Retirement Plan Communications
Clear retirement plan information, delivered when employees need it.
A retirement plan can offer valuable benefits, but employees need to understand what is available to them and when action may be required.
PointOak helps plan sponsors develop and coordinate clear, timely participant communications around retirement-plan features, educational opportunities, plan changes, and important decision points throughout the employee lifecycle.
- Enrollment & Onboarding Communications
- Ongoing Participant Education
- Plan Change Communications
- Pre-Retirement & Offboarding Support
Communication Throughout the Employee Lifecycle
Onboarding & Enrollment
Help new employees understand the retirement plan and the decisions they may need to make.
- Eligibility
- Enrollment
- Contribution Options
- Employer Contributions
- Investments
- Beneficiaries
Communications can also direct new employees to group education, plan resources, and PointOak's complimentary 30-minute participant consultations.
Ongoing Participant Communications
Keep retirement-plan resources and educational opportunities visible throughout an employee's career.
- Education Meetings
- Contribution Reminders
- Plan Resources
- Beneficiary Reviews
- Financial Wellness
- One-on-One Guidance
Plan Changes & Important Updates
Explain relevant changes in understandable language and help employees identify whether they need to take action.
- Provider Changes
- Investment Changes
- Plan Design Changes
- Contribution Updates
- New Plan Features
Pre-Retirement Communications
Connect employees approaching retirement with education and guidance relevant to the decisions ahead.
- Retirement Readiness
- Distribution Considerations
- Social Security
- Medicare
- Individual Consultations
Offboarding & Transition Communications
Help departing employees understand where to find information and guidance regarding their retirement-plan account.
- Distribution Options
- Rollover Considerations
- Account Consolidation
- Participant Resources
- Individual Guidance
More Than Required Plan Notices
Required participant notices and disclosures are an important part of retirement-plan administration, but they are different from an ongoing participant communication strategy.
PointOak focuses on helping sponsors communicate plan information and educational opportunities in understandable language, while coordinating with the recordkeeper, TPA, legal counsel, and other service providers when appropriate.
That may include communications surrounding enrollment, employer contributions, investment changes, plan features, provider transitions, education events, and participant resources.
Connect Communication With Education
A communication is more useful when employees know where to go with questions.
PointOak can connect participant communications directly with the education and individual guidance available through the retirement plan.
Communicate: Tell employees about an upcoming enrollment period, plan change, or educational topic.
Educate: Address the topic through a group education meeting or other participant resource.
Connect: Give employees access to a complimentary 30-minute individual consultation for questions specific to their circumstances.
Customized Around Your Plan and Workforce
PointOak can tailor participant communications around the organization's retirement plan, workforce, education priorities, and available resources.
That may mean communicating differently with new hires, employees not yet participating, active participants, employees approaching retirement, and departing employees.
The objective isn't simply to send more communications. It's to make retirement-plan information relevant, understandable, and connected to available resources and guidance.
Coordinate the Resources You Already Have
Recordkeepers and other plan providers often already produce participant communications, educational materials, websites, calculators, and other resources.
PointOak can help coordinate those resources with the broader participant-education strategy rather than unnecessarily duplicating them.
We may help determine what needs to be communicated, which existing resources can be used, where additional explanation may help, and how employees can access additional guidance.
Communications That Lead Somewhere
PointOak can connect employees with the appropriate next step.
Depending on the topic, that might be:
Log In to Your Plan → Attend an Education Meeting → Review Plan Resources → Schedule a 30-Minute Consultation → Speak With a PointOak Advisor
Our Communication Process
Identify: Determine the information employees need and the audience it applies to.
Coordinate: Review available recordkeeper, provider, and plan resources.
Simplify: Translate relevant retirement-plan information into clear, understandable language.
Communicate: Deliver or coordinate communications through appropriate channels.
Connect: Direct employees to education, plan resources, or individual guidance when appropriate.
Why PointOak
Retirement Plan Communications Connected to Real Guidance
PointOak doesn't view participant communications as a standalone exercise.
Because we also provide retirement-plan consulting, participant education, and individual participant guidance, communications can be connected to the broader plan strategy and the resources available to employees.
When employees have questions that can't be answered through a general communication, they can schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation with a PointOak advisor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are retirement plan communications?
Retirement plan communications help employees understand their workplace retirement plan, available benefits, important changes, educational opportunities, and actions they may need to consider.
What types of communications can PointOak help with?
Communications may address enrollment, employer contributions, plan features, investment changes, provider transitions, education meetings, beneficiary reminders, retirement planning, and other topics relevant to participants.
Does PointOak prepare required retirement-plan notices?
PointOak can help coordinate participant communications with the plan's recordkeeper, TPA, legal counsel, and other service providers. Responsibility for required notices and disclosures depends on the particular notice and the responsibilities assigned among the plan's service providers.
Can communications be customized for different employee groups?
Yes. Communications can be tailored around different audiences and decision points, including new hires, active participants, employees approaching retirement, and departing employees.
Can communications direct employees to individual help?
Yes. Employees can be directed to PointOak's complimentary 30-minute participant consultations when they have questions that are better addressed individually.
Do you use materials from our recordkeeper?
Yes. When useful, PointOak can incorporate or coordinate available recordkeeper tools and educational resources rather than recreating materials that already serve the intended purpose.
Make Retirement Plan Communications More Useful
Connect clear participant communications with education, plan resources, and direct access to individual guidance.