A PARTNER IN YOUR RETIREMENT

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401(k) Plan Advisor

From establishing a new 401(k) to providing an independent, third-party review of an existing plan, Norwood Economics provides business owners with the support, advice, and education they need to ensure top retirement plan performance. We are fiduciaries held to a high standard of care with respect to plan design, investment management, and employee education.

REVIEW AN EXISTING 401(K)

FREE, INDEPENDENT, THIRD-PARTY REVIEW

The Department of Labor strongly encourages 401(k) plan sponsors to conduct an independent, third-party review of their plan at least every three years. This should be done by someone not currently affiliated with the plan in any way and is not the same as your plan advisor's annual participant review.


The DOL wants business owners to be good fiduciaries, putting 401(k) plan participants’ best interests first. They want plan sponsors to know: whether their plan’s expenses are reasonable, whether the plan design is appropriate, and whether there are compliance issues that need to be addressed.

Businesswoman Holding Her Cellphone — Fishers, IN — Norwood Economics

Plans are often twice as costly to owners and participants with tens of thousands of dollars annually in available expense savings. As well, plan designs are too often sub-optimal, failing to take advantage of all of the tax breaks allowed by ERISA (The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974). 

WHY WE'RE DIFFERENT

  • We conduct an independent, third-party review of your plan for free, with no obligation.
  • We provide employers with plan designs that capture the maximum tax breaks allowed by ERISA.
  • We customize 401(k) plans to your workforce to best achieve your goals as a business owner.
  • We provide comprehensive workplace education to help your employees achieve their financial goals.

401(K) PLAN SETUP

A GOOD 401(K) CAN HELP YOU TO

  • Attract talented people in today’s challenging job market
  • Retain valuable employees who want retirement options in their benefits package.
  • Enjoy tax advantages available to you as the employer offering the plan

SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE

We offer extensive communication and education programs to help drive retirement readiness. 

  • Semi-Annual 401(k) presentations
  • Employee one-on-ones 
  • Video conferencing sessions with participants and employers 
  • Educational emails to participants and employers

recent blog posts

Reversion to the Mean is a Fact of Life

By Christopher Norwood • February 10, 2025
Executive Summary The S&P finished the week at 6025.99 The S&P has been trading sideways since 11 November Volatility (VIX) has spiked five times since last fall each time falling quickly back to mid-teen levels Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon have contributed to the negative tone with cautious guidance The Equity Risk Premium has been falling over the last 14 years Bonds have been a horrible investment over the last three, five, and ten years The jobs market continues to show strength Consumers' inflation expectations are increasing The stock market is expensive and will return less than its long-term average over the next decade Good stock picking will be critical if investors are to earn a return close to the long run average. The equity risk premium is too low which may make Treasury bonds a better investment than stocks on a risk adjusted basis over the next decade. Treasury bonds may outperform stocks over the next decade but not necessarily over the next few years since the 10-Year could rise another 100 basis points in the short term. The Stock Market

Don't Expect Extraordinary Returns to Continue

By Christopher Norwood • February 3, 2025
Executive Summary The S&P fell 1% last week, closing Friday at 6,040.53 The index hasn’t been able to break clear of resistance The AI space took a big hit Monday Tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China GDP grew 2.3% annually in Q4 The futures market expected the funds rate to remain at 4.25-4.50% and it did The employment cost index (ECI) for Q4 2024 rose 0.9% QoQ Pending home sales took a hit in December The stock market continues to trend higher There is a relationship between the stock market and the economy More Interesting Charts to review 

S&P Hits All Time High

By Christopher Norwood • January 27, 2025
Executive Summary The S&P hit a new high on Thursday, reaching 6,128.18. The Volatility Index (VIX) fell to a low of 14.85 The VIX has declined sharply from 27.6 The 5.4% decline from 6 December to 13 January doesn’t qualify as a correction Watch Earnings, Inflation, and Interest Rates for the stock market's near-term direction Don't miss the Charts Worth Seeing at the bottom
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