The Guardian Insurance & Annuity Company, Inc. and Pension Resource Institute have launched a new retirement tool for financial professionals called The Resource Optimizer.

It helps financial professionals determine plan risks, employer needs and the opportunity costs of implementing a retirement plan.

"Fee disclosure, a changing regulatory landscape and broker/dealer restrictions on fiduciary roles are creating significant opportunities for both experienced financial professionals and non-fiduciary financial professionals, particularly in the small-plan retirement marketplace, which accounts for the vast majority of plans," said Jason Frain, left, vice president of 401(k) product management and development for Guardian Retirement Solutions. "These changes are forcing plan sponsors to rely on financial professionals to provide education and actionable solutions for compliance challenges. Many plan sponsors lack the experience, time and resources to effectively manage these plans to help participants achieve successful retirement outcomes."