401(k) Fridays Podcast

In this episode of 401(k) Roundtable, Rick Unser is joined by Mike Arone, Chief Investment Strategist at State Street Global Advisors. Together, they break down key insights from Q1 2025, including the impact of tariffs and trade uncertainty, current economic indicators, and the potential risks facing investors. The conversation also explores how international markets are performing relative to the U.S., as well as emerging trends in capital allocation and investment strategy — particularly in the context of retirement planning. Rick and Mike take a closer look at the evolving role of private equity in retirement portfolios, the liquidity challenges that come with it, and the importance of real assets in building diversified long-term strategies. They also touch on recent shifts in investor behavior amid market volatility and reinforce the importance of maintaining a disciplined approach to investing.

In this episode of 401(k) Roundtable, Rick Unser is joined by Todd Solomon, ERISA Attorney and partner at McDermott Will, & Emery Law Firm, for a timely conversation on the evolving fiduciary landscape. They explore trends in ERISA litigation, the impact of the current administration on the Department of Labor, and the shifting expectations around fiduciary duties. Key topics include the balance between duty of loyalty and prudence, the role of participant demographics in plan decisions, and the challenges plan sponsors face in weighing cost versus value—especially when selecting investments like target date funds. Todd and Rick also highlight the importance of thoughtful documentation, proactive committee engagement, and innovative strategies to improve participant outcomes in today's complex regulatory environment.

In this episode of 401(k) Roundtable, host Rick Unser and Alison Cohen, ERISA Attorney and Partner at Ferenczy Benefits Law Center, explore nondiscrimination testing in retirement plans, focusing on long-term part-time employees and new Roth contribution guidelines. They discuss the mega backdoor Roth risks, capping highly compensated employee deferrals, student loan matching, and compliance challenges for controlled groups during mergers. The conversation also covers automatic enrollment rules and audit implications based on new rules. For more insights, visit Ferenczy Benefits Law Center's resources and articles:  https://ferenczylaw.com/read-what-we-write-2/

In this episode of the 401(k) Roundtable™, we're joined by Rich Weiss, Chief Investment Officer of Multi-Asset Strategies for American Century Investments and Bob Chapman, Chief People Officer of Trilon Group. They dive into the current state of the investment landscape and focus on the performance of U.S. equities, particularly the S&P 500, and the growing concerns over market concentration. The discussion touches on how generational perspectives influence investment decisions, the impact of interest rates on the economy, and the shifting dynamics of the labor market in a post-pandemic world. Additionally, the episode explores the role of technology and AI in reshaping financial services and the broader economy, as well as the uncertainty surrounding business investments heading into 2025. The hosts also delve into the speculative nature of cryptocurrency and its potential place in 401(k) plans, stressing the importance of diversification in retirement investment strategies.

In this episode of 401(k) Roundtable™, we delve into the evolving concept of financial wellness, its growing importance in the workplace, and how organizations can integrate it effectively. We explore the role of corporate culture in promoting financial wellness and the necessity of making financial wellness a priority within companies. Our guests include Sean Jordan, Vice President of Small and Mid-Market Segments at Principal, and Barbara Coombe, Director of Financial Wellness Benefits at Shaw Industries. Sean brings a unique perspective, drawing from his extensive background in leadership, including his military service as a combat-decorated U.S. naval aviator and his work in the retirement industry. Barbara offers valuable insights into how companies can design and implement effective financial wellness programs to support their employees' financial health.

This episode of 401(k) Roundtable™ explores the implications of recent election results on retirement policies and market reactions. Joining us for this month's roundtable discussion are two leaders from Creative Planning: Sam Henson, Director of Compliance Services, and Jamie Battmer, Chief Investment Office. We discuss the nonpartisan nature of retirement systems, the emotional responses of markets, and the potential changes in 401k policies with a new administration. They also delve into the role of the Department of Labor, the concept of government efficiency, and the challenges facing Social Security and Medicare. The discussion emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making and the need for bipartisan cooperation in addressing these issues. The conversation delves into various aspects of retirement planning, the implications of Trump's election on ESG regulations, the efficiency of Collective Investment Trusts (CITs), the role of private equity in retirement plans, market predictions, and the challenges posed by student loans. The speakers emphasize the need for bipartisan solutions and the importance of optimizing retirement benefits for participants.

Host Rick Unser and Jeff Schulze, CFA, Head of Economic & Market Strategy at ClearBridge Investments, delve into the current economic landscape as we approach the end of 2024. They discuss the possibility of a soft landing for the economy, examining the implications of inflation trends, the Federal Reserve's recent decisions, and the overall market sentiment. With the elections on the horizon, the duo analyzes how political dynamics can influence business and investment strategies. They emphasize the importance of diversification, explore labor market trends, and assess the outlook for fixed income and commercial real estate. Join us for a deep dive into the forces shaping the future of business, and discover key trends to watch as we head into 2025. Anatomy of a Recession Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All opinions and data included in this commentary are as of the publication date and are subject to change. The opinions and views expressed herein are of the ClearBridge speaker and may differ from other portfolio managers or the firm as a whole, and are not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results or investment advice. This information should not be used as the sole basis to make any investment decision. The statistics have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of this information cannot be guaranteed. Neither ClearBridge Investments, LLC  nor its information providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information.

In the debut episode of 401k Roundtable, we dive into Vanguard's latest "How America Saves" report, which sheds light on the latest trends in 401(k) plan design. We'll discuss the report's findings on plan effectiveness, rising participation rates, and the growing popularity of professionally managed allocations. Our guests share their insights on automatic enrollment and how it's transforming participation rates in their organizations. We'll also explore innovative features like Super Roth accounts, self-directed brokerage options, and true-up contributions. Our conversation covers a range of topics including improving wait times, shortening vesting schedules, and enhancing employer contributions. We'll address the challenges of managing retirement distributions and the importance of protecting retirement assets. Plus, we'll delve into the benefits of auto portability for consolidating smaller 401(k) balances and examine emerging trends like student loan matching and retirement income solutions. Finally, we discuss the rising importance of financial wellness and communication, and look at the potential of pooled employer plans and managed advice as future industry trends. Join us as we explore how thoughtful 401(k) design can make a real difference for employees and keep your plan ahead of the curve.   The views and opinions shared by Mr. Unser and his guests are their own and not necessarily those of Creative Planning, LLC. This show is designed to be informational in nature, and does not constitute investment, tax or legal advice. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy, including those discussed on the show, will be profitable, or equal any historical performance. 

It's been a minute since we focussed on PE and retirement plans. To dive into this I have Dan Cahill of the private equity firm Partners Group, one of two firms that took the initiative to seek guidance from the DOL on the utilization of PE in 401(k) plans. We dive right into, what the significance of the information letter in 2020 was, what has transpired since then, the investment case for and against PE and how plaintiff's attorneys are viewing things.   A lot of great stuff, I learned a lot, hope you do as well. Guest BIo Daniel Cahill is part of the Client Solutions Americas business unit, based in New York. He is responsible for fundraising and business development for Partners Group's strategic US DC initiative. He has 19 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Partners Group, he worked at Neuberger Berman, where he was most recently in charge of strategic planning and business development for both retirement and subadvisory platforms. Before Neuberger, he worked at Putnam Investments where he served as relationship manager interfacing with intermediary platforms, mainly in the private bank and wirehouse space. He holds an MBA and a Master of Science in Finance from the Carroll School at Boston College as well as a bachelor's degree in finance from Boston College, Massachusetts, USA. He is also a CAIA charterholder.   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 250 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode every other Friday!

It seems like the major themes that are dominating the investment markets are also of great interest to individuals trying to make decisions personally or in their businesses. That isn't always the case. I couldn't think of a better person to wade through this with me than a perennial podcast favorite Rob Arnott, Founder and Chairman of Research Affiliates. As usual, Rob packages his enthusiasm, excellent communication, and insights in a way that should help you think through current trends and how they could impact you, your business and even a few items on your 401(k). Hope you enjoy!   Guest BIo Rob Arnott is founder and chairman of the board of Research Affiliates. Rob plays an active role in the firm's research, portfolio management, product innovation, business strategy, and client-facing activities. He is a member of the Investment Committee and the Executive Committee of the board. With Chris Brightman, he is co-portfolio manager on the PIMCO All Asset and All Asset All Authority funds and the PIMCO RAE™ funds. Over his career, Rob has endeavored to bridge the worlds of academic theorists and financial markets, challenging conventional wisdom and searching for solutions that add value for investors. He has pioneered several unconventional portfolio strategies that are now widely applied, including tactical asset allocation, global tactical asset allocation, tax-advantaged equity management, and the Fundamental Index™ approach to investing. His success in doing so has resulted in a reputation as one of the world's most provocative practitioners and respected financial analysts. In 2002, Rob founded Research Affiliates as a research-intensive asset management firm intent on delivering innovative and impactful products and insights. Prior to establishing Research Affiliates, Rob was chair of First Quadrant, LP, which he built up from the former internal money manager for Crum & Forster into a highly regarded quantitative asset management firm.  He also was global equity strategist at Salomon Brothers (now part of Citigroup), the founding president and CEO of TSA Capital Management (now part of Analytic Investors, LLC), and a vice president at The Boston Company. Rob has published more than 130 articles in such publications as the Journal of Portfolio Management, Harvard Business Review, and Financial Analysts Journal, for whom he served as editor in chief from 2002 through 2006. Rob has received eight Graham and Dodd Scrolls, which are awarded annually by CFA Institute to the top Financial Analysts Journal articles of the year. He also has received four Bernstein Fabozzi/Jacobs Levy awards from the Journal of Portfolio Management. He is co-author of The Fundamental Index: A Better Way to Invest (Wiley 2008). Rob received a BS summa cum laude in economics, applied mathematics, and computer science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.   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 250 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode every other Friday!

Bonds, or fixed income investments did not have a great year in 2022 to say the least. The big question is now what? To delve into that, I am excited to have Michael J. Collins, CFA, and Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager for Core, Core Plus, Absolute Return, and other Multi-Sector Fixed Income strategies at PGIM. We start with commentaries on performance, then move to interest rates, different areas of the bond market and most importantly, what, if anything plan sponsors should be doing in their 401(k) or workplace retirement plans. Also, Michael mentions the graph below, you'll have to listen to get the proper perspective. That's it, I hope you enjoy! Guest BIo Michael J. Collins, CFA, is a Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager for Core, Core Plus, Absolute Return, and other Multi-Sector Fixed Income strategies. Previously, Mr. Collins was a High Yield Portfolio Manager and Fixed Income Investment Strategist. Earlier he was a credit research analyst, covering investment grade and high yield corporate credits. Additionally, he developed proprietary quantitative international interest rate and currency valuation models for our global bond unit. Mr. Collins began his career at the Firm in 1986 as a software applications designer. He received a BS in Mathematics and Computer Science from Binghamton University and an MBA in Finance from New York University. Mr. Collins holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a Fellow of the Life Management Institute (FLMI). He currently serves as the Treasurer on the Board of CEA, a non-profit that provides education and employment for people with disabilities.   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 250 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode every other Friday!

If you are at all involved with workplace retirement plans, you would have to have been living under a rock to have not heard about SECURE 2.0. It is a hot topic, while also ambitious and even confusing. With all those factors, I couldn't think of a better person to join me to wade through all this than Alison Cohen, Partner at the Ferenczy Benefits Law Center. We do cover a lot ground today so get ready. Also, while there has been a lot announced, keep in mind many new provisions don't go into affect for one or more years and we still will need guidance from the IRS or others to answer many basic and logical questions.   Guest Bio Alison J. Cohen, J.D., APA, APR is a Partner with Ferenczy Benefits Law Center in Atlanta, Georgia. She advises clients on many issues related to qualified retirement plans, including design, mergers and acquisitions, audits, and operational issues. Alison commonly works with clients that have operational issues to guide them through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and/or Department of Labor (DOL) corrective programs, prepare corrective filings, and prepare and support clients through an audit conducted by the IRS and/or DOL. Alison is a member of the Georgia and California State Bars. Prior to joining Ferenczy Benefits Law Center, Alison worked at a large bundled service provider for nearly 16 years as an Associate Vice President, Compliance Manager and Regulatory Liaison. As part of her responsibilities there, Alison served as a national speaker on audit and correction issues. She served on the Employee Plans Subcommittee of the IRS Advisory Committee on Tax-Exempt and Governmental Entities (ACT). Alison has been actively involved with the National Institute of Pension Administration (NIPA) serving as a speaker, author, and developer/teacher. In 2019, Alison received NIPA's Excellence in Education Award, which recognizes outstanding educators within the national membership who have made significant contributions and improvements to NIPA's educational programs. Alison holds designations as an Accredited Pension Administrator (APA) and an Accredited Pension Representative (APR) from NIPA.  Alison is the former first President and an active member of the Pension Education Council of Atlanta (PECA). Alison is a co-author of The Plan Correction eSource and in 2019 she also assumed co-authorship of ERISA: A Comprehensive Guide. Alison speaks frequently on qualified retirement plan topics and issues, bringing a sense of humor and practical solutions to clients, colleagues, and industry professionals.   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 250 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode every other Friday!

Here we go with a 401(k) Friday's Podcast first, three guests and a great topic. Today we dive into the recent announcement that three major recordkeepers are launching the Portability Services Network. Joining me to discuss what this means is Dave Gray from Fidelity, Greg Long from Alight and Steve Holman from Vanguard. We tackle what is an automatic rollover, the problems it solves for employees and employers, how it works and whether the DOL and others think this is a good idea. This could have been a disaster having three guests, each with a lot to say, but it turned out well. I hope you enjoy!   Guest Bios Dave Gray is a member of the Workplace Investing Executive Management Team and serves as the Head of Workplace Retirement Platforms, Workplace Investing for Fidelity. Dave leads Fidelity's defined contribution and multi-product platform and product development teams across sites in the US, India, and Ireland. The teams are responsible for developing and managing market-leading solutions and customer experiences and the continuous modernization of the Workplace Retirement platforms, leveraging cloud technologies. Dave also has principal responsibility for next generation defined contribution plan innovation, notably digital assets and the blockchain. In addition, Dave was appointed to the Department of Labor's ERISA Advisory Council.  Prior to joining Fidelity, he worked at Charles Schwab where he served as a member of Schwab's Retirement Plan Services executive leadership team responsible for client experience, product management, and business strategy. Previously, Dave served as a Vice President at Standard Insurance Retirement Services where he built and led the client relationship management organization, and earlier as a member of Invesmart's executive team responsible for general management of the retirement plan business.  Dave earned a Bachelor of Arts from Tennessee Temple University. He holds FINRA Series 7, 24, and 66 licenses.    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 225 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode every other Friday!

It's been a little while since we tackled financial wellness, there has been a lot going on in that area so I was glad to be able to connect with Brent Hines, the co-founder and Chief Development Officer of the educational non-profit, Foundation for Financial Wellness. The Foundation's mission is to improve people's lives by empowering them with the knowledge and the motivation to take control of their financial lives. During our conversation, we compare definitions of financial wellness, talk about how to design and deliver effective programs with employers and discuss training and certification programs for employers and the industry.   For additional information we discussed in the episode, here is the link for Brent's Tedx Talk and the Financial Wellness Professional Certification program.    Great stuff, and I hope you enjoy!   Guest Bio Brent Hines is the co-founder and Chief Development Officer of the educational non-profit, Foundation for Financial Wellness. The Foundation's mission is to improve people's lives by empowering them with the knowledge and the motivation to take control of their financial lives.  The Foundation's curriculum is rooted in the principles of Behavioral Finance which makes every class topic taught by the Foundation unique, innovative, and extremely valuable. Brent's vision has led to the expansion of the Foundation's curriculum, delivery, and effectiveness.  Some of today's most popular class topics are budgeting, debt elimination, insurance, investments, retirement, taxes, and life & legacy planning. Brent regularly delivers keynote addresses on behalf of The Foundation for Financial Wellness, bringing motivational presentations to corporations, workforce boards, churches, groups, and associations offering real-world financial solutions to thousands of individuals and the organizations of which they are members.   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 250 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode every other Friday!

Every now and then you have a guest that like Prince, or Cher, that simply needs one name to know who they are. Today, I am happy to welcome Shlomo, more formally known as Dr. Shlomo Benartzi, Professor Emeritus, UCLA Anderson, Founder and CEO, PensionPlus. We dive into the compelling and complex topic of the good, the bad and the ugly of auto everything in retirement plans. As implied, auto features are powerful, but may or may not be the best solutions to everything. Love to hear what you agree or disagree with, please share and leave your comments on LinkedIn. I learned a lot, hope you do as well!   Guest Bio Shlomo Benartzi is a behavioral economist interested in combining the insights of psychology and economics to solve big societal problems. He works on creating digital nudges that leverage technology to achieve massive scale and help millions make better financial decisions. He received a Ph.D. from Cornell University's Johnson Graduate School of Management and is currently a professor emeritus and co-founder of the Behavioral Decision-Making Group at UCLA Anderson School of Management. He is also a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Wharton Behavior Change for Good Initiative.   Benartzi's work has demonstrated the potential for far-reaching improvement. Along with Nobel Laureate Richard Thaler of the University of Chicago, he pioneered the Save More Tomorrow™ (SMarT) program, a behavioral prescription designed to nudge employees to increase their savings rates gradually over time. In their original research, Benartzi and Thaler found that SMarT increased employee savings rates from 3.5 percent to 13.6 percent. The SMarT program is now offered by more than half of the large retirement plans in the U.S. and a growing number of plans in Australia and the U.K. The program has also been incorporated into the Pension Protection Act of 2006, enabling approximately 15 million Americans to boost their retirement savings.   To help bridge the gap between academic research and the real world, Benartzi has worked with many financial institutions and served on multiple advisory boards. He is currently a senior academic advisor for the Voya Behavioral Finance Institute for Innovation, Acorns, Blast, Lili, Personal Capital and Wisdom Tree.   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 250 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode every other Friday!

I am happy to welcome back another guest who seemingly had predictive powers in prior episodes to briefly reflect on that prediction and give his crystal ball another look. Joining me is Jason Roberts, CEO of Pension Resource Institute and Retirement Law Group and managing partner at Group Plan Systems. Jason also shares input on evaluating some services plan sponsors use that are tougher to compare than say a large cap growth fund. Lot's of food for thought today, I hope you get as much out of the conversation as I did.    Coming up on the podcast, we are going to delve into the conversation of whether auto everything works in retirement plans, check in on the markets and economy and much more. If you have ideas for a future guest or topic, please send me a message on LInkedIn and we will take it from there.    Guest BIo Jason C. Roberts is an attorney who focuses on the intersection of tax, ERISA and securities laws and regulations.  He is the founder and CEO of Pension Resource Institute, LLC (PRI) – a consulting firm that helps banks, broker-dealers and investment advisers with compliance, training and practice management focused on serving retirement investors.  Jason is also the founder and managing partner of Retirement Law Group (RLG) – a law firm for plan sponsors, investment professionals and service providers concerning all aspects of retirement-related products and services – and a founder and managing member of Group Plan Systems (GPG) – a professional, independent fiduciary services organization that administers and serves as a “named fiduciary” for employer-sponsored retirement plans.   Prior to founding PRI, RLG and GPS, Jason was a partner and co-chair of the Financial Services Group at a leading ERISA law firm and the head of the Investment Fiduciary practice for a national securities law firm.   Jason has published numerous articles focusing on ERISA and securities compliance, fiduciary best practices and is a frequent speaker at retirement plan and financial industry conferences. He is a contributing author and faculty member for the Practicing Law Institute, has been repeatedly recognized as one of the “100 Most Influential in Defined Contribution” by the 401(k) Wire and a “Rising Star” by SuperLawyers Magazine.  Jason was also selected by InvestmentNews as one of the “Top 40 Advisors & Associated Professionals under 40” and was tapped by the Wall Street Journal for its Ask the Experts series, answering readers' questions relating to Department of Labor Fiduciary Regulations.   Jason received his B.S.B.A in Finance and Banking from the University of Missouri and his J.D. from UCLA Law School.   Outside of work, you can find Jason fishing offshore, gardening, tending a wide range fresh citrus in his grove, cooking, and spending time with his wife, Val, and children, Lola and Spencer.   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 225 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode every other Friday!

If you hadn't noticed, 2022 hasn't produced the best results in the financial markets. The questions on everyone's mind are how did we get here and what's next? To delve into those and many other questions I am happy to welcome back Rich Weiss, Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer overseeing the Multi-Asset Strategies Division at American Century Investments. Personally, I'm glad we were able to pry him away from CNBC, Bloomberg TV or Fox Business News to share his timely insights! A quick warning, everything we discuss is not puppy dogs and rose petals. I strongly believe in workplace retirement plans, the power of dollar cost averaging, and the long term health of the market. However, these are challenging and unique times in the market and the economy. I felt steering into some of that would be worthwhile.   If you have been enjoying the podcast, please leave a rating or review on your favorite podcast app, that helps the infamous algorithms and grows the audience. Enjoy!    Guest Bio Richard Weiss is senior vice president and chief investment officer, Multi-Asset Strategies for American Century Investments. Mr. Weiss oversees the team that manages the firm's multi-asset strategies, including the One Choice (Target Risk and Target Date) Portfolios®, Strategic Allocation and investments offered in the Learning Quest® 529 Education Savings Program. He also serves as a member of the American Century Investments Asset Allocation Committee, which is responsible for establishing investment policy and reviewing investment decisions for all of the firm's multi-asset products. Prior to joining the firm in 2010, Mr. Weiss was executive vice president and chief investment officer of City National Bank, where he was responsible for the bank's investment management group and directed investment policy and strategy. Previously, he was executive vice president and chief investment officer at Sanwa Bank California, where he managed all aspects of their investment department. Earlier in his career, Mr. Weiss held senior investment positions at Vantage Global Advisors, TSA Capital Management, PaineWebber and Mellon Bank. An investment veteran with over 35 years of experience, Mr. Weiss holds a bachelor's degree in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He has authored several academic papers and is well known for his advanced work in the field of global investing. Mr. Weiss is also a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg Television, Fox Business and Bloomberg Radio.   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 225 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode every other Friday!

Today, I am excited to launch the fall series of episodes and we start with stable value investments. My guest is Steve Horner, CFA and Portfolio Manager in the Corporate and Tax-Exempt Credit group within Fixed Income at Putnam Investments. With the historic interest rate hikes, surging bond yields and talk of recession Steve shares what all this means for stable value funds. We also hit on some of the basics around what a stable value fund is, how they work and a few tips to evaluate and understand what is going on under the surface. We also delve into some more technical elements like wrap insurance and put provisions. Good stuff, I learned a lot and hope you do as well! Guest Bio Mr. Horner is a Portfolio Manager in the Corporate and Tax-Exempt Credit group within Fixed Income,focusing on Putnam's Stable Value portfolios. He manages stable value, general account insurance, structured investment-grade, absolute return, and multi-sector fixed-income portfolios. Mr. Horner is responsible for portfolio construction, fiduciary oversight, and the communication of investment team decisions on policy, strategy, and tactics to Putnam's fixed income clients. He joined Putnam in 1997 and has been in the investment industry since 1991. 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 225 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode every other Friday!

This week, we tackle M&A Mania in the retirement space. My guest is Dick Darian, Founding Partner of the Wise Rhino Group, a firm dedicated to working with both buyers and sellers in the retirement market. We hit on what he sees coming in the M&A market after a torrid pace for the last several years. We also cover the what Dick sees as the driving forces behind the M&A activity that are of interest for both employers and the broader retirement industry alike. Dick also makes some controversial comments that everyone should find of interest. Great stuff and I hope you enjoy!   Guest Bio Dick Darian leads Wise Rhino Group's work with clients on valuation, sell and buy-side execution, pre and post-sale strategy, as well as buy/sell/merger or affiliate strategies. His unique macro analysis and foresight in the retirement industry have him featured often in well-known industry publications.   Dick lives in Charleston SC with his wife Mary and various four-legged friends. He enjoys spending time with family above all, especially his five grandchildren. Since relocating from the New York area in 2017, he has begun working with The College of Charleston assisting with classes within the business school's entrepreneurial program. Dick's interests beyond family and business include traveling, reading, sports, and music.   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 225 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

This week, we tackle a timely topic straight out of the headlines, Bitcoin or Digital assets and 401(k) plans. Joining me is Dave Gray, the Head of Workplace Retirement Platforms & Workplace Investing for Fidelity. We cover all the topics you would expect like why Bitcoin, why 401(k) plans, how can plan sponsors evaluate the whether Bitcoin makes sense for them and a fairly detailed breakdown of the recent DOL Compliance Assistance Release or CAR addressing Bitcoin in workplace retirement plans. We covered a ton of ground, I learned a lot, hoping you do as well. If we missed something, shoot me a note on LinkedIn and we can follow-up. Enjoy! Guest Bio Dave Gray is a member of the Workplace Investing Executive Management Team and serves as the Head of Workplace Retirement Platforms, Workplace Investing for Fidelity. Dave leads Fidelity's defined contribution and multi-product platform and product development teams across sites in the US, India, and Ireland. The teams are responsible for developing and managing market-leading solutions and customer experiences and the continuous modernization of the Workplace Retirement platforms, leveraging cloud technologies. Dave also has principal responsibility for next generation defined contribution plan innovation, notably digital assets and the blockchain. In addition, Dave was appointed to the Department of Labor's ERISA Advisory Council.  Prior to joining Fidelity, he worked at Charles Schwab where he served as a member of Schwab's Retirement Plan Services executive leadership team responsible for client experience, product management, and business strategy. Previously, Dave served as a Vice President at Standard Insurance Retirement Services where he built and led the client relationship management organization, and earlier as a member of Invesmart's executive team responsible for general management of the retirement plan business.  Dave earned a Bachelor of Arts from Tennessee Temple University. He holds FINRA Series 7, 24, and 66 licenses.    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 225 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!  

Finally, the much promised episode about ESG investing & retirement plans. Sorry it took so long, but it's definitely worth the wait. Joining me is Jessica Sclafani, director and defined contribution strategies for MFS Investment Management. We start with the not so simple task of defining ESG, then move to how it is being incorporated into retirement investment line-ups. Along the way, we cover a lot of new ground which should leave you with a better idea of how to navigate the conversation with your plan. I learned a lot, I hope you do as well!   Guest Bio Jessica Sclafani, CAIA, is a director and defined contribution strategist for the Investment Solutions Group at MFS Investment Management® (MFS®). Her responsibilities include leading defined contribution research and the firm's thought leadership agenda, as well as working extensively with the firm's client‐facing teams to represent MFS in the marketplace. Jessica joined MFS in 2019 in her current role. She previously spent five years at Cerulli Associates as director of US retirement research, where she was responsible for the US defined contribution and IRA markets. Before that, she served as an analyst on the US pensions team at Wellington Management Company for four years. Jessica earned a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from Boston College. She holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.   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 225 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!  

This week, we have my promised update from the defense bar perspective on the many happenings in the world of retirement plans. Joining me is repeat guest David Levine, Principal and Co-Chair of the Plan Sponsor Practice at Groom Law group. We start out with some headline grabbing topics like crypto currency in retirement plans, then we delve into cyber security and data privacy followed but some thoughts on the current and future state of retirement plan litigation. David also shares his perspective on a few suggestions I have heard from plaintiff's attorneys and he plays word police on me in a few of my questions or statements. Good stuff and I hope you enjoy!   Guest Bio David Levine is co-chair of the firm's employer-focused practice. He advises plan sponsors, advisors, and other service providers on a wide range of employee benefits matters, from retirement and executive compensation to health and welfare plan matters. David advises on the design and redesign of complex retirement, executive, and health and welfare plans; ongoing, day-to-day counseling of plan sponsors; in-depth compliance reviews of corporate and governmental benefit programs; alternative products and assets, including venture capital, private equity, and cryptocurrency, for IRA, HSAs, and 401(k) plan service providers; products and compliance for retirement and health service providers, and representation of tax-exempt organizations with respect to issues involving corporate governance, executive compensation, and unrelated business income tax liability. David was previously the Chair of the IRS Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities (2011-2013) and is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association and serves in a number of leadership roles in the American Bar Association Tax Section's Employee Benefits Committee. David regularly speaks on plan design, fiduciary governance, and legislative issues and contributes a recurring column to NAPA Net — The Magazine. He is recognized in the Chambers USA guide for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation.   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 225 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!  

This week we have an action packed episode where we reflect back on the first quarter of 2022. What a wild one it was! We then discuss several hot topics that are moving the financial markets today and close with some forwarding looking thoughts on what might be ahead in the coming 6-12 months. My conversation with Jamie Batter, Chief Investment Officer for Lockton Retirement Services, an offering of Creative Planning hits on everything from the war in teh Ukraine, Inflation, Gas Prices, expected moves by the Federal Reserve and much more. I hope you take away as much from this as I did, enjoy!   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 225 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

On this episode we have a little fun and take on some information on 401(k)s that you may or may not have seen on TikTok. You will hear my inspiration for this episode right out of the gate and it is safe to say you can't always trust what you hear online. Or, at a minimum you need a heavy dose of context. My guest, the multi-tool player David Blanchet, PhD, CFA, CFP is Managing Director and Head of Retirement Research now with PGIM. He does a great job sorting through the various themes of 401(k) information I came across. We had a ton of fun, and I hope you enjoy this episode as much we did!   Guest Bio David Blanchett, PhD, CFA, CFP®, is Managing Director and Head of Retirement Research for PGIM DC Solutions. PGIM is the global investment management business of Prudential Financial, Inc. In this role he develops research and innovative solutions to help improve retirement outcomes for investors. Prior to joining PGIM he was the Head of Retirement Research for Morningstar Investment Management LLC and before that the Director of Consulting and Investment Research for the Retirement Plan Consulting Group at Unified Trust Company. David has published over 100 papers in a variety of industry and academic journals. His research has received awards from the Academy of Financial Services (2017), the CFP Board (2017), the Financial Analysts Journal (2015), the Financial Planning Association (2020), the International Centre for Pension Management (2020), the Journal of Financial Planning (2007, 2014, 2015, 2019), and the Retirement Management Journal (2012). He is a regular contributor to the Advisor Perspectives, ThinkAdvisor, and the Wall Street Journal. He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Wealth Management at The American College of Financial Services and a Research Fellow for the Alliance for Lifetime Income. He was formally a member of the Executive Committee for the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA) and the ERISA Advisory Council (2018-2020). In 2021, ThinkAdvisor included him in the IA25 for "pushing the industry forward." In 2014, InvestmentNews included him in their inaugural 40 under 40 list as a “visionary” for the financial planning industry, and in 2014, Money magazine named him one of the brightest minds in retirement planning. David holds a bachelor's degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Kentucky, a master's degree in financial services from The American College of Financial Services, 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. When David isn't working, he's probably out for a jog, playing with his four kids, or rooting for the Kentucky Wildcats.   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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

This week I am excited to welcome back Jerome Clark, portfolio manager of the T. Rowe Price Target Date Strategies. For a curveball, we are not going to talk at all about Target Date Funds, instead Jerome shares his insights on how employers can help improve retirement outcomes in the minority community. As you will hear, this is a topic Jerome and T. Rowe Price are both very knowledgable and passionate about. I felt this was a very insightful and impactful conversation, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.    Guest Bio Jerome Clark is the portfolio manager of the Asset Allocation Target Date Strategies and oversees the College Savings Plan portfolios in the Multi-Asset Division. He is also a member of the firm's Asset Allocation Committee and serves on the Multi-Asset Steering Committee. Jerome is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. Jerome's investment experience began in 1992 when he joined T. Rowe Price, beginning in the Fixed Income Division, where he was the portfolio manager of the US Treasury Long-Term Bond Strategy. He then began managing asset allocation portfolios in 2001. Previously, he was also a captain in the United States Marine Corps and spent three years as a mathematics instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy. Jerome earned a B.S. in mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy and an M.S. in operations research from the Naval Postgraduate School. He also earned an M.B.A. from Johns Hopkins University. Jerome also has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by CFA Institute.   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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

This week I am excited to welcome back Rob Arnott, Founder & Chairman of Research Affiliates to dive into the trick topic of inflation and its impact on the markets. We also dive into the challenges of rising rates, equity valuations and whether the investment realities of commercial real estate has changed. A quick note, we recorded this episode prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, so there is not much talk of those events. That's it, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Rob!   Guest Bio Rob Arnott is the founder and chairman of the board of Research Affiliates, a global asset manager dedicated to profoundly impacting the global investment community through its insights and products. The firm creates investment strategies and tools based upon award-winning research, and delivers these solutions in partnership with some of the world's premier financial institutions. Rob plays an active role in the firm's research, portfolio management, product innovation, business strategy and client facing activities. With Chris Brightman, he is co-portfolio manager on the PIMCO All Asset and All Asset All Authority funds and the PIMCO RAE™ funds. Over his career, Rob has endeavored to bridge the worlds of academic theorists and financial markets, challenging conventional wisdom and searching for solutions that add value for investors. He has pioneered several unconventional portfolio strategies that are now widely applied, including tactical asset allocation, global tactical asset allocation, tax-advantaged equity management, and the Fundamental Index™ approach to investing. His success in doing so has resulted in a reputation as one of the world's most provocative practitioners and respected financial analysts. In 2002, Rob founded Research Affiliates as a research-intensive asset management firm intent on delivering innovative and impactful products and insights. Using a unique business model, Research Affiliates delivers investment solutions globally in partnership with leading financial institutions. Rob served as chairman and CEO from 2002 to 2018. Prior to establishing Research Affiliates, Rob managed two asset management firms. As chairman of First Quadrant, LP, he built up the former internal money manager for Crum & Forster into a highly regarded quantitative asset management firm. He also was global equity strategist at Salomon Brothers (now part of Citigroup), the founding president and CEO of TSA Capital Management (now part of Analytic Investors, LLC), and a vice president at The Boston Company. Rob has published more than 130 articles in such journals as the Journal of Portfolio Management, Harvard Business Review, and Financial Analysts Journal, where he also served as editor in chief from 2002 through 2006. In recognition of his achievements as a financial writer, Rob has received eight Graham and Dodd Scrolls, awarded annually by CFA Institute to the top Financial Analysts Journal articles of the year. He also has received four Bernstein Fabozzi/Jacobs Levy awards from the Journal of Portfolio Management. He is co-author of The Fundamental Index: A Better Way to Invest (Wiley 2008). Rob Arnott received a BS summa cum laude in economics, applied mathematics, and computer science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.   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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!    

Day by day, year by year, technology plays are bigger and more important role in our lives. When it comes to retirement savings, how could technology impact things? To share some insights, I am happy to welcome Dave Castellani, Operating Principal with the venture capital firm Brew Lane Ventures. Dave has a unique background as a technology guy who has done a few tours in the retirement world. During our conversation we hit on how development in technology could impact retirement plans, some great working definitions of machine learning, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality and much more. We also hit on blockchain and close with a real whopper that could change everything that you will have to hear for yourself.    Guest Bio David brings 30+ years of technology and operating leadership across financial services and startups to Brewer Lane. Most recently, he was SVP and Head of Technology at New York Life, where he led the company's initiatives across digital transformation, data and analytics, and cyber. Previously, David held other operating executive roles at New York Life, Prudential, and Cigna. He has also co-founded two technology startups: Mi8, an early pioneer in hosted exchange services, and Qv21, a transportation management software provider.   David received his BA from the College of the Holy Cross.   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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!  

Today, I am excited to share the latest installment of what has become almost an annual conversation with Jerry Schlichter, Managing Partner of Schlichter Bogard & Denton. If you are in the world of 401(k) plans, you need no introduction to the plaintiff attorney who has secured over $600 million in settlements, is now 2-0 in the Supreme Court and has changed the workplace retirement landscape. Our conversation this year should not disappoint. Be sure to stick around for the end to get Jerry's input on the roles of the DOL and plaintiff's bar.     If you are new to the podcast, be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app. If you like what you hear, please share with a friend, colleague or on social media.    That's it, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Jerry! Guest Bio Jerry Schlichter is founding and managing partner of Schlichter Bogard & Denton. His expertise and national leadership in complex litigation, including in financial and railroad cases, has been recognized by numerous publications, courts, and commentators throughout the country. Jerry has been designated legal counsel for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers for many years and is currently designated legal counsel for the United Transportation Union and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He has represented railroad workers in trials in many states and has had record-setting jury verdicts in numerous jurisdictions. Throughout his career, he has also handled major precedent-setting class action and mass tort cases on behalf of individuals. Jerry has been featured in numerous national publications, including The New York Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, USA Today, and the The Wall Street Journal, for his and the firm's success in pioneering claims of excessive fees in defined contribution plans, obtaining precedent-setting results involving claims of excessive fees against large employers, and for the reduction in fees his cases have caused throughout the retirement industry. He's been called “The Lone Ranger of the 401(k)” by The New York Times, “public enemy no. 1 for 401(k) profiteers” by Investment News, and “the industry's most feared attorney” by Chief Investment Officer. 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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!  

As we take the turn into the holiday season, what will holiday shopping look like this year? Will the supply chain challenges, inflation, or other elements bring major changes? How could this impact the economy and financial markets? To help dissect all of this and more, I am happy to welcome back Rich Weiss, senior vice president and chief investment officer, Multi-Asset Strategies for American Century Investments. Also, don't miss when Rich get's his crystal ball out and gazes into it for 2022.    Guest Bio Richard Weiss is senior vice president and chief investment officer, Multi-Asset Strategies for American Century Investments. Mr. Weiss oversees the team that manages the firm's multi-asset strategies, including the One Choice (Target Risk and Target Date) Portfolios®, Strategic Allocation and investments offered in the Learning Quest® 529 Education Savings Program. He also serves as a member of the American Century Investments Asset Allocation Committee, which is responsible for establishing investment policy and reviewing investment decisions for all of the firm's multi-asset products. Prior to joining the firm in 2010, Mr. Weiss was executive vice president and chief investment officer of City National Bank, where he was responsible for the bank's investment management group and directed investment policy and strategy. Previously, he was executive vice president and chief investment officer at Sanwa Bank California, where he managed all aspects of their investment department. Earlier in his career, Mr. Weiss held senior investment positions at Vantage Global Advisors, TSA Capital Management, PaineWebber and Mellon Bank. An investment veteran with over 35 years of experience, Mr. Weiss holds a bachelor's degree in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He has authored several academic papers and is well known for his advanced work in the field of global investing. Mr. Weiss is also a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg Television, Fox Business and Bloomberg Radio.   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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

If you like 90's movies references, if your curious about who TINA is and you want some good perspective on what is going on with the markets and economy, we have a great show for you today. Joining me is Adam Philips, CFA & CFP, Managing Director for Portfolio Strategy at EP Wealth. Great stuff, hopefully you learn as much as I did!    As a reminder, if you are not subscribed to the podcast, do that today. You can go to your favorite podcast app and search 401(k) Fridays, or go to 401kfridays.com/subscribe and take care of it there.    Guest BIo: Adam Philips is the Managing Director, Portfolio Strategy / Partner at EP Wealth Advisors® where he helps establish asset allocation strategy as a member of the firm's Investment Committee. Adam also serves as the voice of the firm's investment strategy, and frequently provides market commentary across the media and in client communication pieces. Prior to joining EP Wealth Advisors® in 2014, Adam served as a Senior Portfolio Manager at City National Rochdale in Beverly Hills, where he specialized in research and portfolio construction while overseeing nearly $700 million on behalf of high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and trusts. Adam holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Southern California (USC), and earned his Master's in Business Administration from the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA). In addition, Adam holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designations, and is a member of the CFA Society of Los Angeles and the CFA Institute. Adam was named to the Forbes Best-in-State Next Gen Wealth Advisors in 2019. Adam lives in Palos Verdes with his wife and two children, Hunter and Madison.   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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Over the years on the podcast we have talked about the generational preferences and trends of baby boomers, Gen X'rs and Millenials, But not Generation Z. To dig into them, I am happy to welcome back Nathan Voris, Director, Investments, Insights & Consultant Services at Schwab Retirement Plan Services. While the focus is on Gen Z, there are some great observations about financial stress, financial wellness, the financial impact of the pandemic and much more. We also really strive to tie these themes together in a way that can help employers better position services they offer today to attract and retain employees in a hyper competitive market for talent, or maybe this is encouragement to revisit these topics as you look forward. Regardless, good stuff and great input from Nathan.    Guest Bio Nathan Voris joined Charles Schwab in 2016 and leads the Investments, Insights and Consultant Services teams within Schwab Retirement Plan Services, Inc. In this role, Voris brings together multiple teams with shared expertise to develop and enhance partnerships with the Consultant and Advisor community. Prior to his current position, he led the Strategy and Planning team for Schwab Workplace Financial Services, which includes Compliance Solutions, Schwab Retirement Plan Services and Schwab Stock Plan Services. Voris brings 20+ years of experience in the financial services and retirement plan industries to his role. Prior to Charles Schwab, he worked for Morningstar, where he held several roles within Morningstar Investment Management, and as a retirement plan consultant at R.V. Kuhns & Associates. He began his career as a plan sponsor, working for Walmart and the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System. Voris earned a bachelor's degree in education from The Ohio State 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 retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

As part of the evolving conversation around infrastructure and how to pay for it, some potential changes to workplace retirement plans were injected into the conversation. To shed some light on the topic I am happy to welcome back Sam Henson, a Senior Vice President and Chief Client Officer for Lockton Retirement Services. While it is anyone's guess on what will happen with infrastructure, the important things to take away from our conversation today are the thematic changes to workplace retirement plans that we included in the spending bill. While these may or may not become reality, like in the game of poker, this serves as a pretty good tell on what changes could be debated in the future.  Guest Bio Samuel Henson, JD is the Chief Client Officer for Lockton Retirement Services. Lockton is the world's largest privately held insurance brokerage firm. Sam oversees ERISA compliance, DOL/IRS/SEC/PBGC activities, and the legislative landscape for more than 50,000 Lockton clients and 7,000 associates. Our associates use a comprehensive approach as a consultative partner in the areas of regulatory and legislative compliance, investment, pension risk management and vendor management. I would like to connect with other industry-related professionals including attorneys, in-house counsel, compliance officers and government officials. 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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

For years I have been using Vanguard's annual “How America Saves” as a reference guide for retirement plan statistics and benchmarks. Today, I am excited to welcome Jeff Clark, a Senior Product Owner in Vanguard's Strategic Retirement Consulting group and the lead author of How America Saves as well as other retirement research initiatives. As you might expect, this episode focusses on plan design, some statistics, its importance, trends and a few popular topics or ideas that have been discussed where the data does not exactly pan out. I learned a lot, I hope you do as well.    Before we get started, thank you to our listeners who have shared engaged with us on social media. Most of what we post is on LinkedIn, next time you are on there, feel free to share a podcast episode you have enjoyed, or like or comment on a post we create. That goes a long way to helping more people discover the podcast and helps me attract great guests like Jeff.    Guest Bio Jeff Clark is a Senior Product Owner in Vanguard's Strategic Retirement Consulting.  He is the lead author of How America Saves as well as other retirement research initiatives.  In addition, Mr. Clark provides strategic and customized analytics designed to help plan sponsors better understand their participants' behavior and plan design effectiveness.  Mr. Clark joined Vanguard in 1998.  Before Strategic Retirement Consulting, he worked in Participant Services and Compliance Testing and Analysis, assisting plan sponsors with plan design and compliance issues.  Mr. Clark earned a B.A. in economics from Bucknell 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 retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!  

It's been a little while since we have had an episode to discuss what is going on in the world of 401(k) litigation. To dive into that, I am happy to welcome back Carl Engstrom, plaintiff's attorney with Nichols Kaster to the podcast. As usual, Carl brings a very thoughtful and informed view on what is going on with 401(k) litigation, his thoughts on why some cases move towards settlement and others are dismissed, and the inevitable question of where things go from here. Buckle up, this episode moves fast and covers a lot of ground. I hope you enjoy! Guest Bio Carl is the subject matter expert and origination specialist on Nichols Kaster's ERISA Litigation Team. As a founding member of the ERISA litigation group, Mr. Engstrom has worked in some capacity on every case brought by the group since its inception in 2015.  In that time, the ERISA litigation group has negotiated settlements totaling over $150 million on behalf of retirement plan participants shortchanged by excessive fees and imprudent retirement plan investments. Before joining Nichols Kaster, Mr. Engstrom clerked for judges at both the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Hennepin County District Court.  Prior to entering the legal profession, Mr. Engstrom spent six years working as a financial advisor, providing retirement and investment advice to hundreds of clients, and earning the Certified Financial Planner™ 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 retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Things are moving fast in the financial markets and economy. In turbulent times, the decisions you do or don't make have a big impact on the future success of your retirement plan. To help digest some macro events and share a few 401(k) panic buttons to avoid, I am happy to welcome Jamie Battmer, Chief Investment Officer for Lockton Retirement Services to the podcast. I won't steal Jamies thunder, but let's just say I learned a lot of hope you get as much out of it as I did.    Guest Bio Jamie leads the investment research team that recommends portfolios to Lockton clients. His other duties include consulting, speaking, and writing on market and economic trends, providing fiduciary documentation on investment decision-making, and developing new asset-management tools and capabilities, such as model portfolios or custom-asset allocation glide-paths. Jamie has more than 20 years of experience analyzing individual securities, constructing portfolios, and providing economic and market commentary. 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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Save for retirement or save for college? This is the age old debate that many struggle with. To shed some light on the subject I am happy to welcome Peg Creonte, President of Government Savings at Acensus. During our conversation we delve into some of the similarities and differences between 529 plans and 401(k) plans, ways that employers as part of their total rewards or benefits offering can help their employees save or pay for the cost of higher eduction and offer input on whether an employer can match contributions to a 529 plan. Great stuff, I learned a lot and it was a trip down memory lane for me in a way as well.  Guest Bio Peg Creonte is president of Government Savings at Ascensus, the largest independent recordkeeping services provider, third-party administrator, and government savings facilitator in the United States.  Peg is responsible for setting the vision and strategy for the firm's Government Savings line of business and charting its course for future growth. She joined Ascensus in 2004 and has served in leadership roles across business development, platform development, and system implementation. Peg has also led and managed several large 529 and ABLE program client conversions.  Prior to Ascensus, she held leadership and consulting roles in software and semiconductor firms. Peg holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University and an M.B.A. from Cornell 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 retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

What does the future hold for 401(k) and other workplace retirement plans? Good question, and I am excited to have Josh Cohen, Head of Institutional Defined Contribution at PGIM and the host of the podcast “The Accidental Plan Sponsor” join me today. We take a few minutes to set the stage with some important retirement plan trends and milestones, then we jump into where we go from here. Josh shares the good, as well as where he things workplace retirement plans can improve in the future. Good stuff, and hope you get as much out of the conversation as I did!   Guest Bio Joshua R. Cohen, CFA, is a Managing Director in PGIM's Institutional Relationship Group (IRG). Josh provides expert counsel and thought leadership to large Defined Contribution plans on investment issues ranging from plan design, Qualified Default Investment Alternatives (QDIA), implications of regulatory change and implementation. He works on developing innovative solutions and thought leadership to help plan participants accumulate the wealth needed for their retirement.   Highly regarded throughout the industry and a recognized DC thought leader, Josh served a three-year term (2013-2015) as a member of the Department of Labor's ERISA Advisory Council on policies and regulations affecting employee benefit plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. In 2016, Josh was identified by Chief Investment Officer (CIO) magazine as one of the world's most influential investment thought leaders by being named to the annual Knowledge Brokers list. This marked the fourth consecutive year he received this recognition.    Josh earned his BA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) 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 retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

If you have tried to buy almost anything in the last several months, there is a good chance it costs you more today than it did previously. These cost increases, or inflation, have been a dominant topic of conversation both at the proverbial water cooler as well as with economists. I can’t solve the water cooler part, but I am excited to welcome back to Frances Donald, Senior Managing Director & Head of Macro Strategy at Manulife Investment Management. We of course talk about inflation, and Frances is not shy to share her opinions. Great stuff, and should really get you thinking and help put a lot of things in perspective.    Before we get started, this is my second conversation on the podcast with Frances, while you don’t have to listen to the first one, it is worth checking out. To do that, just scroll through the episodes on your favorite podcast app. There are over 200 prior episodes, so if any other topics or guests catch your eye feel free to listen to those as well. Most episodes are evergreen in their content so even if we recorded them a month or a few years ago, still good info to take it.    Thats it, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Frances!   Guest Bio Frances Donald is a Senior Managing Director, Chief Economist & Head of Macro Strategy at Manulife Investment Management. In her role she forecasts global macroeconomic and financial trends, analyzes the economy and capital markets for potential opportunities and risks, and serves as a thought leader both within the firm and externally. As a senior member of the firm’s multi-asset solutions team, she coordinates global macro research, assists in the team’s return forecasting process, and contributes to portfolio positioning views. Prior to joining Manulife, Frances worked as a financial economist for Scotiabank in Toronto, and before that as a global macro analyst for Pavilion Global Markets in Montreal. Earlier in her career, she held various positions at Deloitte, Roubini Global Economics, and Bank of Canada. Frances is a frequent public speaker and regularly appears in international media, including Bloomberg and CNBC.   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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

You are probably wondering, first, how do you possibly make a full episode out of retirement plan document restatements and other related topics, and second, how do you make it interesting? Well, when you have Alison Cohen, ERISA Attorney and Partner at the Ferenczy Benefits Law Center, it is a piece of cake! Not much description need on this one, but plenty of good nuggets of info and best practices. Also, Alison mentioned a "Record Retention Policy Statement" which you can find a link to in the show notes.      Before we get started, if you have been enjoying the podcast please leave a review or rating on your favorite podcast service or app. That feeds the crazy algorithms and helps more people find the podcast.    Guest Bio Alison is a Partner with Ferenczy Benefits Law Center in Atlanta, Georgia. She advises clients on many issues related to qualified retirement plans, including design, mergers and acquisitions, audits, and operational issues. Alison commonly works with clients that have operational issues to guide them through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and/or Department of Labor (DOL) corrective programs, prepare corrective filings, and prepare and support clients through an audit conducted by the IRS and/or DOL. Alison is a member of the Georgia and California State Bars. Prior to joining Ferenczy Benefits Law Center, Alison worked at a large bundled service provider for nearly 16 years as an Associate Vice President, Compliance Manager and Regulatory Liaison. As part of her responsibilities there, Alison served as a national speaker on audit and correction issues. She served on the Employee Plans Subcommittee of the IRS Advisory Committee on Tax-Exempt and Governmental Entities (ACT). Alison has been actively involved with the National Institute of Pension Administration (NIPA) serving as a speaker, author, and developer/teacher, and received NIPA’s Excellence in Education Award in 2019. The award recognizes outstanding educators within the national membership who have made significant contributions and improvements to NIPA’s educational programs.   She holds designations as an Accredited Pension Administrator (APA) and Accredited Pension Representative (APR) from NIPA.  Alison is also the current President of the Pension Education Council of Atlanta. In 2019, Alison assumed co-authorship of “ERISA: A Comprehensive Guide,” along with Ilene H. Ferenczy.   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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

What a treat, today I am please to welcome Preston Rutledge, Founder and Principal of the Rutledge Policy group and previously Assistant Secretary of Labor for the EBSA and prior to that, senior tax and benefits counsel for Chairman Orrin Hatch on the US Senate Finance Committee. During our conversation we hit on a few good stories from his civil service days, talk about the concepts behind the SECURE Act and where we go from here, potential tax changes and the impact on retirement plans and much more. Definitely a good one to check out and share!   On that note, if you have been enjoying the podcast, please do take a minute to mention to a friend, colleague or networking group. As our audience continues to grow, it makes it easier for me to find high quality guests like Preston.    That’s it, I hope your enjoy our conversation!   Guest Bio Preston Rutledge is the Founder and Principal of Rutledge Policy Group, LLC. With an uncommon combination of expertise both in legal and tax matters, he is a sought-after consultant and speaker in the areas of retirement, health plans, taxation, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing.  Prior to founding Rutledge Policy Group, Preston was the Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). At EBSA, he led the drafting and publication of guidance to implement retirement, health, and workplace benefits policies and oversaw a nationwide team of over 800 employee benefits professionals. In international affairs, Preston led the U.S Delegation on private pension policy at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France. Preston was a member of the OECD Insurance and Private Pensions Committee, and served as Chair of the OECD Working Party on Private Pensions. Preston also worked closely with the OECD affiliated International Organization of Pension Supervisors (IOPS).  Before joining the Department of Labor, Preston served as senior tax and benefits counsel for Chairman Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) on the Majority Tax Staff of the US Senate Finance Committee. Preston had the retirement, non-profit, and insurance tax portfolio during tax reform in 2017, and he drafted the Chairman’s primary retirement initiatives: the Secure Annuities for Employee (SAFE) Retirement Act and the Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act (RESA). RESA became the SECURE Act, the most sweeping reform of retirement savings policy in over a decade.  Prior to joining the Finance Committee, Preston served as a senior tax law specialist for retirement and non-profit policy on the Headquarters Staff of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division of the Internal Revenue Service. Earlier in his career he served as a law clerk on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and worked in private law practice as an employee benefits counselor and ERISA litigator.  Preston earned a BS in business, cum laude, from the University of Idaho; JD, with high honors, from the George Washington University School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review; and an LLM – taxation, with distinction, including a certificate in employee benefits law, from the Georgetown University Law Center. Prior to law school Preston was a Naval Officer, and served on the U.S.S. Bagley (FF-1069)    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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Guest Bio Joshua Dietch is the group manager of Retirement Thought Leadership in Global Brand Marketing. Joshua is responsible for leading a team of researchers and writers who create retirement thought leadership in support of the firm's workplace retirement, intermediary, and institutional businesses. He also is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Joshua’s investment experience began in 1995 and he has been with T. Rowe Price since 2017. Prior to this, he was employed by Strategic Insight as head of Retirement and Institutional. He also was managing director with Chatham Partners, director of Product Marketing and Management with ADP Retirement Services, and associate director of Institutional Markets with Cerulli Associates.  Joshua earned a B.A. in history from Bates College. He is a Series 7 and 66 registered representative. Joshua is a member of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association and its Retirement Research Center as well as a former member of its Executive Committee.   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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

What do current equity valuations and bond yields potentially mean for returns in the coming decade? Today, Rob Arnott, Chairman of Research Affiliates gets out his crystal ball and shares his thoughts. If you have heard Rob on prior episodes of the podcast, you will know he is not shy and doesn’t pull any punches. More importantly, he also shares a some good ideas for retirement plans on how they can design investment menus by understanding where we are today and looking forward into the coming decade. If you like what you heard today, Rob has three prior appearances on the podcast you can check out. Links are in the podcast episode notes.    Before we get started today, I am always looking for new ideas for podcast guests, topics or questions. If you have something or someone in mind that would benefit retirement plan sponsors or those who partner with them, send me an email to feedback@401kfridays.com.    Prior Episodes with Rob Arnott The Death of Investment Diversification? Tariffs, Interest Rates & Market Volatility Avoiding The Bubble in Complacency Do Third Pillar Investment Belong In Your 401(k)?   Guest Bio Rob Arnott is the founder and chairman of the board of Research Affiliates, a global asset manager dedicated to profoundly impacting the global investment community through its insights and products. The firm creates investment strategies and tools based upon award-winning research, and delivers these solutions in partnership with some of the world’s premier financial institutions. Rob plays an active role in the firm’s research, portfolio management, product innovation, business strategy and client facing activities. With Chris Brightman, he is co-portfolio manager on the PIMCO All Asset and All Asset All Authority funds and the PIMCO RAE™ funds. Over his career, Rob has endeavored to bridge the worlds of academic theorists and financial markets, challenging conventional wisdom and searching for solutions that add value for investors. He has pioneered several unconventional portfolio strategies that are now widely applied, including tactical asset allocation, global tactical asset allocation, tax-advantaged equity management, and the Fundamental Index™ approach to investing. His success in doing so has resulted in a reputation as one of the world’s most provocative practitioners and respected financial analysts. In 2002, Rob founded Research Affiliates as a research-intensive asset management firm intent on delivering innovative and impactful products and insights. Using a unique business model, Research Affiliates delivers investment solutions globally in partnership with leading financial institutions. Rob served as chairman and CEO from 2002 to 2018. Prior to establishing Research Affiliates, Rob managed two asset management firms. As chairman of First Quadrant, LP, he built up the former internal money manager for Crum & Forster into a highly regarded quantitative asset management firm. He also was global equity strategist at Salomon Brothers (now part of Citigroup), the founding president and CEO of TSA Capital Management (now part of Analytic Investors, LLC), and a vice president at The Boston Company. Rob has published more than 130 articles in such journals as the Journal of Portfolio Management, Harvard Business Review, and Financial Analysts Journal, where he also served as editor in chief from 2002 through 2006. In recognition of his achievements as a financial writer, Rob has received seven Graham and Dodd Scrolls, awarded annually by CFA Institute to the top Financial Analysts Journal articles of the year. He also has received four Bernstein Fabozzi/Jacobs Levy awards from the Journal of Portfolio Management. He is co-author of The Fundamental Index: A Better Way to Invest (Wiley 2008). Rob Arnott received a BS summa cum laude in economics, applied mathematics, and computer science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.   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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

At least once a year it makes sense to check in on what our friends at the state run retirement plans are up to. Today, I am happy to have Katie Selenski, the Executive Director of CalSavers, the California State Retirement Plan and Dylan Giambatista, the with the new Vermont or Green Mountain Secure Retirement Plan. Katie shares some encouraging data on what they are seeing thus far from CalSavers and Dylan shares the unique approach Vermont took to creating their retirement plan. I learned a lot, hopefully you do as well.  Before we get started, if you are not already on our email list, make sure you take care of that today. We will announcing our next webinar on Pooled Employer Plans shortly. Go to www.401kfridays.com/subscribe today.  Here are the statistics from the CalSavers plan Katie mentioned.    Guest Bios Katie Selenski is the Executive Director of CalSavers, the State of California’s pioneering retirement savings program that provides a path to retirement security for Californians who lack access to a retirement plan at work. Appointed by the State Treasurer in 2017 shortly after legislative passage, Ms. Selenski took CalSavers from concept through design, build, and launch. Ongoing marketing for the three-year rollout aims to engage an estimated pool of more than 250,000 employers and their eight million employees. Prior to taking the helm at CalSavers, Ms. Selenski was the State Policy Director for pension policy at The Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, D.C., where she advised policymakers in a dozen states and cities. Previously, she was a senior manager with the nonpartisan public sector consulting firm Harvey M. Rose Associates, based in San Francisco, where she advised municipal leaders on a wide array of budget, management, and policy matters, including pensions. Earlier, she was a municipal bond rating analyst at a leading rating agency, a legislative aide in the California Assembly, and the director of an historic statewide youth voter turnout initiative. Ms. Selenski is a graduate of the University of Chicago and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.   Dylan Giambatista is the Director of Outreach & Financial Literacy for the Office of the Vermont State Treasurer, where he is a member of the project management team for the Green Mountain Secure Retirement Plan. Dylan served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 2017 until January 2021. He was a member of the House Education Committee, and was elected Assistant Majority Leader. Prior to his service in the Vermont General Assembly, Dylan was Chief of Staff to the Vermont Speaker of the House. He is a Trustee on the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees and serves on several community boards.   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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

If you couldn’t tell, the COVID pandemic and its impact on the economy, retirement plans and individuals has really gotten me thinking. Along those lines, a recent presentation from this week’s return guest, David Blanchett, the head of retirement research for Morningstar’s Investment Management group, on Total Economic Worth, struck a chord. A very interesting concept that I felt was very applicable to retirement plans to help communicate the importance of saving today and how that translates to resources to fund your lifestyle in retirement. We cover that and much more today in a fast paced and entertaining episode. If you listen to your podcasts on 1.5 or 2 times the normal pace, you might not want to do that for this one. Also, if you didn’t know you can listen to podcasts at a faster pace, your welcome and now you can listen to more episodes in a shorter period of time!   If you like what you hear from our guests on the podcast, be sure to look them up on LinkedIn or other social media sites. Let them know you enjoyed listening to them on the 401(k) Fridays Podcast and engage what the put out into the world. That always helps great repeat guests like David have an easy decision on whether to join me again.    That’s it, I hope you enjoy my conversation with David!   Guest Bio David M. Blanchett, PhD, CFA, CFP® is head of retirement research for Morningstar Investment Management LLC. In this role, he helps develop and maintain methodologies relating to wealth forecasting, general financial planning, automated investment selection, and portfolio assignment for Morningstar Investment Management LLC. Prior to joining Morningstar, he was the Director of Consulting and Investment Research for the Retirement Plan Consulting Group at Unified Trust Company. He has published over 100 papers in a variety of industry and academic journals. His research has received best paper awards from the Academy of Financial Services (2017), the CFP Board (2017), the Financial Analysts Journal (2015), the Financial Planning Association (2020), the International Centre for Pension Management (2020), the Journal of Financial Planning (2007, 2014, 2015, 2019), and the Retirement Management Journal (2012).  He is currently an Adjunct professor of Wealth Management at The American College of Financial Services, an Expert Panelist for the Wall Street Journal, a member of the Executive Committee for the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA), and a member of the ERISA Advisory Council.  In 2014, InvestmentNews included him in their inaugural 40 under 40 list as a “visionary” for the financial planning industry, and in 2014, Money magazine named him one of the brightest minds in retirement planning. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Kentucky, 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. When David isn’t working, he’s probably out for a jog, playing with his four kids, or rooting for the Kentucky Wildcats.   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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!  

The financial markets have started the decade on a feverish pace despite a brief pandemic induced bear market. Today, Dr. David Kelly, CFA with J.P. Morgan Asset Management joins me to share his thoughts on where we go from here. As usual he has great insights on what it will take to get some inflation in the economy, what impact new policies from the Biden administration could have on financial markets, and with the current equity valuations and low interest rates, does that mean employers should be thinking differently about investment diversification in their retirement plans? For more insights on the financial markets from the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Team, check out their Guide to the Markets. Guest Bio Dr. David Kelly is the Chief Global Strategist and Head of the Global Market Insights Strategy Team for J.P. Morgan Asset Management. With over 20 years of experience, David provides valuable insight and perspective on the economy and markets to the institutional investor and financial advisor global communities. Throughout his career, David has developed a unique ability to explain complex economic and market issues in a language that financial professionals can use to communicate to their clients. He is a keynote speaker at many national investment conferences and a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg, and other financial media outlets. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan Asset Management, David served as Economic Advisor to Putnam Investments. He has also served as a senior strategist/economist at SPP Investment Management, Primark Decision Economics, Lehman Brothers and DRI/McGraw-Hill. David is a CFA® charterholder. He also has a Ph.D and M.A. in Economics from Michigan State University and a B.A. in Economics from University College Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. 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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Happy New Year! I could not think of a better way to kick off 2021 than with an update from Pete the Planner on the impact of the pandemic on personal finances. Some of what he says you might expect, but the group of employees he feels are at the most risk will likely surprise you. That and a whole lot more are part of our conversation.  As a reminder, if you have been enjoying the podcast please share with a friend, colleague, or peer group. Best thing to do is encourage people to search "401(k) Fridays" on their favorite podcast app, or go online to www.401kfridays.com.  Enjoy! 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 and podcast The Pete the Planner Show. Pete has appeared regularly on CNN Headline News, Fox News, Fox Business as well as numerous nationally syndicated radio programs. In addition to his work educating the public, Pete is also the CEO and Founder of Your Money Line and Hey Money. Your Money Line is a corporate financial wellness solution connecting employees to confidential, unbiased financial guidance. Hey Money is a direct-to-consumer monthly subscription that connects people to friendly financial experts. 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 retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Admittedly, when I develop topics and content for the podcast I am generally catering to the mid to large plan market. Today, I am excited to welcome Chad Parks, the Founder & CEO of Ubiquity Retirement + Savings to discuss the world of small retirement plans. As you will hear, Chad brings his years of experience and is not shy to share his perspectives. We talk about everything from how do you define a small plan, how they are similar and different from mid to large plans, to the launch of PEPs, and potential changes to retirement plans with a new administration. We also get Chad looking into his crystal ball. Even if you don’t sponsor or support “small retirement plans”, there is a lot of great info here that might help you when your friend who does have a small plan has some questions.    Before we get started, as we go into the New Year, tis the season of giving, please consider either sharing the podcast with a friend, or leaving a rating or review on your favorite podcast app. Either or both of those help us to grow our audience and continue to attract great guests like Chad.    Guest Bio Chad Parks is CEO and founder of the first online and flat-fee retirement service for small businesses: Ubiquity Retirement + Savings, formerly The Online 401(k). Known for his unique and irreverent approach to business and the financial industry as a whole, Chad is regularly quoted in national publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fox Business, Yahoo! Finance, USA Today, CNN Money, Bloomberg Wealth Manager, Business Week, Entrepreneur and Plan Sponsor for his passion for small business and entrepreneurship.   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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!  

If you have stable value investments on your mind, my conversation today with Debbie Vince & Ken Sommers of New York Life should address your questions or concerns. We start with Debbie providing some background on stable value investments, how they work and some pros and cons compared to other cash equivalent options in workplace retirement plans. Then we transition to Ken for his thoughts on the realities of managing stable value investments in an historic low interest rate environment. Great stuff, if we missed anything shoot me an email to feedback@401kfridays.com.    Disclosures: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of Debbie Vince and Ken Sommer as of [date podcast recorded] and are subject to change without notice.  Any forward-looking statements may not come to pass. The information provided in this podcast is general in nature and is provided solely for educational/informational purposes. It is not intended as investment advice nor as a solicitation for any specific investment. Stable value investments seek capital preservation, but there can be no assurance that this goal will be achieved. Returns will fluctuate with changing interest rates and market conditions.  A stable value fund is not a mutual fund. Money market funds are not guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency. They generally seek to preserve the value of an investment at $1.00 per share, but it is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund. All investing involves risk, including the loss of principal.   Guest Bio Kenneth Sommer is a Managing Director and Head of the Investment Grade Portfolio Management team of NYL Investors' Fixed Income Investors. He joined New York Life in 2005 and has over 17 years of investment experience. He is responsible for managing all multi-sector third-party fixed income portfolios, including retail mutual funds and institutional separate accounts. Previously, Mr. Sommer was a sector specialist overseeing all corporate bond execution for the Investment Grade Portfolio Management team. Prior to joining New York Life, he was an Investment Analyst at MetLife Investments. Mr. Sommer received a B.S. from Binghamton University and an M.B.A. from Fordham University. Deborah Vince is a V.P of Sales for New York Life. Debbie joined New York Life in 2009, and has more than 22 years of experience in financial services, including 19 years in the retirement plan industry. In her current role, she is responsible for Stable Value investment business development in the Western region. Prior to joining New York Life, she was a Senior Vice President with National Retirement Partners (NRP) and worked as a Retirement Plan Consultant at 401k Advisors and helped launch Retirement Plan Advisory Group (RPAG). Debbie received a BS in Business Management from the University of Redlands. She maintains FINRA Series 6, 7, and 63 registrations and holds life and health licenses in all states.  She is currently a board member for Su Casa – Ending Domestic Violence in Southern CA.  In her free time she enjoys spending time with family, her dog Bodhi, cooking and travel.  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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Could Retirement Income be the hot topic of 2021? It was supposed to be the hot topic of 2020, then we got a little derailed. To chat through this with be today, I am excited to have Doug McIntoch, Vice President of Investment with Prudential Retirement. We go through all the stuff you would expect us to. What is retirement income, what are the employer attitudes, what are employee attitudes, what are the lingering concerns despite the new protections provided in the SECURE Act. We also delve into public policy, the legislative environment and where we go from here. I hope you get as much out of this as I did!   Guest Bio Douglas S. McIntosh, Jr. is vice president of Investments for Prudential Retirement. In this role, Doug supports the investment product function, working across the enterprise to source best-in-class investment & guaranteed solutions for retirement investors on Prudential’s recordkeeping platform and beyond. His team also oversees third-party asset managers that deliver on the promise to help Americans retire with dignity.  Along with product development responsibilities, he works closely with the firm’s Regulatory and Legislative Affairs groups to promote understanding and use of investments and guaranteed outcome vehicles within DC plans. This work has taken him to the Department of Labor and both houses of Congress, and he is a frequent speaker at industry conferences (eg Institutional Investor, Pensions & Investments, SPARK). Prior to his current role, Doug held the position of vice president, Investments within Prudential Annuities, in which he led all aspects of sales support and strategic direction for that division’s investment platform. Doug previously held the position of vice president, Distribution for Prudential International Investments, creating custom principle-protected and lifelong income products for the world’s largest asset aggregators. Earlier in his career in the United States, Doug held the role of vice president, Distribution for Prudential IncomeFlex within Prudential Retirement.  Prior to working for Prudential Retirement, Doug was Director, International Sales for Mentor Ophthalmics, a specialty medical manufacturer, where he ran distribution in Europe, Asia and Latin America. This work was an outgrowth of his time working hands-on with patients in a large, international vitreoretinal medical and surgical practice (Retina Associates). As a result, he sat in on ophthalmic surgeries on six continents (if we include Australia). Direct interaction with patients and practitioners, in both the office and surgical suite, gave Doug a deep understanding of ocular anatomy, pathology and surgical technique, an interest which he maintains until the present.   Doug holds an MBA with Distinction in International Management & Finance from Cornell University, and received a B.A. in English & Communications from Fairfield University. Doug is currently a board member of both the Connecticut Secure Retirement Authority Board, and the Center for Latino Progress, and was formerly the chairman of the Pension Board for the Town of West Hartford CT. He speaks Spanish, French and Italian in addition to English, plus a little Portuguese.    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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!

Today’s episode came by request from several listeners, so thank you for that! The topic is retirement plan fees. My guest is Jim Scheinberg, Managing Partner of North Pier Search Consulting and North Pier Fiduciary Management. We started off with some basics on fees, then get into some of the tricker considerations such as how do you charge fees to plan participants, per head or pro-rata, how do you account for proprietary products when evaluating fees, whether institutional share classes are really the best choice and much more. We also left some things on the table as we ran out of time, so please send me your feedback and questions to feedback@401kfridays.com and I will get that worked into a part two with Jim. Also, the timing of that will be based on your feedback, the more we get, the sooner he will be back!   Also, if you have been enjoying the the podcast, next time you are on your favorite podcast app please leave us a rating or review. Those go a long way to help more people find the podcast and to help our show continue to grow.    That’s it, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Jim!   Guest Bio Born and raised in the North Suburbs of Chicago, Jim Scheinberg 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 is a published author, a frequently quoted resource to journalists, a regular speaker at industry conferences, and guest on finance podcasts. Jim also regularly serves as a consulting expert for U.S. government regulatory agencies and as an expert witness for ERISA litigation. He is also a member of the Chancellor's Cabinet of UCLA, sitting on the Board of Visitors of the Political Science Department. Jim passionately serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for foster care youth in the Los Angeles County Children's Court system. Jim 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 with institutional fiduciary clients. 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, participant-directed plan sponsors. In 2008, Jim and key members of CSG founded North Pier. Professional Activities Member of the Board of Visitors of the UCLA Political Science Department Member of the Sharpe Fellows Selection Committee of the UCLA Economics Department Member of Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA) Court Appointed Special Advocate for the Los Angeles County Children's Court   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 200 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!