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Get your complete 401(k) benchmarking guide

Did you know you may be overpaying in 401(k) fees? At Human Interest, we believe employers should compare their fees against industry averages annually, which can potentially help small businesses save thousands of dollars. Download our free benchmark guide, which will show you how to calculate your own 401(k) fees.

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What you’ll get in our free benchmarking report

You’ll learn everything you need to know about how to compare 401(k) fees, including: 

  1. The most important fees to benchmark 

  2. How to do a rough calculation on your fees 

  3. How to gather important documentation from your current provider

Save fees with Human Interest

Calculating fees can be complex and time-consuming. In our benchmarking fee guide, our intent is to demonstrate that switching to Human Interest may help you save more money in fees.

On average, 401(k) plans with around 25 employees and $250,000 in assets under management pay 1.60% in asset fees, which is roughly $4,000.1 At Human Interest, we charge monthly asset fees of 0.06% and participants typically pay a monthly average of 0.006% in underlying mutual fund fees.2

Benchmarking FAQs

What is 401(k) benchmarking? 

Benchmarking 401(k) fees is the process of calculating what asset, administration, and service fees you are currently paying to your existing 401(k) provider and comparing it against other competitors to determine if you are getting the most out of your existing 401(k) plan. 

What is a 408(b)(2) fee disclosure?

408(b)(2) disclosures outline fiduciary status, services, and total compensation. This will help you better understand these services, assess the reasonableness of the compensation, and determine any conflicts of interest. When benchmarking your fees, it is recommended that you review your annual 408(b)(2) fee disclosures from your current service provider(s). 

Does Human Interest provide free benchmarking reports?

Yes! If you are interested in comparing how much you are currently paying your 401(k) provider against Human Interest, we will create a free, customized benchmarking report. Contact our team today to learn more. 

How Human Interest can help small businesses

The retirement plan your company initially started with may not always be a good fit for where your company is today. The goal of any plan is to be aligned with your company's needs and those of your employees. If a plan is not growing, it may be time to think about a switch. We think that the costs and fees associated with your plan are important factors to consider when thinking about making a switch. 

At Human Interest, we help make offering retirement plans easy and accessible. Human Interest can help with compliance, recordkeeping, administration, reporting, and more. Our affordable plans can offer small businesses the benefits of a large-scale retirement plan with fewer administrative burdens.

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Notes

1

Source: 401(k) Book of Averages 23rd Edition. The average investment expense is inclusive of investment management fees, fund expense ratios, 12b-1 fees, sub-transfer agent fees, contract charges, wrap and advisor fees, or any other asset-based charges.

2

An investment advisory fee is paid to Human Interest Advisors (HIA) of 0.01% of plan assets and a separate fee for recordkeeping services and custody-related expenses is paid to Human Interest Inc. (HII) of 0.05% of plan assets. Both fees are deducted on a monthly basis from the employee's account according to the HII and HIA Terms of Service. All prices are exclusive of applicable taxes. If the plan sponsor elects to hire an external investment advisor, the plan sponsor will pay such advisor as agreed between the plan sponsor and advisor. For more information, please see our pricing page. Average fund fees as of 12/31/23. Asset-weighted average of mutual fund annual operating expenses ("expense ratio") for all plan participants invested in Human Interest Advisors' Model Portfolios ("Models"). Provided for illustrative purposes only. Actual, average fund expenses a participant experiences vary based on the specific Model selected, allocation changes to Models, whether participants opt out of Models and choose their own investments and allocations, or allocation drift, especially in volatile markets. Model allocations and underlying mutual fund expenses are subject to change. Before investing, carefully review the fund’s prospectus, which includes, among other things, a description of fees and expenses a fund will charge.