---
title: Five Misconceptions About Automatic Rollovers
description: Hawkins introduces plan sponsors to a video addressing five of the most important misconceptions, and offers constructive suggestions on how sponsors can address them.
---

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

# [Five Misconceptions About Automatic Rollovers](https://blog.rch1.com/blog/five-misconceptions-about-automatic-rollovers)

 Written by [Thomas Hawkins](https://blog.rch1.com/blog/author/thomas-hawkins) | July 19, 2021

Most agree – automatic rollover programs can help plan sponsors deal with problems associated with small-balance accounts, including:

- ​High levels of missing participants
- Increased administrative costs and workload
- Increased recordkeeping fees
- Lower average account balances

​​Still, misconceptions persist about automatic rollovers.

In the video below, we present five of the most important misconceptions about automatic rollovers that plan sponsors should be aware of.

 

**Misconception #1: It’s best to cash out participants with balances <$1,000**  
No way. This can produce large numbers of uncashed checks:

- All distribution checks remain a plan asset until cashed.
- The largest single source of uncashed distribution checks is from automatic cash outs of balances <$1,000.

A better approach:  Avoid uncashed checks by automatically rolling over balances less than $1,000.  Select an automatic rollover provider who accepts balances less than $1,000 into a safe harbor IRA.

**Misconception #2: Cashout rates don’t matter for small-balance accounts.**  
Au contraire. Small-balance cashouts have a huge impact:

- Sub-$5,000 balances represent 28.5% of defined contribution participants, and over 5 million annual job-changing participants.
- A 30-year-old cashing out $1,679 nets $1,175. Had they avoided cashing out, they’d end up with $17,926 at retirement.
- EBRI estimates that plugging leakage for balances under $5,000 has present value benefits of $1.5 trillion, system wide.

A better approach:  Improve the odds through education & assistance. Select an automatic rollover provider who discourages cashouts by illustrating the high cost of cashing out, and by assisting participants in consolidating their retirement savings.

**Misconception #3: Participants “take charge” of savings in safe harbor IRAs**  
Nope. A vanishingly small percentage actually will.

- <1% of all safe harbor IRA accountholders will take control and move out of the default investment.
- Despite this, plan sponsors will sometimes agonize over investment options & brokerage features available to safe harbor IRA accountholders.

A better approach: Focus on moving safe harbor IRA balances forward.  Select an automatic rollover provider with a solid commitment to moving balances forward.  9 of 10 participants say portability is valuable to them (source: EBRI 2021 Retirement Confidence Survey).

**Misconception #4: Miscellaneous automatic rollover fees aren’t important.**  
Sadly, “miscellaneous” fees can quickly devastate small balances.

- In addition to annual fees and distribution fees, some automatic rollover providers charge:  
  - Setup fees of up to 20% of the initial balance  
  -Account closure fees  
  -Search fees  
  -Paper statement fees  
  -Escheatment fees  
  -….and more, including 275bps default investment fund fees
- After two years in a safe harbor IRA, these fees can add up to over $800! Yikes!!

A better approach: Request, in writing, a complete list of all fees.

**Misconception #5:** **A “bundled” automatic rollover service is the best option.**  
Not always. An automatic rollover service “bundled” by your TPA or recordkeeper may:

- Refuse to accept balances less than $1,000.
- Have extraordinarily high levels of cashouts.
- Pay referral fees to third parties and make these up with miscellaneous fees on your former participants.
- Not support portability and consolidation, and even erect barriers to exit (ex. – signature guarantees).

A better approach:  Don’t be limited by “bundled” choices. Select the most fiduciary-friendly automatic rollover option – one that applies an enhanced standard of care for participants.

[View full post](https://blog.rch1.com/blog/five-misconceptions-about-automatic-rollovers)

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