401(k) Planning Shifts to Holistic Advice as 80% of Participants Seek More Help

3 articles · Updated · The 401(k) Specialist · Aug 13

American workers are pushing retirement planning beyond siloed workplace accounts, increasingly expecting trusted advisors to guide 401(k)s alongside the rest of their finances.
80% of 401(k) participants say they want additional account advice, while smartphone apps and broader wealth tools have made "set it and forget it" retirement saving feel outdated.
Industry executives and former regulators say the split dates back to ERISA-era design and separate development of workplace plans, wealth managers and technology platforms, which left 401(k)s locked in proprietary systems.
Technology firms including Pontera and partners say better data integration, audit trails and cybersecurity are starting to connect those accounts, letting advisors build fuller plans around debt, healthcare, income and other goals.
The remaining hurdle is a standardized, portable data-sharing framework and stronger participant control over workplace assets, which policymakers and firms increasingly see as key to integrated retirement advice.