Editing 401(k) (section)

===Automatic enrollment===
Employers are allowed to automatically enroll their employees in 401(k) plans, requiring employees to actively opt out if they do not want to participate (traditionally, 401(k)s required employees to opt in). Companies offering such automatic 401(k)s must choose a default investment fund and saving rate. Employees who are enrolled automatically will become investors in the default fund at the default rate, although they may select different funds and rates if they choose, or even opt out completely.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retirementmadesimpler.org/WhoWeAre/MediaFAQs.shtml |title=Retirement Made Simpler: FAQs |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323014944/http://www.retirementmadesimpler.org/WhoWeAre/MediaFAQs.shtml |archive-date=23 March 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Automatic 401(k)s are designed to encourage high participation rates among employees. Therefore, employers can attempt to enroll non-participants as often as once per year, requiring those non-participants to opt out each time if they do not want to participate. Employers can also choose to escalate participants' default contribution rate, encouraging them to save more.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/regs/fedreg/final/07-5147.pdf |title=Default Investment Alternatives Under Participant Directed Individual Account Plans; Final Rule |publisher=Department of Labor |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326044845/http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/regs/fedreg/final/07-5147.pdf |archive-date=26 March 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Pension Protection Act of 2006]] made automatic enrollment a safer option for employers. Prior to the Pension Protection Act, employers were held responsible for investment losses as a result of such automatic enrollments. The Pension Protection Act established a safe harbor for employers in the form of a "Qualified Default Investment Alternative", an investment plan that, if chosen by the employer as the default plan for automatically enrolled participants, relieves the employer of financial liability. Under Department of Labor regulations, three main types of investments qualify as QDIAs: lifecycle funds, balanced funds, and managed accounts. QDIAs provide sponsors with fiduciary relief similar to the relief that applies when participants affirmatively elect their investments.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/fsdefaultoptionproposalrevision.html |title=Default Investment Alternatives Under Participant-Directed Individual Account Plans |publisher=Department of Labor |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223111906/http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/fsdefaultoptionproposalrevision.html |archive-date=23 December 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>