401k Brokerage Windows for Self-Directed 401k Investing -- Small 401(k) and Brokerage Windows for 401k

Financial institutions such as banks, brokerage firms, and trust companies (e.g., Union Bank of California, Wells Fargo Bank, Merrill Lynch, First Trust) offer 401(k) administration services that tend to be less expensive than services offered by benefit consulting firms. The main target of the financial institutions is also the Fortune-500-sized organization; however, they offer the advantage of more closely linking the investment vehicles with plan administration and recordkeeping. They can achieve vertical integration of investments and administration because banks, brokerages, and some trust companies offer a predefined group of proprietary and other mutual funds investments that pay 12b-1 and other asset-based fees to these plan providers, helping offset the cost of providing plan administration. Today these often "hidden" asset-based fees are coming under close scrutiny by government agencies and the press as being unfair to plan participants. As media and governmental investigation pressures mounts, financial institutions will need to find other ways to offset or cut their administration costs—401(k) Enginuity will become a more and more attractive alternative to traditional administration platforms as time goes on.