Simplicity should be a key goal in plan design, plan objectives and participant communications. Regulations make this challenging, but the benefits of simplicity are many.
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act could never be described as simple, streamlined or straightforward. So yes, ERISA and KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) are two acronyms that seem like strange bedfellows. Granted, there are things that will never be simple about the design and administration of ERISA plans, but my challenge to you is to change your perspective and think about where you can follow the tenet of simplicity.
