401(k) plans are a world of contradictions. It’s one of the few employer provided benefits that an employee usually pays for through their account balance. It’s a retirement plan that an employer offers that the employee has to mostly fund. Most 401(k) plans offer participant directed investments and participants are usually the least equipped to make financial investment decisions. 401(k) plan sponsors are on the hook for liability for inefficient work performed by their retirement plan providers. One of the biggest contradictions out there is that the smaller the 401(k) plan, the bigger the problems. So this article is why smaller 401(k) plans have more issues than larger plans and why small 401(k) plan sponsors must be more vigilant in their role as plan fiduciaries.