Resource Review – Radish Plan
Looking for a better way to actually engage plan participants?
Not educate them.
Not remind them.
Not auto-enroll them.
Engage them.
I recently sat down with Kyle Bagley to take a closer look at Radish Plan, and what immediately stood out to me is that this isn’t trying to “fix” participant behavior the traditional way.
It flips the model entirely.
What Radish Plan Is (and Why It’s Different)
At its core, Radish is a 401(a) profit sharing plan — but it’s designed in a way that most advisors (and most participants) haven’t seen before.
Instead of hoping employees care about retirement…
Radish ties employer-funded contributions directly to behavior.
- Show up on time
- Hit safety goals
- Meet performance targets
- Stay with the company
→ Earn contributions.
Not once a year.
Not buried in a statement.
Visible. Ongoing. Immediate.
And that’s where this gets interesting.
The Real Problem Isn’t Education
We’ve all seen it.
You can:
- Run meetings
- Send emails
- Build beautiful presentations
- Explain compounding, diversification, all of it
…and participation still doesn’t move.
Why?
Because most participants don’t have a reason to care right now.
Retirement is abstract.
It’s distant.
It’s easy to ignore.
Radish solves for that by connecting today’s behavior → today’s reward → future benefit.
That bridge is what’s been missing.
Why This Matters for Advisors
This isn’t just a “cool tool.”
It gives advisors a different conversation to have with plan sponsors:
“Let’s try to improve participation…”
You can say:
“Let’s give employees a reason to engage in the first place.”
It also positions you differently:
- Not just managing a plan
- Not just reviewing investments
- But helping solve real business problems:
- Retention
- Productivity
- Culture
- Recruiting
And that’s where you can win.
Where This Fits (and Where It Doesn’t)
This isn’t a replacement for a 401(k).
It’s a complement.
Radish works especially well for:
- Middle- and lower-income employee bases
- Employers struggling with participation
- Industries where behavior (attendance, safety, output) matters
It’s not about replacing the system.
It’s about making the system work better for the people it’s supposed to serve.
How This Connects to Participant Education
This is the part I think is really important.
Tools like Radish can create engagement.
But engagement alone isn’t enough.
Once you have someone’s attention…
what do you say next?
That’s where most advisors still struggle.
Because:
- Information doesn’t drive action
- Slides don’t change behavior
- Data doesn’t stick
Stories do.
That’s exactly why I’ve been building out the
Participant Education in a Box
kit — and specifically the Stories That Stick™ component.
Short, relatable, real-world examples that:
- Simplify complex ideas
- Connect emotionally
- Drive action
Because once someone cares, the message matters more than ever.
Watch the Full Resource Review
I recorded a full walkthrough with Kyle so you can see exactly how Radish works, how employers are using it, and where it fits in real-world plan design.
You can watch the full resource review below:
Final Thought
If an employee benefit doesn’t benefit the employee…
…it’s not a benefit.
Radish is one of the more interesting attempts I’ve seen to actually close that gap.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:
Sharon:
Welcome everybody. Sharon here, and today I want to talk about a tool called Radish Plan. Kyle Bagley is with me today, and he’s going to tell us a little bit about what it is and why you might want to take a closer look at using it.
Kyle:
Awesome. Thanks for having me. The Radish Plan was Ted Benna’s idea, so I don’t take any credit for it.
It is an incentive plan — a unique, gamified way to get middle- and lower-income earners interested and excited about retirement. Auto-enrolling them in a 401(k) isn’t doing it.
Ted’s idea was to use pre-tax money based on work and goals — incentives tied to behavior — and let the employer fully fund the retirement account.
The business benefits from increased productivity, and employees get a savings mechanism that actually makes sense to them — especially those who don’t care about retirement yet, are intimidated by it, or have more immediate financial priorities.
We say it this way: if an employee benefit doesn’t benefit the employee, it’s not a benefit.
Sharon:
Very cool. Is it a profit sharing plan at the core?
Kyle:
Yes — it’s a 401(a).
Sharon:
Nice. Can we see what’s being incentivized?
Kyle:
Absolutely. This is where it gets fun.
We’re a mobile-first experience. Employees can see how much they’ve earned and what they could be earning.
Motivation works both ways — what do I gain, and what am I leaving on the table?
For example, in the trucking industry:
– Hit safety goals each week → earn money
– Be on time → earn monthly bonuses
– Stay with the company → earn annual contributions
The key is visibility and frequency. Instead of employees forgetting about benefits until year-end, this shows up consistently — weekly, monthly — reinforcing what the company values.
Sharon:
Are the incentives always measurable?
Kyle:
Ideally, yes. We focus on what employers are already tracking — dashboards, KPIs — and convert those into simple yes/no actions.
We integrate with payroll systems, CRMs, and data sources to make it as automated as possible.
Sharon:
How do plan sponsors typically find you?
Kyle:
They can go to radishplan.com and request a demo. There’s a lot of education involved because this is new.
We’re fortunate to have industry credibility behind us, including Marcia Wagner and Ted Benna.
Sharon:
If I’m an advisor, what’s the benefit of bringing this to a client?
Kyle:
Two things: we pay a commission, and it helps you solve a real business problem.
You’re not just showing up to talk about the 401(k). You’re bringing something that improves participation, engagement, and retention.
Sharon:
How does pricing work?
Kyle:
It’s $10 per participant per month, plus a startup fee. We act as the recordkeeper and are flexible with where assets are held.
Sharon:
Anything else advisors should know?
Kyle:
Think of Radish as a magnet.
It helps attract and retain the right employees. It gives employers a real benefit that employees actually talk about.
Everyone has a 401(k). That’s important. But this is a way to make it meaningful to people who otherwise wouldn’t engage.
Sharon:
I love that. Anything that helps participants take action and better prepare for retirement is a win.
Kyle:
Absolutely. Thanks again for having me.
Mentioned in this episode:
- Radish Plan – learn more at
https://www.radishplan.com
Listen to the podcast episode of this topic here