Merrill Technologies Group
Welcome to your Merrill Technologies Group Retirement Plan Portal
An Introduction to Your Plan
The video below is a quick introduction of your plan from your LoVasco Retirement Plan Advisor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our plan’s recordkeeper is Paychex. You can enroll by clicking this link, downloading their app (see below QR code), or calling them at 877-244-1771. Once you enroll, this information will be automatically sent to the Merrill HR Team. The plan has an automatic enrollment feature, meaning (as a new employee) upon meeting the eligibility requirements, you will automatically be enrolled at a 6% salary deferral rate if you take no action to opt out.
Yes! Merrill contributes $0.50 for each dollar that you contribute to the 401(k), up to a maximum of 6% of your eligible pay. It’s basically free money you can think of as a reward for doing something you should be doing anyway: saving for your retirement. That’s right, Merrill is paying you to save for your retirement!
Around 45 days before you are eligible for the Merrill Technologies Group 401(k) plan, Paychex will mail you a welcome kit to the address you have provided your employer.
The 401(k) plan has a wide array of investments to choose from. If you prefer to pick your own investments, please see the plan’s online portal at Paychex for a complete list of investments/performance available to you. However, if you are like most of us, you’d prefer a simple investment solution. The 401(k) plan offers the American Funds Target Date Suite, which are diversified asset allocation funds that dynamically adjust to a more conservative investment allocation as you near retirement age. Select the fund that corresponds with the year you would be nearing age 65 or the year you hope to retire if your desired retirement age is not 65.
Your designated beneficiaries play a crucial role in ensuring that your hard-earned savings are directed according to your wishes in the unfortunate event of unforeseen circumstances. Whether you have experienced changes in your family structure, personal circumstances, or simply haven't reviewed this information recently, now is the time to take action.
How to Update Your Beneficiary Information on the Paychex website:
- Login to your account at paychexflex.com
- Navigate to the Summary Tab
- Locate the beneficiary section to add beneficiaries or confirm the accuracy of beneficiaries listed
- You can add a person or an entity (trust, charity, etc)
- Once all beneficiary information has been entered and saved, the names of the beneficiaries will display on the “summary tab.”
If you do not designate a beneficiary, it automatically defaults to your spouse if you are married or your estate if you are single.
- Do you know what changes to your plan you’d like to make? Administrative tasks, such as enrollment, changing deferral amounts, changing investments, selecting a beneficiary, obtaining a loan, withdrawing/rolling over money, etc., should all be directed to Paychex. Their website (link here) and call center (877-244-1771) can assist with those items.
- Need help making decisions? Financial planning and investment advice-related questions, both 401(k) related and otherwise, should be directed to our investment advisor, Michael Orsatti of LoVasco Consulting Group. Some example questions that Michael can help you with are: How do I plan for retirement? What should I invest in? How do I consolidate debt? Do pre-tax or Roth deferrals make sense for me? Etc.
Yes! Below these FAQs, you will find financial wellness content designed to meet your everyday financial needs, not just focused on retirement. You can sign-up for live financial wellness webinars, watch recordings on-demand, and schedule one-on-one meetings with Michael.
Your funds will remain at Paychex; the change is only to the advisory firm Merrill has engaged for 401(k) advisory services. Access to your 401(k) will continue via the Paychex website. LoVasco is here to guide the 401(k) oversight process Merrill’s management team is tasked with and provide financial guidance to you as an employee of Merrill.
It is a tax-advantaged retirement savings plan sponsored by your employer. It allows employees to save and invest a portion of their paycheck before (traditional) or after (Roth) taxes are taken out, which can help you save for retirement. Employers may also make contributions to your account, providing additional savings.
It is a tax-advantaged retirement savings plan sponsored by your employer. It allows employees to save and invest a portion of their paycheck before (traditional) or after (Roth) taxes are taken out, which can help you save for retirement. Employers may also make contributions to your account, providing additional savings.
Upon deferring a portion of your paycheck into an employer-sponsored retirement plan, the funds in your account can be invested based on the available options. If you do not make an investment election, a default selection will be made for you. Typically, this will be an asset allocation model that is dynamically risk-adjusted based on your age. This allows you to grow your retirement savings on a tax-deferred basis and choose the level of risk appropriate for you.
Tax-deferred investing allows you to invest and grow your money without paying taxes on the earnings or growth in the account until you withdraw them, typically during retirement.
Upon leaving your employer, multiple options become available to you. If your account balance is $7,000 or more, you can leave your assets in the plan, which will remain invested. Or, you can roll over your vested account balance to another retirement account (IRA, 401(k), 403(b), etc.).
You can contribute as little or as much as you like, as long as it does not exceed the IRS contribution limit of (as of 2025) $23,500 plus a $7,500 catch-up for those 50 and older. We generally recommend contributing 10% to 15% of your paycheck to your retirement savings plan. A higher contribution may be required if you are getting a later start on retirement savings.
For most plans, rollovers can be processed through your plan’s recordkeeping and administration provider over the phone or online.
How to take a distribution will depend on your recordkeeping and administration provider. For most plans, you can take a distribution by calling the recordkeeper for your plan; however, some recordkeepers allow you to do this online or in paper form. Lastly, when and how you can take a distribution is based on IRS laws but is also affected by your employer’s plan provisions.
You can change your contribution amount by logging into your online account, navigating to the contributions tab, and selecting your new contribution percentage. Once you complete this, payroll will be noticed, and it can be updated accordingly.
You can change your investment choices by logging into your online account, navigating to the investments tab, and editing your investment selections.
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Michael Orsatti
Financial Wellness Advisor
Retirement Plan Consulting
As a Financial Wellness Advisor on the Retirement Team, Michael offers education and personalized financial advice to retirement plan participants. Upon graduating with a B.S. in Economics, Michael started his career in the banking industry before making a pivot into retirement and investments. Michael is passionate about helping individuals navigate the financial world, finding joy in guiding them through what can often be an intimidating process. His dedication lies in empowering people to achieve long term financial success.
In college Michael ran track and worked as a personal trainer, where he met his now wife, Grace. Outside of work Michael spends most of his time hiking, lifting, playing tennis, and chasing around his two year old girl, Kiara.
