Great focus.

It is debatable whether or not automatic enrollment is worth the cost to employers; and even whether it results in employees saving more for retirement.*

But employers and plan fiduciaries alike have an interest in giving participants viable paths to optimized portfolios. Putting together a portfolio of assets that provide the least risk for any level of expected return -- or the greatest expected return for a given level of risk -- is the only free lunch in the investment world. Outside of the use of efficient portfolios it is all a trade off: risk vs return.

And while managed accounts are but one path to efficient portfolios, they are clearly an important path. And yes, some employers do incorporate advice into the set of services offered to participants without any additional cost.

*Most of the savings that gets into the plan earlier as a result of automatic enrollment is taken out in loans or early withdrawals -- if it is not forfeited or distributed when an employee terminates after a few years employees.