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401(k) Fridays Podcast

The 401(k) Fridays Podcast features a weekly conversation with an expert guest to help employers and their service partners keep up with workplace retirement plan topics and trends. Listen today, improve your retirement plan tomorrow!
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Now displaying: 2017
Dec 29, 2017

No interview with a retirement industry expert today.  This episode shares my top ten highlights and themes from nearly 100 conversations on the podcast!  

Be sure to check out our first two episodes of 2018 which are my two part conversation with Jerry Schlichter, the plaintiffs attorney driving much of the 401(k) and other retirement plan litigation against employers! Part 1 will be posted on Friday, January 5th and Part 2 on Friday, January 12th.  

Don't forget that if you have been enjoying the podcast please mention it to a friend, share on social media or leave a review on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.  All of that goes a long way to helping grow our audience, attract high quality guests and keep sharing high quality timely content.  

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over ninety prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

 

Dec 15, 2017

Every now and then its a little fun to go off the beaten path of 401(k) plan topics and explore something related, but different.  In the past, we have done that with international retirement benefits, the importance of company culture and on this episode we delve into health benefits programs.  For this episode, our last full episode of 2017, my guest Ed Fensholt, an ERISA Attorney and Senior Vice President and Director of Compliance Services with Lockton Benefits Group keeps things interesting and entertaining as we explore his list of the five important heath plan trends for 2018. 

What really jumped out to me was that so much of what we talked about had direct parallels or overlapped many of the retirement plan topics we have explored on the podcast.  I’m not going to steal any of Ed’s thunder and give away his list, but what I will tell you is don't miss the last point. 

Guest Bio

Ed Fensholt is a Senior Vice President and Director of the Compliance Services national practice at Lockon. Our team of attorneys supplies our clients and the Lockton associates who serve them with a broad range of compliance-related support for employee benefits issues arising under ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, the Internal Revenue Code and other select federal and state statutes and regulations, including the Affordable Care Act.

Employers face significant challenges under the health reform legislation and its regulatory coattails. Our practice helps clients understand the impact to their benefits programs and get ahead of significant changes and requirements. Our work in this regard includes detailed analysis, alerts, blog postings, webcasts, seminars and a wide variety of ACA-related tools, checklists, grids, etc.

Ed is a frequent lecturer inside and outside the organization and a published author on employee benefits matters.

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over ninety prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Dec 8, 2017

If you are curious, concerned or confused about what’s going on with interest rates and how it might impact the bond/fixed income market or some of the investments in you 401(k) investment menu, I have great news for you!  My conversation with Brett Wander, the Chief Investment Officer for Fixed Income at Charles Schwab and Jake Gilliam, a senior Mutli-Asset Class Strategist also with Charles Schwab clears a lot of things up!  Brett shares some great economic insights and Jake does an excellent job tying those concepts to how they might impact various investment strategies. 

If you’re thinking, this is going to be really confusing or it might be over your head, stop right there because as usual, we take what can be a complex or maybe what some would call a boring topic and break it down into easy to understand pieces with some great ideas and questions you can bring back to your next investment committee meeting. 

Be sure to listen for some key observations about the overall direction of interest rates, how that may or may not impact your fixed income options, some key questions to ask about the bond exposures in your target date fund and what a yield trap is and how plan fiduciaries could unknowingly already be in one!  I will have to say, despite this being a little bit of a longer episode there isn’t anything i would remove and i have already listened to this several times and have come away with new insights each time.  

Guest Bios

Brett Wander is Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Fixed Income for Charles Schwab Investment Management, Inc. (CSIM). He is responsible for all aspects of the firm's fixed income and money market portfolios, leading a team of more than 20 investment professionals.

With more than 25 years of investment management experience, Mr. Wander has been intimately involved in the design, development and oversight of a wide range of active, indexed and alternative fixed income strategies. His expertise spans a wide range of global and domestic markets and sectors. Prior to joining CSIM in June 2011, Mr. Wander was senior managing director at State Street Global Advisors, where he managed and directed the firm’s $30 billion active fixed-income enterprise. He also held senior fixed-income leadership positions at Loomis Sayles, State Street Research and Payden & Rygel. In those roles, he designed investment processes, developed risk management methodologies, managed investment teams, and consistently generated strong investment performance track records.

Jake Gilliam is a Senior Multi-Asset Class Portfolio Strategist for Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. supporting Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.’s (CSIM) Asset Allocation and Sub-Advisor Oversight Committees. He contributes to strategic decisions for all multi-asset class portfolios as well as several single asset-class portfolios within CSIM and for the Schwab Bank Collective Trust Funds. He works closely with the Chief Investment Officers, Portfolio Managers, Research, and Sub-Advisor Oversight teams on a frequent basis. Mr. Gilliam also represents CSIM’s multi-asset class strategies to the institutional marketplace, clients, and the media.

Previously, he was the day-to-day Senior Portfolio Manager for Schwab Bank’s Collective Trust Funds and Head of Sub-Advisor oversight for CSIM. Additionally, Mr. Gilliam served as interim Head of Asset Allocation and Portfolio Manager for CSIM’s Multi-Asset Class funds. Mr. Gilliam also developed the Schwab Corporate and Retirement Services Institutional Investment Analyst team and oversaw the due diligence process for maintaining the Schwab Focus List™. Earlier in his career, he also worked as a sell-side Equity Research Associate covering the food retail and restaurant industries.

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over ninety prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

 

Dec 1, 2017

When you take a new job or start with a new company, generally there is a job description, clear roles & responsibilities, a training program or on boarding process to help you get your feet underneath you in your new role.  However, when employers create a retirement plan committee many of the people they tap to be members, and thus plan fiduciaries, have never been a fiduciary to a workplace retirement plan and aren’t really sure what that means and receive no training.  If this sounds at all familiar, my guest today, Don Trone, is the Co-founder & CEO of 3Ethos should be a breath of fresh air! 

Over his career he has trained over 10,000 fiduciaries, has been called the “Father of Fiduciaries” and has testified before the U.S. Senate on fiduciary issues, and much more.  During our conversation, Don shares his experience, good and bad, on what he has learned over the years to help retirement plan fiduciaries embrace their roles & responsibilities in a way that empowers them to make better decisions, protect themselves form liability and have a positive impact of their retirement plan and participants.  As an aside, its not every day that you hear fiduciary and goat rodeo used in the same sentence, that was a new one on me, but it made sense!  

Guest Bio

Don Trone is the CEO and co-founder of 3ethos. Don was the founding CEO of fi360 and the AIF and AIFA designation; founder and President of the Foundation for Fiduciary Studies; and the first person to direct the Institute for Leadership at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. 

Over the past three decades, Don has trained more than 10,000 financial advisors and trustees on the subject of procedural prudence. In 2015 he was named by Investment Advisor magazine as the “Father of Fiduciary” and one of the 35 most influential people in the financial services industry. 

In 2003, he was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Labor to represent the investment counseling industry on the ERISA Advisory Council, and in 2007 he testified before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on the fiduciary issues associated with the management of retirement plans. 

He is the author or co-author of twelve books on the subject of fiduciary responsibility, portfolio management, and leadership.

Don is a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and is the president of his class. He served for ten years on active duty, most notably as a long-range search and rescue helicopter pilot. He has a Master’s from The American College and has completed post-graduate studies in theology from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and Trinity Episcopal Seminary.

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over ninety prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Nov 17, 2017

Financial Wellness, while a very hot topic, is not yet mainstream. One reason could be there has not been a clear value proposition for the employer to invest the time and/or the money to roll it out.  Today, my conversation with Lynn Pettus, the National Leader for Ernst & Young’s Employee Financial Services Practice sheds some light on that topic.  Our conversation begins with exploring what financial wellness is or isn’t, how employers are measuring the impact of financial stress in the workplace and what can be done to help employees.  Also, Lynn talks about her biggest competition (its not who you think it is), discusses the value of speaking to peers who have embraced financial wellness and ways you can either dip your toe in the water and just offer gold stars to engaged employees or go "all in" with a fully integrated health, financial and emotional wellness strategy.    

Lynn references and shared some of the work Ernst & Young has done on financial wellness which we have posted on the website at www.401kfridays.com/pettus if you want to check it out.  While you’re there, don't forget to subscribe to our email list so you don’t miss any valuable updates on new episodes and other valuable information!

Guest Bio

Lynn Pettus is a tax partner located in Charlotte, North Carolina.  She serves as the National Director for the Employee Financial Services practice and relationship partner for the Southeast and Southwest areas.  Her time is concentrated on serving large private and public sector employers in the strategic development of financial education and counseling programs focused on employee benefit plans.  Ms. Pettus also helps coordinate Human Capital resources, firm-wide, to assist in serving area clients in the most efficient and effective manner possible.  

Ms. Pettus has spoken at The Conference Board’s Pensions & Retirement Conferences and has presented at The Wharton School, Boettner Center for Pensions and Retirement Research.  She is co-author of articles for Benefits Quarterly, the Society for Human Resource Management and the Pension Research Council.  Ms. Pettus has spoken in numerous other forums and has been quoted in the general media (e.g., New York Times, Wall Street Journal), and trade publications (e.g., Employee Benefit News, Employee Benefit Advisor, National Health & Underwriter), as well as other media.

As a graduate of Converse College in South Carolina, Ms. Pettus holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting. She is a Certified Public Accountant, Personal Financial Specialist (AICPA Designation), Certified Investment Management Analyst, and Registered Investment Advisor. Additionally, she is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants, the Investment Management Consultants Association, and the National Association of Securities Dealers (Series 65 Examination).  

Ms. Pettus actively supports women’s initiatives through her involvement with Ernst & Young’s Inclusiveness Advisory Council, National Tax Inclusiveness Steering Committee, Professional Women’s Network and through her community work with the Junior League of Charlotte.  She has served on the boards of local charitable organizations including Carolina Voices and the Carolina Raptor Center.  Ms. Pettus has also acted as Ernst & Young’s coordinator for the Arts & Science Council Fund Drive and supports the United Way.

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over ninety prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

 

Nov 10, 2017

Nine years into a bull market, that generally gets people talking about bubbles.  Today, I am excited to have Rob Arnott, Chairman of Research Affiliates join me for a second round on the podcast!  Why have him back you might ask, well Rob and his firm manage nearly $200 Billion dollars and over the years have made some bold statements, pioneered several unconventional strategies and challenged conventional wisdom to search for solutions that add value for investors. 

As you will hear, Rob is not shy to share his thoughts on the current state of the financial markets, address a bubble he sees developing in the market and provide some different perspectives, sometimes very different on some popular investment trends.  If you are listening and think this one might not be for you, I would encourage you to give Rob a chance before moving on.  In addition to his unconventional thinking, I love that he can take some complex topics in the market and make them easy to understand, regardless of your level of investment or financial acumen. 

Guest Bio

Mr. Arnott is the founder and chairman of Research Affiliates, a subadvisor to PIMCO. In 2002, he established Research Affiliates as a research-intensive asset management firm that focuses on innovative asset allocation and alternative indexation products. He previously served as chairman of First Quadrant, as president of TSA Capital Management (now part of Analytic Investors), and as vice president at The Boston Company. He also was global equity strategist at Salomon Brothers. He has published more than 100 articles in journals such as the Journal of Portfolio Management, the Harvard Business Review and the Financial Analysts Journal, where he also served as editor in chief from 2002 through 2006. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1977 in economics, applied mathematics and computer science.

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over eighty five prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

 
Nov 3, 2017

The idea of changing workplace retirement plan recordkeepers, or going through a "conversion" in retirement plan lingo, can be a daunting and stressful proposition if you are not familiar with the process.  If it has been a little while since you changed recordkeepers or if you just never had the pleasure, my conversation today with Tom Dennis, Director and Head of Defined Contribution Implementation Services for John Hancock should be helpful. 

We tackle head on some of the most common concerns and misperceptions such as the need to make a change on January 1st, how long blackout periods last, what happens to your employees’ money during a conversion and much more! We will also leave you with several strategies to help you take the mystery and stress out of the process so that your upcoming or next record keeping change can dare I say, be as close to seamless as possible!

Guest Bio

Tom Dennis is Director, Defined Contribution Implementation for John Hancock Retirement Plan Services (JHRPS), a position he held with New York Life Retirement Plan Services, which merged with JHRPS in April 2015.  In this role, he is responsible for the oversight, guidance, and support of a team of Project Managers implementing plans onto JHRPS’s mid and large market recordkeeping platform.

With 28 years in the retirement industry, Tom provides overall accountability for the successful implementation of new defined contribution qualified and non-qualified plans, and corporate action activity. Prior to joining the JHRPS, he most recently worked as Associate Managing Director of Retirement Research for LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute. Prior to LIMRA, Tom spent 11 years at Fidelity Investments leading large market Implementation and Client Service teams. 

Tom received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Connecticut, and an M.B.A. from the University of Hartford.

Outside of work, he enjoys golf, and is the former President of the Tolland (CT) Soccer Club. 

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over eighty five prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Oct 27, 2017

While I’ve been in the retirement plan business for over twenty years now, one thing I had never found was an easy to read book that an employer or someone new to the business could pick up and finish in one or two sittings and get their arms around where our retirement plan system has been, where it is today and some ideas on where it is headed in the future.  My guest today Bob Reynolds, the President and CEO of both Putnam Investment and Great-West Financial must have shared my frustration and taken it upon himself to fill the void!  During our conversation, we explore mostly his thoughts on how our retirement system is doing today and some recommendations for employers he highlights in his new book, From Here to Security: How Workplace Retirement Plans Can Keep America’s Promise.  As you will hear, while our system is not perfect it is a strong and healthy but needs the ongoing leadership of employers to improve retirement plan coverage within the workforce and to help employees who already have access to retirement plans advance farther down the path towards a successfully replacing their income in retirement.  I won't steal Bob's thunder, but don’t you worry, we leave you with plenty of great ideas and strategies you can bring to your next retirement plan committee meeting.  

Guest Bio

Robert L. Reynolds is President and Chief Executive Officer of both Putnam Investments and Great-West Financial, which is one of the nation’s top providers of retirement savings products and services through its Empower Retirement division. 

Long respected as an industry statesman, Mr. Reynolds has been a driving force of innovation and progress in institutional and retail financial services. Prior to joining Putnam in 2008, Mr. Reynolds was Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Fidelity Investments. 

Mr. Reynolds’ accomplishments have earned multiple industry honors over time. He was named Fund Leader of the Year at the Mutual Fund Industry Awards in 2010 for the strategic improvements he initiated at Putnam. The following year, Putnam, under the leadership of Mr. Reynolds, was honored as Retirement Leader of the Year for initiatives and innovative solutions in the workplace savings arena. Mr. Reynolds has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from PLANSPONSOR magazine for popularizing employer sponsored 401(k) plans. 

Mr. Reynolds currently serves on several not-for-profit boards, including those of West Virginia University Foundation, Concord Museum, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Foundation. He is Chairman of the Boston Advisory Board of the American Ireland Fund, a member of the Massachusetts General Hospital President’s Council, and a member of the Chief Executives Club of Boston and the Council on Competitiveness. 

Mr. Reynolds earned a B.S. in Business Administration, Finance, from West Virginia University, where he also received an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration and a Distinguished Alumni Award. In addition, Mr. Reynolds is a recipient of the Boston College President’s Medal of Excellence and the Manhattan College De La Salle Medal. He lives in Concord, Massachusetts. 

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over eighty five prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

 

Oct 20, 2017

Are workplace retirement plans vulnerable to cyber threats?  When it comes to cyber threats & workplace retirement plans, what questions should employers be asking their retirement service providers to better understand their security policies?  I address these questions and much more with Lee Harms, Business Information Security Officer for the Principal Financial Group.  

Guest Bio

Lee Harms is the Business Information Security Officer for the five businesses that make up Retirement and Income Solutions (RIS).   As a BISO he is responsible for the integration of the enterprise information security program within his business unit(s).  Key responsibilities include 3rd party oversight, secure software development, data protection, customer and regulatory requests and incident response.

Lee’s career with Principal began in 1983 and has included roles leading Enterprise Architecture, application development, Actuarial liaison and Client Administration.  Those roles include Business exposure to individual insurance and retirement business units as well as corporate Information Services.  

Lee is a member of the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC) and The Society of Professional Asset-Managers and Recordkeepers (SPARK) Data Security Advisory Board.  

Lee graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Management.   

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over eighty five prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

 

Oct 13, 2017

Sometimes employers will comment, we don’t hear to much about the 401(k) from our employees, well that’s not because your employees don’t have questions, it’s likely because they are going elsewhere to get their answers!  To help uncover what 401(k) participants are doing outside the watchful eyes of their employers, is my guest Catherine Golladay, the Senior Vice President of Participant Services and Administration at Charles Schwab. During our conversation, we explore how 401(k) participants are engaging with call centers, onsite education teams and advice offerings.  Catherine does a great job pulling from her experience to share specific stories and examples for employers to help leverage what she has learned with her participant services teams. Finally, be sure to listen for her perspectives on the importance of merging plan design, technology and people as the key ingredients to improve plan health and participant retirement outcomes.

Guest Bio

Catherine Golladay is senior vice president of participant services and administration and has been with Charles Schwab since 1996. Ms. Golladay is responsible for plan administration, participant service centers and support teams, third party advice services, and education presenters within Schwab Retirement Plan Services.

Previously, Ms. Golladay was vice president of participant programs in Charles Schwab’s Corporate & Retirement Services business, where she was responsible for overseeing third party advice and education teams.

Ms. Golladay has been serving retirement plan clients since 1990 and has held management positions in compliance, client services, communication consulting, and participant service centers. Prior to joining Charles Schwab, Ms. Golladay was vice president of ERISA compliance at Key Bank. Before that she served as a Certified Public Accountant at S.R. Snodgrass and Co., LPA.

She is a Certified Public Accountant and a qualified 401(k) administrator (QKA). She also holds FINRA Series 7, 9/10, 24, 63, and 66 registrations.

Ms. Golladay earned a bachelor of science in accounting from the University of Akron. She also has a master of business administration from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over eighty prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Oct 6, 2017

To Roth or not to Roth, that is the question.  With the option to make Roth contributions now offered in well over 50% of workplace retirement plans by most surveys, it is great to see more acceptance of Roth but there are still a lot employers who are either not making it available, or who might offer it but don’t recognize the full scope of benefits it offers their employees. 

To help inform the conversation I was excited to have Katherine Roy, Managing Director and Chief Retirement Strategist and Head of Individual Retirement for J.P. Morgan Funds join me! We kick things off clarifying a few misperceptions about Roth, then we delve into few features of Roth that don’t get a lot of attention for both lower and higher paid employees and then we close the proverbial door with some thoughts on the "Backdoor Roth 401(k)".  And under the banner of I would rather be lucky than good, with the current push for tax reform and the talk of the “Rothification” of 401(k) plans, our timing could be better and we get some great insight from Katherine there as well. 

Guest Bio

Katherine Roy, managing director, is Chief Retirement Strategist and Head of Individual Retirement for J.P. Morgan Funds.  In this role, Katherine is responsible for delivering timely personal retirement-related insights to financial advisors.  Focused on the retirement income-related landscape for more than 10 years, Katherine specializes in identifying themes, strategies and solutions that can help advisors successfully partner with individuals in the transition and distribution life stages.

 

Katherine is consistently ranked as a top speaker at major industry and firm-specific conferences and events.  She also has been interviewed and quoted in the financial press on a variety of key retirement planning topics.

 

Prior to joining the firm, Katherine was Head of Personal Retirement Planning & Advice at Merrill Lynch where she led strategy and innovation in retirement income solutions for individuals, and the retirement planning, advice and guidance programs available to integrated benefits plan participants.  She also held several roles in financial planning product development, participant communications and consulting, and interactive client experience initiatives.  Katherine received a B.A. from Yale University and is a Certified Financial Planner®.

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over eighty prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Sep 29, 2017

An offer to outsource or delegate your fiduciary responsibility for your workplace retirement plan can be pretty tempting! When you think about all the rules, tasks, processes, approvals and for that matter the time that you could save if you didn’t have to do all that work, it might sound really good!  However, before you sign on the dotted line, my conversation with J.D. Carlson and Chad Johansen, TPAs with Plan Design Consultants and half of the infamous Retireholi(ks) could be really helpful to gauge what you are signing up for.  We start with some best practices and things to know before outsourcing various administrative functions to an ERISA 3(16) fiduciary.  As you will hear, if someone flashes their fancy 3(16) fiduciary badge, it can mean a lot of different things.  We also share few thoughts on how some of these concepts either do or don’t relate to hiring an ERISA 3(38) investment fiduciary, another way to delegate.  And, we had a first on the podcast, I assigned homework.  With both of my parents now retired teachers, I guess it was just a matter of time.  It involved magic, a staircase and somehow someway it should be really helpful to employers considering delegating various fiduciary responsibilities to a 3(16) fiduciary.  You definitely will have to listen to get any perspective on what I just said.  To get your very own copy, be sure to go to 401kfridays.com and subscribe to our email list.  We will shoot it out once Chad is done with it. 

Guest Bio

We're Plan Design Consultants, Inc. a retirement company that since 1975 has been providing businesses with affordable, quality plans customized to meet the specific needs of our clients.

Over four decades in the business has given PDC the experiences we need to evolve our service model to what it is today.  A smart, easy process centered on the needs of our clients.  A service model designed to be AWESOME!

It is our deep understanding of all areas of retirement plans combined with a constant commitment to customer service that sets us apart.  We share our expertise with our clients to make sure they are comfortable and confident in making decisions around maintaining a successful Employer sponsored plan.

As an independent company, client advocacy is a major strength of our firm.  We partner with Financial Advisors to offer our clients a very healthy choice in vendors.  A strong understanding of fees and services allows PDC to help clients find the perfect fit.

Thousands of retirement plan clients from all over the country have relied on PDC to assist them in offering the right plan to help their employees reach retirement goals. 

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over eighty prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Sep 22, 2017

As the most recent bull market continues to mature, some retirement plan sponsors are either exploring or being encouraged to explore ways add diversification to their workplace retirement plan investment menus.  Incorporating exposure to Real Estate or REITS, has been one of the more popular strategies to add some variety to traditional stock and bond offerings.  While the REITs are offered in 31% of plans up from 27% five years ago according to Vanguard’s How America Saves reports, personally I would not consider them widely available in workplace retirement plans.  Whether you already have a REIT offering or are considering adding one, my conversation today with Jake Aronson, a CFA and Portfolio Manager with Principal Portfolio Strategies should shed some light on this anything but straightforward topic.  Like we always do, we start with defining terms, address some common misperceptions and offer input for retirement plan fiduciaries to help frame decisions.  Hopefully, our conversation will help you get familiar with REITs to help you  determine if it is an appropriate way to add diversity to your investment menu at your next retirement committee meeting. 

Guest Bio

Jake is a Portfolio Manager for Principal Portfolio Strategies, a specialized boutique that engages in the creation of asset allocation solutions. In this role, he is responsible for conducting research, assessing risk, and making relative value recommendations relating to specific aspects of the Dynamic Outcome strategies. Jake is a member of the Investment Oversight and Risk Committee and has over 22 years of industry experience. Before joining Principal®, he was a Managing Director with Miles Capital, a boutique institutional asset manager. Prior to joining Miles Capital, Jake served in various capacities with Principal Global Investors and Principal Real Estate Investors. While at Principal®, he has worked with both retail and institutional strategies and clients. Prior to joining Principal®, Jake worked as a Credit/Business Analyst with various firms as well as a Bank Examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Jake has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and has passed the CPA exam. He has also earned the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation. 

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over eighty prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Sep 15, 2017

Excited to welcome back Peter Dunn, a.k.a. Pete the Planner to the podcast!  Our conversation was definitely one of the more entertaining ones that I have had on the podcast in recent memory.  This episode was inspired by a few recent discussions I had with workplace retirement plan sponsors who were wondering why their employees couldn't just go talk to their broker/advisor/wealth manager to get help planning for their retirement.  Why did they as the employer have to get in the middle of it.  Without stealing too much of Pete's thunder, the real issue comes down the issue of access to the financial services market, much of which is determined by how much money someone has.  Great stuff with some concrete takeaways to bring with you to your next retirement plan committee meeting!

Guest Bio

Peter Dunn a.k.a. Pete the Planner® is an award-winning comedian and an award-winning financial mind. He’s a USA TODAY columnist and the author of ten books, six of which were featured in a nationwide launch at Barnes & Nobles stores in January of 2015. He is the host of the popular radio show The Pete the Planner Show on 93 WIBC FM and is a columnist for the Indy Star. Pete has appeared regularly on CNN Headline News, Fox News, Fox Business as well as numerous nationally syndicated radio programs. In 2012, Cision named Pete the fourth most influential financial broadcaster in the nation. Pete lives in Carmel, Indiana with his wife and two young children.

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over eighty prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

 

Sep 8, 2017

2017 started off with the winds of change blowing through Washington DC and to date has been nothing short of interesting and unexpected with the Trump administration at the helm for over seven months. Back in January, I discussed with Bob Holcomb, the head of legal and regulatory affairs at Empower Retirement some of the anticipated changes to workplace retirement plans that seemed imminent.  In this episode, I revisit some of these topics with Sam Henson, Director of Legislative & Regulatory Affairs at Lockton Retirement Services to see well, what has or hasn’t actually happened!  We cover a lot of ground with topics such as tax reform and how it could affect the 401(k) industry, recent developments with state plans, why the DOL fiduciary rule is a “unique animal”.   With 2018 quickly approaching we hope this episode provides helpful insight on what to keep an eye on for the remainder of 2017 and going forward.  

Guest Bio

As a Senior Vice President and Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for Lockton Retirement Services, Sam oversees national IRS/DOL/ERISA compliance services for all clients and more than 100 associates nationwide. Sam serves as a subject matter expert on ERISA compliance, DOL/IRS activities, and the legislative landscape. Prior to joining Lockton, Sam spent almost 10 years with the U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration, where as a Senior Investigator, he conducted more than 100 complex civil and criminal investigations of employee benefits plans, service providers, and fiduciaries. Sam also supervised enforcement efforts for benefit plans funded by prevailing wage laws under the Service Contract Act and Davis-Bacon Act. Sam currently serves on the Policy Board of Directors for the American Benefits Council, Board of Directors for DCIIA, and the Governing Council of ISCEBS, as well as being a member of ASPPA. Sam has been a nationally featured speaker and writer on numerous fiduciary topics.

 

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over eighty prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Sep 1, 2017

The main focus of our conversation is determining if some common employer beliefs about retirement plan audits are truth or myth. John also pulls from his experience auditing well over 100 retirements plan each year to offer some tips to employers who are preparing for their first audit and best practices for some grizzled veterans to help their audit run smoothly.

Guest Bio

My guest today is John Russon, a retirement plan auditor and founder of Pension Assurance, a single purpose audit firm that specializes in auditing qualified retirement plans.  In 2005, after spending several years working at both “Big Four” and local CPA firms, John launched a small, independent practice dedicated to the audit of retirement plans. This fledgling practice was merged with a local CPA firm in 2006. Over the next seven years, the practice grew substantially. In 2007, the practice performed he formed Pension Assurance.  As of early 2016, John and his firm audit over 170 retirement plans.  According to the recent Department of Labor study, this puts them in the top 2% of firms that audit retirement plans.  This also gives them great perspective on what is happening in the marketplace.

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over eighty prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Aug 25, 2017

On previous episodes of the podcast we've heard from ERISA attorneys, consultants and various other specialists sharing their thoughts on how employers can mitigate their fiduciary risk.  Now, I am proud to share that the experiences of a 401(k) expert witness is no longer unchartered territory for us!  My guest, Jim Scheinberg, the Managing Partner and Founder of North Pier Fiduciary Management joins me for this action packed episode.  We kick things off addressing what role a 401(k) expert witness actually plays during a lawsuit.  Then we quickly begin to stress test some fiduciary messages you might have heard such as “Your process is your protection”, then we delve into whether having the right fiduciary mindset is relevant and while retirement plan fiduciaries are not expected to predict the future, could having some foresight be important to your fiduciary process.  Hopefully you will find our conversation offers some unique and timely perspectives on these and a few other important trends in 401(k) or ERISA litigation that you can bring with you to your next retirement plan committee meeting!

Guest Bio

Jim Scheinberg began his career in venture capital in 1990 moving to general securities with Smith Barney Harris Upham in 1992. He joined Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. in 1994 as an Associate in the Oppenheimer Consulting Group, the firm’s institutional investment management consulting department, where he worked trusts, endowments, foundations and trustee-directed ERISA plans. In 2001, Jim founded what would become the Corporate Services Group of Oppenheimer Co., Inc. (CSG), where he eventually held the position of Director and Senior Vice President. CSG was an industry pioneer in providing conflict free, fee-only investment consulting and fiduciary advocacy for institutional, ERISA plan sponsors. In 2008, Jim completed a lift-out of CSG and founded North Pier Fiduciary Management LLC., with offices in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. His tenure in the industry has also included experience in hedging and monetization, corporate executive services, and corporate cash management.

Born and raised in the North Suburbs of Chicago, Jim came to Southern California in 1987 to pursue his B.A. in Political Science at University of California, Los Angeles. He achieved the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) designation in 2001 from The Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA®) in conjunction with the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania. He has also earned the Accredited Investment FiduciaryTM (AIF®) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary AnalystTM (AIFA®) designations, awarded by the Center for Fiduciary Studies, of the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business of the University of Pittsburgh. Jim is currently a member of the Board of Visitors of the UCLA Political Science Department and sits on the William Sharpe Fellows Selection Committee of the UCLA Department of Economics. He is a regularly quoted resource to journalists and speaker at industry conferences. Jim is often engaged as a consulting expert for the U.S. Department of Labor and as an expert witness for ERISA litigation. He is an avid supporter or children’s charities and serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster children in the Los Angeles County Children’s Court system.

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over eighty prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Aug 18, 2017

More and more frequently when I see a news piece or industry article about 401(k) or workplace retirement plans, a key element is invariably fees.  Going one step further they also tend to highlight the advantages of low cost index or passively managed investments.  Based on my conversations with investment committees and retirement plan fiduciaries, there seems to be a few common reasons for the recent increased popularity in index funds: the industry focus on fees, investment performance of passively managed strategies and 401(k) litigation. To comment on my observations and provide a few of her own on the whole active and passive conversation I am excited to have Sue Walton, a Senior Defined Contribution Strategist with American Funds join me on the podcast.  We also address a few other important elements in the active passive conversation that don’t tend to get a lot of press, but are vitally important to consider. Hopefully there are a few nuggets you can take back to your next 401(k) committee meeting!

Guest Bio

Sue Walton is a senior defined contribution strategist at American Funds, part of Capital Group. She has 19 years of industry experience and has been with Capital Group for one year. Prior to joining Capital, Sue was a director at Towers Watson Investment Services. Before that, she was an investment consultant at Mercer Investment Consulting and Ellwood Associates. She holds an MBA from DePaul University with a concentration in finance and a bachelor’s degree in business administration, economics and international business from Marquette University. 

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over seventy-five prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Aug 11, 2017

Its episodes like these that were one of my primary motivations for starting the podcast, examining current beliefs or messaging in the marketplace and applying contemporary critical thinking to examine if they are still valid and reliable for both employers and employees in workplace retirement plans.  If you sponsor a 401(k) or other workplace retirement plans you have likely been given some off the cuff guidance on how much your employees should be saving for retirement, what is an adequate amount of income someone should be able to replace in retirement, what returns should people expect from their retirement savings and likely many others.  To help stress test these and other topics, I have David Blanchett, Head of Retirement Research at Morningstar to explore things!  He did such a great job so I’m not gong to steal his thunder; but I will say some things you have likely heard hold up, and others simply don’t.  While we tackle some meaty topics, I was incredibly impressed with David’s ability to break all this down in an easy to digest manner, but also tie back why this is important for both employers and employees to get their arms around to improve retirement outcomes.  

 

Guest Bio

David Blanchett, PhD, CFA, CFP® is head of retirement research for Morningstar Investment Management LLC. In this role, he works to enhance the group’s consulting and investment services and conducts research primarily in the areas of financial planning, tax planning, annuities, and retirement. His research has been published in a variety of industry and academic journals and received a number of awards, most recently the Journal of Financial Planning’s 2014 and 2015 Montgomery-Warschauer Award and the Financial Analysts Journal’s 2015 Graham and Dodd Scroll Award. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and is regularly quoted in the national media. He holds a master‘s degree in financial services from the American College, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a doctorate in personal financial planning program from Texas Tech University.

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over seventy-five prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Aug 4, 2017

Think for a minute about how much effort you and your retirement service partners have put into encouraging more employees to save and invest properly in your workplace retirement plan.  Now, turn the conversation around.  How much time and energy have you spent thinking about ways to help employees understand how to use their retirement savings to replace their income when they leave the workforce?  To help shed some light on the whole retirement income conversation I’m excited to have Jody Strakosch of Strakosch Retirement Strategies where she brings investment and retirement solutions to the defined contribution market for asset management firms.  Prior to starting her own firm, Jody worked for MetLife where she became a recognized defined contribution and institutional retirement income subject matter expert. She was the key architect of several significant market-first products, supported public policy initiatives, and represented MetLife with the media, at conferences and in industry groups. 

During our conversation we discuss what options employers have available to them, tackle some of the concerns around introducing a retirement income option in your retirement plan and whether or not retirement income strategies will become the next big plan design trend or a lightning rod for fiduciary liability.  Oh, and Jody introduces me to a new word, “automaticity” be sure to listen for that.  Finally, if you like a little enthusiasm and passion, Jody definitely brought to our conversation! 

Guest Bio

Jody Strakosch founded Strakosch Retirement Strategies, LLC to bring investment and retirement solutions to the defined contribution market for asset management firms. Jody offers in-depth retirement market expertise, product development and strategic positioning to align with today’s challenges for investment management and service providers seeking to enhance their profiles in the defined contribution / defined benefit marketplace.

Consulting assignments have ranged from helping investment managers design innovative retirement income solution programs for defined contribution plans, writing public policy and market landscape papers, serving as program manager for an industry- led coalition to increase American’s savings, speaking engagements at client conferences, researching specific target-date fund market opportunities, and strategic initiative development.

Jody is an active member of DCIIA (Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association), on the Advisory Council of WISER (Women’s Institute for Secure Retirement), and a member of the Advisory Board for Institutional Investor’s Journal of Retirement.

Jody worked for MetLife where she became a recognized defined contribution and institutional retirement income subject matter expert. She was the key architect of several significant market-first products, supported public policy initiatives, and represented MetLife with the media, at conferences and in industry groups.

Jody holds the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Wellesley College and the Master of Arts in Gerontology from the Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California.

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over seventy-five prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Jul 28, 2017

When we get the question of “What is the best strategy for me to save for retirement” and it comes for an entrepreneur, the answer is seldom as simple as it might seem.  So, where and how do you start?   We thought it would be helpful to cover a few key concepts and then follow the progression of an entrepreneur along their journey from a “solopreneur” with an idea or inspiration for a business to experiencing some success, hiring employees, scaling and eventually selling the business and weave in along the way how different retirement plan strategies could potentially support their personal and business goals along the way. 

 

While I know some in our audience are not necessarily entrepreneurs, however I bet you know someone who is or maybe you might be one down the road!  Be sure to share with your friends, colleagues or social networks that might have entrepreneurs, sole proprietors or business owners who could benefit!  They can easily find the podcast on iTunes, their favorite podcast app by searching 401(k) Fridays or on the web at 401kfridays.com/Shelton.  

Finally, This episode came about because of several questions from our listeners and some recent industry conversations I was a part of.  If you have questions or a topic that you think could make for a great future episode, please shoot us an email to feedback@401kfridays.com

Guest Bio

Patrick is the Managing Member of Benefit Plans Plus and has more than 25 years of retirement plan industry experience in banking/trust, insurance, and third party administrative environments. He is responsible for innovating and executing the firm’s business plan. Additionally, he specializes in financial advisor relations, including 401k sales prospecting presentations, vendor searches, and fiduciary consulting.

Patrick’s reputation as a nationally recognized industry thought leader has allowed him to give back through various platforms in the media, speaking at industry events, and participating on various panelist presentations.

Additionally, Patrick serves on the American Funds, Transamerica, and Lincoln TPA leadership roundtables. He is also a board member and past President of the National Institute of Pension Administrators (NIPA).

Patrick was the first recipient of Brown Smith Wallace’s prestigious Founder’s Award, which recognizes top employees for excellence in leadership and contribu on to firm growth since 2003. 

A graduate of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, Patrick holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business/Committee Plan.

He has also earned the Group Benefits Associate (GBA) designation from the International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) program. Patrick also holds a Life and Health Insurance License in the state of Missouri and is a member of the Financial Planning Association. 

As a youth, Patrick had two separate basketball coaches that were former NBA players, and he also played college basketball. Patrick is also a fan of fantasy/ SIFI. 

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over seventy-five prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Jul 21, 2017

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Target Date Funds (TDFs) have grown exponentially within the last few years. As a retirement plan fiduciary, it’s important to understand not only what a TDF is but how to evaluate them and ensure the strategy you have chosen or might be considering is a good fit for your plan.  During my conversation with Jeff we provide some core concepts such as glide path construction, too vs. through retirement and open vs. closed architecture design to see if they are still relevant.  We also hit hot topics such as if the active vs. index investing conversation impacts TDFs, the ever popular topic of investment fees and the perils of looking the performance of TDFs in a vacuum. Finally, we provide retirement plan committee members and plan fiduciaries several important questions to consider at your next retirement committee or plan review meeting.  

 

Guest Bio

Jeff Holt, CFA, is an associate director on Morningstar’s manager research team. He focuses primarily on multiasset strategies from asset managers including Fidelity, BlackRock, and Principal. 

 

Before joining Morningstar in 2014, Holt spent nearly nine years at Jeffrey Slocum & Associates, where he was responsible for investment research to support the firm’s defined contribution practice. He covered target-date funds, stable value funds, and other asset classes specific to defined contribution clients. 

 

Holt holds a bachelor’s degree in management, with a concentration in corporate finance, from Brigham Young University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

 

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over seventy prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

 

 

Jul 14, 2017

We turned the tables for the 75th episode of the 401(k) Friday’s Podcast.  Whether you are a regular listener or new to the 401(k) Fridays Podcast, this should give you some good context as you listen to additional episodes.  We discuss the inspiration behind the podcast, the process for creating weekly content, how we identify topics and guests, a few philosophies and what we have planned for future episodes.  We hope you enjoy the 75th episode of the 401(k) Fridays Podcast!

 

Guest Bio

Rick is a partner and executive committee member of Lockton’s Retirement Consulting practice.  In his role, he works with the retirement committees of middle market companies who offer workplace retirement plans to enhance their fiduciary protection, streamline plan operations and improve employee retirement outcomes.  Rick also created and hosts a weekly podcast “401(k) Fridays” which features audio interviews with retirement industry professionals covering relevant industry trends, topics and current events.  

Rick grew up an Air Force brat, moved thirteen times as a kid and has lived in Maine, Monterrey, Moscow and several other places that don’t start with the letter “M”.  After Rick graduated from the University of Virginia he spent a few years in New York City then found his way to California where he met his wife Courtney.  They have been married for over 15 years and live in Hermosa Beach with three amazing children Kaylee (14), McKenzie (12) and Sean (7).  When Rick is not working, podcasting or coaching one of his kids in soccer, basketball or baseball he plays on an adult men’s soccer team, tries to improve his golf handicap or drives his kids to and from their various activities!

Rick is also an active Board Member at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and currently serves as the Chair of the Finance Committee, member of the Executive Committee and Treasurer.  

 

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over seventy prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Jul 7, 2017

This is a replay of my conversation with Nicholas Dobelbower, Vice President and Practice Leader of Lockton's Global Benefits Practice.  Just a preview of things to come, your 401(k), it doesn’t work outside the U.S.!  So, let’s go for a trip around the globe to discuss the topics, trends and concepts employers who have employees outside the US should be aware of.  Whether you have newly acquired international employees or you have been deeply involved with global retirement benefits, or you are just curious what goes on in other countries, this is an incredibility valuable episode.  We touch on considerations for employers who are looking to harmonize retirement benefits levels on a global basis, things to know before making any changes to non-US retirement benefits programs and plenty of examples to help you along the way! 

 

Guest Bio

Nick is the Practice Leader for Intellectual Capital in Lockton’s Global Benefits Practice. He is responsible for developing and maintaining comprehensive global benefits resources, including compliance, statutory requirements, market practice, and benchmarking. He ensures that Lockton’s global consultants effectively leverage the firm’s data and information resources to address the needs of their multinational clients.

He manages a team of research consultants who work with Lockton global offices to develop statutory and market practice information on employee benefits provisions around the world. Nick also works directly with multinational clients to develop, implement, and support international employee benefits strategies, including local employee benefits, business travel and expatriate programs, regional plan consolidation, and multinational pooling and captives.

Nick brings to Lockton a well-rounded professional and academic background. His professional experience includes extensive international consulting and research work with multinational clients and establishing and managing affiliate relationships. He has presented at numerous professional conferences and contributed to leading industry publications on international benefits topics. His academic experience includes faculty positions and French and Francophone studies at Macalester College, Bucknell University, and Duke University.

Nick is fluent in French and proficient in Spanish and Italian. He also has experience in web and graphic design. In his down time, he participates in charity bicycle races and marathons. 

Professional Designations and Affiliations

  • ™  Diploma in International Employee Benefits (DipIEB)

  • ™  Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS)

  • ™  Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR)

  • ™  Certificate in Global Benefits Management (IFEBP)

  • ™  Certificate in International Benefits (IBIS Academy)

  • ™  Life, Accident, and Health Insurance License

 

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over seventy prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Jun 30, 2017

In our fast-paced world and ever evolving global financial markets, keeping your 401(k) investment menu consistent with the times can be challenging.  As the conversation swings to investments with a focus outside the US, the conversation can get complex and downright confusing!  With that in mind, Mike Quinn, Senior Client Portfolio Manager at OppenheimerFunds joins me this week to discuss the current state of the global markets, some pros and cons of international investing and his thoughts on whether workplace retirement plans here in the US have developed a home country bias over the years.  Additionally, we tackle what a global vs. international fund is, some basics on on currency hedging and its potential impact on mutual fund returns and whether the reputation international investing has been tagged with as “high risk” is deserved!

 

Guest Bio

Mike Quinn serves as Senior Client Portfolio Manager for the Global Equity Team for OppenheimerFunds. In this capacity, Mike is responsible for articulating the investment philosophy, process, strategy and performance of the team.

Mike has worked with the Global Equity team since 2004 in a variety of public facing roles, including as investment strategist and product director. He began his career at Van Kampen Investments in Chicago (now Invesco) in 1992. There, he worked in a variety of roles in investment-focused marketing and sales.

Mike earned his B.S. from the University of Dayton.

 

401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview

Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over seventy prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

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