Steve Bart
May 15, 2025
If you’ve done the work of building a financial plan—truly building it, not just checking boxes—you’re ahead of the game. You’ve taken the time to think deeply about your goals, align your values with your dollars, and put a structure in place to help you move forward with intention. That’s not something most people do, and we see every day how powerful that clarity can be.
But here’s the truth—even great plans need attention over time. Because life changes. Businesses evolve. And even the most thoughtful strategies can drift if they’re left untouched for too long.
Living near the coast here in Delaware, we see this play out in real time. One season, the beach path is perfectly clear. A few months later, the tide has shifted, the sand has moved, and your old route is under water. The change is slow, almost invisible—until it isn’t.
The same thing happens with financial planning.
Maybe you started your retirement income plan years ago, but your priorities have changed. Maybe you created an estate plan when your kids were young, but now they’re adults with families of their own. Or maybe your business has grown—quietly but significantly—and the 401(k) plan that once fit just fine is now starting to show signs of strain.
Let’s talk about that last one.
We work with a number of business owners who offer retirement plans for their teams—plans that were well-intentioned and thoughtfully set up at the time. But as the company grows, the people change. The ownership evolves. The workforce expands or becomes more diverse. And suddenly, the original plan design—the structure, eligibility rules, vesting schedules, contribution formulas, matching strategies—isn’t doing what it was meant to do.
It might still be compliant, but is it still effective?
Does it reflect the culture and goals of the business today? Does it help retain your top talent? Does it offer meaningful retirement benefits to your people without becoming a hidden liability for the company?
This is where plan design comes in—and it’s one of the most overlooked aspects of retirement planning.
Too often, plans are simply maintained. The investments are reviewed once or twice a year. Maybe a fund gets swapped out. But no one’s stepping back to ask, “Is this structure still right for us?”
That’s what we do at Blue Rock. We don’t just manage investments—we look at how the entire plan is functioning: for the business, for ownership, and for employees. We consider tax strategies, profit-sharing designs, Safe Harbor requirements, non-discrimination testing, and more. We make sure the plan isn’t just a checkbox—but a tool that supports growth and aligns with your values.
And we do this because the Department of Labor is paying attention, too.
When the DOL audits a 401(k), they’re not just checking whether you picked decent investments. They’re looking at process. They want to see that you’ve documented how decisions are made. That you’re reviewing plan costs. That you’re monitoring the investment lineup and ensuring it’s in line with the stated objectives. That you’re not just offering a plan—you’re stewarding it.
We help clients build an investment monitoring system that is clear, consistent, and defensible. That means documented reviews. Transparent benchmarks. An understanding of share classes and fees. And it means coordinating with the recordkeeper, third-party administrator, and payroll provider so nothing slips through the cracks.
When you manage your plan yourself—or when your only touchpoint is an annual investment review—it’s easy to miss this. But when you have a team behind you that understands the nuances of plan design, investment process, and fiduciary duty, it becomes easier to spot issues before they become problems.
And here’s the most important part: we do it together.
At Blue Rock, our planners and client service team work as one unit. While your advisor is helping you think strategically—about taxes, distributions, succession planning, or legacy goals—our client service team is making sure all the moving parts get handled. That paperwork is accurate. That deadlines are met. That every detail, no matter how small, supports the bigger picture of what we’re building with you.
So, whether it’s your personal financial plan or the retirement plan you offer your employees, remember this:
What worked five years ago may not be the best fit today.
Life moves. Business evolves. The tide shifts.
Let’s not wait until your path gets washed out. Let’s walk it together, check the map, and make sure the plan still fits the life—and the business—you’re living now.
And if you’ve had even the smallest change in your business structure, ownership, workforce, or goals, now’s a good time to check in.
We’re always here for you. Whether it’s a quick conversation or a deeper dive, our job is to help you stay proactive, thoughtful, and confident—every step of the way.