Specialist examines AI in retirement plan advice and administration

The October installment reports participant-facing app guidance and back-office assistants for advisors, and asks which tasks still need a person.

At a glance

  1. Participant-facing tools guide investments and 401(k) contributions from a smartphone app, the outlet reports, while separate assistants are aimed at the advisors and plan sponsors who run the plans.
  2. The participant-facing guidance is styled to read close to what a person would provide, 401(k) Specialist says.
  3. For advisors, the outlet describes AI assistants that simplify the scramble of balancing plan documentation, financial recordkeeping and administrative duties, leaving more time for client relationships.

The October installment of 401(k) Specialist's Deep Dive series examines artificial intelligence in retirement plan services on two fronts. Participant-facing tools guide investments and 401(k) contributions from a smartphone app, the outlet reports, while separate assistants are aimed at the advisors and plan sponsors who run the plans.

The participant-facing guidance is styled to read close to what a person would provide, 401(k) Specialist says. It is aimed at participants the outlet describes as still disconnected and confused about saving for retirement and income in retirement.

For advisors, the outlet describes AI assistants that simplify the scramble of balancing plan documentation, financial recordkeeping and administrative duties, leaving more time for client relationships.

Where the handoffs sit

401(k) Specialist also reports new systems being developed to electronically coordinate responsibilities of third-party administrators, recordkeepers and fiduciaries, functions it characterizes as not well connected.

The piece frames the stakes as an open question: whether the technology will bolster retirement specialists or leave them feeling outpaced, and which parts of the planning experience still call for a human touch.

Reported by the Retirement Advisers desk from 401(k) Specialist. Published . Corrections

Related

Retirement

Capital Group adds retirement income to target-date funds; HSA invested balances top $100 billion

Capital Group's framework models fixed 4% to 4.5% and variable 5% to 5.5% withdrawal ranges, and a Morgan Stanley poll finds 45% of sponsors rank 401(k) education among top three concerns.

Retirement

Morgan Stanley survey finds 93% of employers rank 401(k)s among employees' top five benefits

A third of plan sponsors now believe the DC plan is employees' single most valued on-the-job benefit, double the share in the 2024 survey.

Retirement

Empower: up to one in three workers may have lost track of old workplace savings

The Retirement Drift study puts the share at 50% for Gen Z and 45% for Millennials, and two-thirds of respondents wished for help explaining rollover options when they changed jobs.

Retirement

Morgan Stanley survey: 45% of sponsors rank 401(k) education among their top three concerns

Participant understanding outranks benefits competitiveness among sponsors' three most important concerns, and the share naming the DC plan the single most valued benefit rose to 34%.

Retirement

Transamerica survey finds 64% of auto-enrolling healthcare plans miss the full employer match

Automatic enrollment rose to 77% of surveyed healthcare employers from 62% in 2024; 82% of plans enroll participants at 3% or less.

Retirement Capital Dailyfrom Private Wealth Daily

Plan menus, in-plan income, rollovers and recordkeepers. Weekdays at 7:00 a.m. ET.

Free. Weekday mornings. Unsubscribe from any edition in one click.

From other sections