"Generally, brand name insurance and payroll company 401(k) providers are the expensive, while lesser-known, 'open architecture' providers are the least expensive.... Nearly all of the insurance company 401k plans use variable annuities in their fund line-up. Variable annuities are basically mutual funds wrapped in a thin layer of insurance with additional fees and redemption restrictions. A 'wrap' fee can be 1% or more, turning low cost mutual funds into costly variable annuities." [Includes a chart summarizing the fees for 121 plans having less than $2M in assets.]  MORE >>