They often say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The meaning of the proverb is rather simple, it’s that individuals may do bad things even though they intend the results to be good, or, those good intentions may not result in a good outcome because of inaction due to procrastination. While employers sponsor participant directed 401(k) plans to benefit their employees, sometimes their good intentions lead to a harmful result of financial liability because of their inaction or incompetence. One of the biggest problems out there is that plan sponsors don’t understand that while participant directed 401(k) plans are supposed to limit their liability, they actually have to do something in order to get liability protection under ERISA. This article is why plan sponsors need to provide education and/or advice to plan participants.