Factors That Impact 401(k) Fees For Columbia Sportswear Employees

Healthcare Provider Update: Columbia Sportswear offers health insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, and mental health benefits. Employees also receive life and disability insurance, retirement plans with company match, paid parental leave, and lifestyle reimbursement accounts. Columbia Sportswear Healthcare costs in the United States are projected to continue rising through 2026, with insurers proposing significant premium increases for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans. A recent analysis found that ACA insurers are seeking a median premium increase of 15% for 2026, marking the largest hike since 2018. This surge is attributed to factors such as the anticipated expiration of enhanced premium tax credits, rising medical costsincluding expensive medications and increased hospital staysand a shift in the risk pool towards higher-cost enrollees. Without the renewal of enhanced subsidies, out-of-pocket premiums for ACA marketplace enrollees could increase by more than 75% on average. Click here to learn more

More and more Columbia Sportswear employees are investing in their futures through 401(k) plans. Columbia Sportswear employees who participate in 401(k) plans assume responsibility for their retirement income by contributing part of their salary and, in many instances, by directing their own investments.

As a Columbia Sportswear employee, if you are among those who direct your investments, you will need to consider the investment objectives, the risk and return characteristics, and the performance over time of each investment option offered by your plan. Fees and expenses are one of the factors that will affect your investment returns and will impact your retirement income. This article will outline some of the major factors that may impact the severity of fees relating to your Columbia Sportswear 401(k) plan:

'Fees and expenses are one of the factors that will affect your investment returns and will impact your retirement income.'

Funds that are “actively managed” (i.e., funds with an investment adviser who continually researches, monitors, and actively trades the holdings of the fund to seek a higher return than the market) generally have higher fees. The higher fees are associated with the more active management provided and sales charges from the higher level of trading activity. As a Columbia Sportswear employee, you may want to consider how while actively managed funds seek to provide higher returns than the market, neither active management nor higher fees necessarily guarantee higher returns. 

Funds that are “passively managed” generally have lower management fees. Passively managed funds seek to obtain the investment results of an established market index, such as the Standard and Poor’s 500, by duplicating the holdings included in the index. Thus, passively managed funds require little research or trading activity. For Columbia Sportswear employees, it is worthy to account for the information when deciding who will manage your funds, and if their rates are adequate for the services provided.

If the services and investment options under your plan as a Columbia Sportswear employee are offered through a bundled program, then some or all of the costs of plan services may not be separately charged to the plan or to your employer. For example, these costs possibly may be subsidized by the asset-based fees charged on investments. Compare the services received in light of the total fees paid.

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Plans with more total assets may be able to lower fees by using special funds or classes of stock in funds, which generally are sold to larger group investors. “Retail” or “brand name” funds, which are also marketed to individual and small group investors, tend to be listed in the newspaper daily and typically charge higher fees. As a Columbia Sportswear employee, you should inform your employer of your preference.

Optional features, such as participant loan programs and insurance benefits offered under variable annuity contracts, involve additional costs. Consider whether they have value to you as a Columbia Sportswear employee. If not, let your employer know.

Retirement plans, such as 401(k) plans, are group plans. For those working in Columbia Sportswear, your employer may not be able to accommodate each employee’s preferences for investment options or additional services.