---
title: A Plan Sponsor’s Guide to Supporting Roll-ins
description: Designed to give the viewer an understanding of how plan sponsors can effectively support a program of qualified plan roll-in contributions.
---

[RCH Consolidation Corner](https://blog.rch1.com/blog)

# [A Plan Sponsor’s Guide to Supporting Roll-ins](https://blog.rch1.com/blog/a-plan-sponsors-guide-to-supporting-roll-ins)

 Written by [Thomas Hawkins](https://blog.rch1.com/blog/author/thomas-hawkins) | September 2, 2016

**Why should plans care about roll-in contributions? **Establishing a program that encourages participant rollover contributions (or “roll-ins”) is one of the most beneficial programs that a plan can implement.

**Why should plans care about roll-in contributions?**

Establishing a program that encourages participant rollover contributions (or “roll-ins”) is one of the most beneficial programs that a plan can implement.  
For participants, roll-ins:

1. Consolidate retirement savings
2. Reduce fees from holding multiple retirement accounts
3. Simplify retirement planning
4. Are proven to decrease the incidence of [cashouts](https://www.rch1.com/blog?c=6)

For plans, roll-ins:

1. Increase average balances
2. Enhance financial wellness metrics
3. Reduce the number of small accounts
4. Improve the effectiveness of in-plan retirement income solutions

  
**What steps can a plan take to support roll-ins?**

1. Make sure that the plan accepts roll-ins. This should be clearly-identified in the plan document, in the section addressing plan contributions.

1. Clearly communicate the plan’s roll-in feature to participants, particularly at initial eligibility and during annual enrollment.
   
   Example forms of communication include:  
   - Printed materials  
   - Participant E-Mails  
   - Internal benefits website
   
   Be sure to emphasize:  
   - Saving the participant time & money  
   - Un-complicating participants’ lives  
   - Improving the participant’s retirement readiness

1. Offer essential roll-in support, including instructions and easy access to the required contribution forms

  
**Will my plan’s recordkeeper do a good job of supporting roll-ins?**  
It depends.

- Roll-ins can be complex transactions, with many variations. Most recordkeepers are more-familiar with high-volume, repetitive transactions.
- The nature of the roll-in process requires a “workflow” orientation, vs. a simple transactional approach.

To effectively support your roll-in program, we suggest that plans **consider a facilitated roll-in service provider **that specializes in supporting roll-in programs.

**What should plans look for in a facilitated roll-in service provider?**  
Look for a firm that’s unbiased and can effectively work with you, your recordkeeper and your participants. 

The best roll-in service providers should:

- Operate on a fee-for-service basis. All participants -- regardless of balance -- can be encouraged to take advantage of the roll-in program.
- Offer fees that can be structured on either a “participant-pay” or a “plan-pay” basis.
- Qualify as a permissible plan expense, if paid for by the plan.
- Have a proven track record of success in performing plan-to-plan roll-ins.

  
**What results should plans expect from an effective program of roll-ins?**  
Based on our five years of experience with a mega plan sponsor, we believe that you can expect that:

1. Around 15%+ of new participants will decide to transfer qualified assets into the plan.
2. Average balances can increase substantially. In our mega plan sponsor, they increased over 57%.
3. Participant experiences and overall satisfaction with the roll-in process will improve dramatically.

  
**Where can I get additional information?**  
For more information on roll-ins, visit: **[www.RCH1.com/roll-in](http://www.RCH1.com/roll-in)**For more information on the roll-in case study, visit: **[www.RCH1.com/case-study](http://www.RCH1.com/case-study)**

 

[View full post](https://blog.rch1.com/blog/a-plan-sponsors-guide-to-supporting-roll-ins)

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