The Fiduciary U™ Podcast

On this episode, Rebecca Hourihan from 401(k) Marketing and I discuss the changes in marketing strategies over the past decade and the importance of differentiation in the industry. She emphasizes the visual identity of advisors' websites and the need to showcase their office and team to create familiarity and connection with potential clients. She also highlights the significance of brand guidelines and professional photography in conveying a unique client experience.She suggests focusing on email marketing campaigns, LinkedIn engagement, and maintaining an active blog to attract and retain clients. We discuss the importance of building a rewarding culture, designing an effective content strategy, and leveraging technology in the retirement industry.We also explore the limitations and benefits of AI in content creation, the challenges of outdated technology, and the value of investing in the right tools and resources.Additionally, we highlight the need for retirement advisors to view technology as an investment rather than an expense and the importance of storytelling and messaging in delivering high-value content. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the importance of leveraging technology and expertise to enhance the advisor's business and client experience.

In this conversation, I interview Justin Tarantin, the CEO of Venrollment, a participant engagement platform for retirement plans. We discuss the challenges of in-person education, the birth of Venrollment, the impact of COVID-19, and the importance of branding and differentiation. We also explore how Venrollment enables advisors to target the small plan market and deliver value to plan sponsors. Justin shares his career arc and the vision for Venrollment's future, including expanding into health benefits. The conversation concludes with a discussion on integrating retirement and health benefits and the challenges that come with it. We discuss the challenges and pain points in the retirement space and the importance of understanding the advisor pain points. We also explore the complexity of implementing new tools and the advantage of newer solutions with less technical debt. The focus is on making the advisor's life easier and finding simple solutions to complex challenges. Delegating and outsourcing lower-value activities is emphasized, as well as empowering education specialists. The conversation highlights the importance of investing in technology and using it to educate employees. Listeners are encouraged to connect with Venrollment for more information.

Welcome to Part 2 of episode #47 of the Fiduciary UÔ Podcast.   My guest today is Bill Chetney, Jr. from Viking Cove Institute.  Bill's dad Bill Chetney Sr. arguably created the first aggregator with National Retirement Partners (NRP), eventually selling it to LPL, and ultimately created GRPAA.  Now it's Bill Jr.'s turn to lead the organization forward and today he shares his vision for what that looks like. On the show we cover a lot of ground around topics and the various ways Viking Cove Institue supports the independent advisor community through a combination of resources like training and educations, fintech solutions and partnerships, and favorable economics with product providers to create institutional scale that Viking Cove members can leverage to compete more effectively within the marketplace.

Welcome to Part 1 of episode #47 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast.   My guest today is Bill Chetney, Jr. from Viking Cove Institute.  Bill's dad Bill Chetney Sr. arguably created the first aggregator with National Retirement Partners (NRP), eventually selling it to LPL, and ultimately created GRPAA.  Now it's Bill Jr.'s turn to lead the organization forward and today he shares his vision for what that looks like. On the show we cover a lot of ground around topics and the various ways Viking Cove Institue supports the independent advisor community through a combination of resources like training and educations, fintech solutions and partnerships, and favorable economics with product providers to create institutional scale that Viking Cove members can leverage to compete more effectively within the marketplace.

Welcome to Part 2 of episode #46 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast.   My guest today is Liz Davidson from Financial Finesse and this is her second time on the show.On this episode, we discuss her new book, Money Strong: Your Guide to a Life Free of Financial Worries, her "START" framework which outlines a universal process that can be applied to anyone's financial life regardless of where they are, her writing process, why Financial Finesse focuses on "coaching" vs. "advice" to employees, their "Powered By" division which provides a combination of technology and coaching infrastructure to partners, how AI and mass personalization can help reach more people and drive transformational change, the behavioral and psychological aspects to financial stress, and much more.

Welcome to Part 1 of episode #46 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast.   My guest today is Liz Davidson from Financial Finesse and this is her second time on the show.On this episode, we discuss her new book, Money Strong: Your Guide to a Life Free of Financial Worries, her "START" framework which outlines a universal process that can be applied to anyone's financial life regardless of where they are, her writing process, why Financial Finesse focuses on "coaching" vs. "advice" to employees, their "Powered By" division which provides a combination of technology and coaching infrastructure to partners, how AI and mass personalization can help reach more people and drive transformational change, the behavioral and psychological aspects to financial stress, and much more.

Welcome to Part 2 of episode #45 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast.    My guest today is Bonnie Treichel from Endeavour Retirement.  I've been a fan of Bonnie's for some time and she is seemingly everyone these days sharing her thought leadership as well as her practice management tools and resources for advisors.  She's one of the voices in the retirement industry that I greatly admire, and listeners will glean a lot of wisdom from this episode. Bonnie has a unique background, as both an ERISA attorney and former advisors, and it shows in how she communicates her ideas philosophies, and methodologies.   On the show we do a deep dive into hot fiduciary topics like ESG, guaranteed income, an implementation framework for SECURE 2.0, the benefit of developing what she calls a “partnership wheel, the highs and lows of the startup journey, and more.

Welcome to Part 1 of episode #45 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast.    My guest today is Bonnie Treichel from Endeavour Retirement.  I've been a fan of Bonnie's for some time and she is seemingly everyone these days sharing her thought leadership as well as her practice management tools and resources for advisors.  She's one of the voices in the retirement industry that I greatly admire, and listeners will glean a lot of wisdom from this episode. Bonnie has a unique background, as both an ERISA attorney and former advisors, and it shows in how she communicates her ideas philosophies, and methodologies.   On the show we do a deep dive into hot fiduciary topics like ESG, guaranteed income, an implementation framework for SECURE 2.0, the benefit of developing what she calls a “partnership wheel, the highs and lows of the startup journey, and more.

Welcome to Part 2 of episode #44 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast.  My guest on this episode is John Faustino, who is the Head of FI360. John has become a good friend and incredible mentor of mine as I have pivoted into the fintech world, and we had a great conversation where we covered a lot of ground. John has a 30+ year career in the fintech industry, first at Morningstar, then moving Fi360 as Chief Product & Strategy Officer, and continuing as the organizational leader after its acquisition by Broadridge.On this episode, we discuss topics that range from how the technology landscape for advisors is evolving, the trend towards collaboration and partnership between fintech providers which is leading to a better experience for end users, the generational differences between advisors and how this impact technology adoption, how technology is empowering new solutions like guaranteed income and ESG, why the trend towards fiduciary practices and principles is going to accelerate and much more. Make sure to listen to Parts 1 & 2 with your favorite podcast app!

Welcome to Part 1 of episode #44 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast.  I've broken this one into 2 parts so make sure to check both of them out. You won't want to miss either one.My guest on this episode is John Faustino, who is the Head of FI360. John has become a good friend and incredible mentor of mine as I have pivoted into the fintech world, and we had a great conversation where we covered a lot of ground. John has a 30+ year career in the fintech industry, first at Morningstar, then moving Fi360 as Chief Product & Strategy Officer, and continuing as the organizational leader after its acquisition by Broadridge.On this episode, we discuss topics that range from how the technology landscape for advisors is evolving, the trend towards collaboration and partnership between fintech providers which is leading to a better experience for end users, the generational differences between advisors and how this impact technology adoption, how technology is empowering new solutions like guaranteed income and ESG, why the trend towards fiduciary practices and principles is going to accelerate and much more. Make sure to listen to Parts 1 & 2 with your favorite podcast app!

Welcome to Part 2 of episode #43 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast. My guest on this episode is Aaron Schumm, Founder & CEO of Vestwell.  This is Aaron's second time on the podcast since first appearing in 2020 as my second guest on the show.  A lot has changed since then and Vestwell's success has gone nuclear, making them a dominant force in the small plan recordkeeping market.  On this episode, we discuss topics that range from developing systems and workflows that scale, service models that succeed, how Vestwell is empowering the next generation of retirement savers by making advisors and TPA more efficient, crypto, and more.  And so with that introduction I hope you enjoy this episode with Aaron Schumm. Make sure to listen to Parts 1 & 2 with your favorite podcast app!

Welcome to Part 1 of episode #43 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast. It's been a few months since I released a podcast – the end of the year was pretty crazy launching a lot of new features and functionality in my FiduciaryRx platform which required a lot of my focus and attention.  But now I'm back and have some really exciting guests scheduled over the new couple of months.  Like my more recent episodes, I've broken this one into 2 parts and releasing both so make sure to check each of them out. You won't want to miss either one. My guest on this episode is Aaron Schumm, Founder & CEO of Vestwell.  This is Aaron's second time on the podcast since first appearing in 2020 as my second guest on the show.  A lot has changed since then and Vestwell's success has gone nuclear, making them a dominant force in the small plan recordkeeping market.  On this episode, we discuss topics that range from developing systems and workflows that scale, service models that succeed, how Vestwell is empowering the next generation of retirement savers by making advisors and TPA more efficient, crypto, and more.  And so with that introduction I hope you enjoy this episode with Aaron Schumm. Make sure to listen to Parts 1 & 2 with your favorite podcast app!

In Part 2 of episode #42 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast, Michael Doshier of T. Rowe Price and I continue our discussion on large market consulting and product trends.

Welcome to episode #42 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast.  Like last episode, I broke this one into 2 parts and I'm releasing both at the same time so make sure to check out both.  You won't want to miss either one.   My guest on this episode is Michael Doshier, who is a Senior Defined Contribution Advisor Strategist for T. Rowe Price where he is primarily responsible for driving the increased visibility of T Rowe Price's investment brand, furthering the firm's position as a thought leader in the retirement arena.  He's been in the retirement industry for 30 years and previously held executive positions at Fidelity, MassMutual and Franklin Templeton Investments. This is Michael's second time on the podcast.  During his first appearance, he shared his insights from T. Rowe Price's inaugural 2020 Defined Contribution Consultant Study.  On today's episode, he'll be sharing his insights from T. Rowe Price's 2021 Defined Contribution Consultant Study which included survey responses from 32 consulting firms that work with over 33,000 plan sponsor clients and more than $7 trillion in assets under advisement. It also incorporated over 450 plan sponsors survey directly by T. Rowe Price and nearly 6,500 plan participants from T. Rowe Price recordkeeping clients.  We discuss topics like price competition and margin compression faced by consultants and advisors, how the competitive lines are blurring between the two, how to improve firm profitability, which services and capabilities provide differentiation opportunities as well as plan sponsor and participant attitudes towards things like retirement decumulation, financial wellness, student debt, and HSAs, among other things.  And make sure to listen to the end of Part 2 where Michael shares his best piece of practice management advice for consultants and advisors.  And so, with that introduction, I hope you enjoy part 1 of this episode with Michael Dozier from T. Rowe Price.

In Part 2 of episode #41 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast, Chad Johansen of Plan Design Consultants and I continue our discussion on how advisors can win big in the small retirement plan market.

Welcome to episode #41 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast. I am going to try something a little different with this episode. I recently co-hosted Retireholics and a few people were giving me a hard time about how long the episodes are, even though they love the content. I conducted a poll on LinkedIn and 52% of people said they prefer breaking each episode into 2 parts. Not a huge majority but since this episode is a little longer than usual, I'm going to try it out and see what type of feedback I get. I am releasing Parts 1 and 2 at the same time so make sure to check out both episodes. You won't want to miss either one. I can't promise I stick with this format, but we'll see how it goes.  My guest on this episode is Chad Johansen who is a Partner & Director of Retirement Plan Sales at Plan Design Consultants, a very successful TPA that focuses on the micro and small retirement plan market. He's also ¼ of the Retireholics and self-proclaimed 401(k) nerd. The moniker works because, along with being one of my best friends in the business, he's also one of the smartest guys I know in the industry. He's successfully serves advisors and plan sponsors by combining a technical mind, a savvy sales approach and an unparalleled work ethic. On the episode, we cover a lot of ground, discussing how advisors can win big by serving the small retirement plan market. We have a great conversation about which providers are doing a good job in that space. How small plan's need a different level of service than large plans and how advisors can develop a skill set and service model that meets those needs in a profitable way. Chad also shares insights about how advisors can differentiate by focusing on tax efficient strategies and advantages for small businesses as well as the benefit of paying fees as a deductible business expense. We also cover topics like why fiduciary liability is oversold in small plans and why advisors should focus on helping plan sponsors avoid operational failures, winning analogies to explain complicated topics, and why advisors need to understand the value of their time and start looking at technology as an investment instead of as an expense to scale their business and drive operational efficiency.  I always love geeking out with Chad and had a great time on this episode. I hope you enjoy Part 1.  Don't forget to check out Part 2!

Welcome to episode #40 of the Fiduciary U Podcast.  My guest on this episode is Andy Hudson, the Managing Partner of 401k Champions and a well-known coach, consultant, and sales strategy expert to top 401k advisors, typically generating $1m+ in annual revenue.  He started his consulting practice over a decade ago after more than a decade in the retirement industry at companies like John Hancock and Manulife. On the episode, we have a great discussion about practice management for retirement plan advisors and how they can work on their business instead of just in the business.  We cover sales strategies like the importance of building a proprietary process to differentiate your practice, demonstrating deep expertise by diagnosing accurately so you can prescribe effectively, avoiding the urge to sell prospects on what services you offer instead of future outcomes you can achieve, and how to create a flexible narrative and messaging approach that can be applied to the unique needs of your prospects.  Finally, we also discuss Andy's consulting philosophy which is built around 3 pillars: sales and lead generation, service model and growth map and how advisors can identify their biggest business driver so they can focus on that area.

My guest on this episode is the one and only Sheri Fitts. When it comes to financial services sales and marketing, Sheri is a gifted speaker, consultant, and creator and I always enjoy learning from her. One of the things I love about Sheri is her ENERGY. Her passion for connecting emotional intelligence and digital influence, what she calls Digital EQ, really comes through in this episode. We focus a lot of our conversation on the human aspect of financial services and how we communicate with our clients and prospects. We chat about the power of storytelling, how and why advisors need to get super clear about their purposes and values, why vulnerability is a superpower but can't be “hacked” for social media purposes, and why first impressions matter so much. Plus, much more.

My guest today is Ben Pitts from TIFIN Wealth.  Ben has a background as an advisor and is a Partner at TIFIN which is a venture backed fintech company that has raised nearly $200m and offers advisors a portfolio of solutions including a natural language investment research platform called Magnifi, a digital marketing platform called Clout, a risk assessment platform and a lightweight financial planning platform called TIFIN Plan.We focus a lot of our conversation on the need for fintech that allows advisors to enhance the participant experience, how advisors can deliver personalized financial wellness and advice to participants in profitably and efficiently, how to bring financial planning to the main street, and how TIFIN Plan empowers these planning-focused conversations with participants rather than just investment-focused discussions.

On today's episode the one and only Fred Reish joins me to discuss emerging regulatory trends affecting advisory firms and advisors. Fun fact - Fred is the first repeat guest on the show.During our conversation, we focus much of our discussion on the new fiduciary advice exemption, PTE 2020-02 which became effective on February 16, 2021. The new prohibited transaction rules cast a wide net, impacting both qualified plans and IRAs and the compliance requirements are significant. Fred shares his concerns about the confusion he is seeing with regard to the effective compliance dates, the new and expanded requirements that both advisory firms and advisors must adhere here to, how the new rules create conflicts of interest when making rollover recommendations and what must be done to mitigate these issues, and how different types of firms are approaching education vs. specific advice on the different rollover options as well as how they are dealing with the new disclosure requirements. Towards the end of the show, we also discuss the recent (and controversial) sub-regulatory guidance by the DOL on cryptocurrencies, why this guidance was so much different and explicit than the norm, practical considerations for firms and advisors when advising on crypto for plan sponsors, and how the guidance on crypto and private equity are closely aligned.

Today we have the pleasure of welcoming two very exciting guests to the show. Jeanne Sutton and Jake Rushton both work for Strategic Retirement Partners (SRP), with Jeanne's title being the Managing Director and Jake's the Managing Director & Director of Retirement Plans. They are two of the biggest social media stars and brand builders in the retirement industry, and in this episode, we cover a wide variety of topics, including social media strategies and execution.Listen in to learn why they both decided to get involved in social media marketing, their goals and objectives, and the audiences they're trying to reach. You'll learn how to build a personal brand, where they get their ideas, and the tools they use to make their jobs easier. Social media is a strong tool for growing any business, so if you're searching for a way to up-level your marketing, this is the episode for you.

For more than 20 years, Jason Chepenik has been recognized as a thought leader and advocate for the retirement industry, testifying in 2008 before the Department of Labor's ERISA Advisory Council on the spend-down issues of corporate retirement plans. Jason joins the show today to discuss numerous interesting topics, including his transition from running and owning his family business to selling to OneDigital where he is currently the Senior Vice President of Retirement and Wealth.Listen in as Jason explains why he believes his openness to creativity at OneDigital has allowed him to stay focused, driven and motivated, as well as what the transition to a more corporate role has entailed for him. You will learn the importance of community engagement, how to manage vendor relationships, and what Jason believes it means to be fearless.

Michael Kirschman is the Co-Founder of Plan Notice, a new service that helps companies track and manage communications with its retirement plan participants. Today Michael joins the show to discuss the interesting path that he followed to becoming a financial advisor, how he came up with the idea for Plan Notice, and his unique approach to pricing for his service.Listen in as he shares a bit about his background running his family's furniture business and how this led to an opportunity for him to become an advisor with the wealth management firm that had previously served his family. You will learn the importance of documenting your process, the value of setting expectations from the beginning, and how to have more conversations and get more people in the door. 

Providing women with a voice and a seat at the table in the leadership of advisory firms is an essential step toward the equality this industry needs. Today's guest, Leah Sylvester, knows this as well as anyone. A Partner and Director of Retirement Plan Services for Shepherd Financial, LLC., Leah joins the show today to share both her successes and failures with the kind of honesty that is incredibly powerful to hear.Listen in as she shares her thoughts on mentors and the critical role they play in the next generation's development. You will learn the benefit of being vulnerable in the workplace (regardless of how hard it is), how Leah has recalibrated her life outlook both personally and professionally, and what men can do to lift women up within their organizations.

Our guest today is Troy Redstone, the founder of PHD. Retirement Consulting and the author of two books, Repurposement and 401(k) Architecture. He is currently the President of the Retirement Advisor Council, and he has also served as the President and Chair of the Employee Benefits Institute. In this episode, Troy and I discuss why a company's corporate culture is a good indicator of whether they will be a good client and commit to running a successful plan.Listen in as Troy shares key insights from his latest book, as well as how to optimize plan design by leveraging behavioral finance. You will learn how to cast a vision for plan sponsors so that they can aspire to better outcomes, why Troy has chosen to build a boutique firm that is solely focused on retirement plans (not wealth management), and how you can learn to chase the thing that really gives you purpose. 

Our guest today is Tom Schrandt, Vice President at Lockton Affinity LLC, a Lockton Companies subsidiary that specializes in insuring small businesses, non-profits, associations, groups, and franchises. Due to ERISA litigation, the fiduciary liability insurance market is really in turmoil— many plan sponsors either can't get coverage or they're being quoted pretty insane deductibles that make it inaccessible. So, in this episode, Tom will be talking in-depth about what is happening.Listen in as we discuss the current market for fiduciary liability insurance and how it's changed due to ERISA litigation. You will learn why many carriers are backing away from this market due to fear or lack of understanding, what plan sponsors and their advisors can do to respond, and why it's more important than ever to work with an insurance partner who specializes in what you require for your business. 

Marko Ungaschick is the CEO of GoalPath Solutions and a Founding Partner at Two West Advisors, which collectively have over $300B in assets under management. Marko has led GoalPath to become one of the industry's leading partners in helping advisors build and grow successful retirement practices. Today Marko joins the show to discuss advisor outsourcing, delivering financial wellness, managing accounts, and retirement income.Marko has seen a lot of success in his innovative ways, and he really drives home the importance of learning from your wins, as well as your losses. Listen in to learn why working together with your team and learning from others in the industry is an essential part of the path to success. If you are searching for entrepreneurial and innovative inspiration within the retirement planning space, this episode is for you.

My guest today is Stuart Ritter who is Retirement Insights Leader at T. Rowe Price. A gifted researcher, communicator, and thought leader in the retirement industry, Stuart joins me to discuss T. Rowe Price's recently published research on retirees' spending and savings patterns, preferences, and priorities—much of which flies in the face of conventional wisdom.Listen in as Stuart shares the difference between retiree spenders versus savers, as well as the behavioral tendencies of each group. You will learn what brings people the most satisfaction in retirement, the tools T. Rowe Price has created for advisors to be in a better position to understand where an individual is in the range from spending to saving, and more.

My guest today is Jim Sampson, the Director of Retirement Advisory Services at Hilb Group Retirement Services. Jim has an amazing ability to simplify complex ideas and spends a significant amount of time educating his clients to ensure they know exactly what is going on at all times. In this episode, Jim and I discuss the merger of his prior firm into Hilb in 2015, as well as the benefits of being part of a large P&C agency. Listen in as he explains his strategy of being an "internal retirement wholesaler" to the P&C teams and how this has supercharged his team's growth. You will learn how he uses stories to communicate financial jargon in a way that clients can understand, why he never uses the word “fee", and why his firm has avoided getting into wealth management.

Today my guest is Holly Knight, Director of Retirement Outcomes for Sapers & Wallack. Holly leads their financial wellness initiatives, utilizing technology and analytics, as well as active listening and experience to guide plan participants toward the goals they want to achieve for retirement—and beyond. In this episode, Holly and I discuss her personal story of growing up in poverty and her experience with the behavioral aspects of coaching and counseling employees. Listen in as Holly shares what it was like being emancipated from her family in her teenage years and the financial wellness program she has designed and launched for her firm. You'll hear about the lessons she learned from deploying a comprehensive wellness solution, her experience with financial wellness specifically as it relates to women, and where she thinks the future of financial advice is going. 

Alex Assaley is the managing principal at AFS 401(k) Retirement Services, LLC. In his role, he makes complex retirement plans simple for employers by helping them navigate the myriad of regulatory and oversight requirements. Alex does not need any introduction in the advisory space, having been named as one of NAPA's top retirement plan advisors under 40. Today he joins the show to discuss how the fiduciary advisor role has evolved over the years and his reasoning for staying independent in the midst of the current M&A environment.Listen in as we talk about the financial wellness offering Alex and his team created, as well as the battle for employee advice and who is in the best position to deliver it. You will hear advice for general practice management, how to segment clients based on size and scope, and Alex's strategic priorities for his team and clients.

Ary Rosenbaum is an ERISA/retirement plan attorney for his firm, The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C., where he helps plan sponsors reduce their plan cost, facilitate administration, and limit their fiduciary liability. Today Ary joins the show to discuss how M&A is impacting the industry in general (including TPA firms), what advisors should look for in TPA partners, and how to be a better partner yourself. He also shares sound advice for starting a firm on your own and how to get referrals.Listen in as we talk about the importance of sticking with what you know as a service provider, as well as how accepting responsibility is one of the most important things service providers can do for their client relationships. You will learn why plan sponsors need to read their contracts when hiring service providers, why Ary decided to launch That 401(k) Conference, and more.

Jania Stout is Managing Director and Co-Founder of Fiduciary Plan Advisors, which was recently acquired by One Digital. Jania is one of the most well-known advisors within the industry and a great ambassador for the retirement profession. On today's episode, she joins the show to discuss her journey to becoming a hugely successful independent advisor, as well as her advice for building a thriving culture within your firm.Listen in as Jania explains why she chose to leave a very successful career on the recordkeeping side of the business to become an advisor, how she has seen change in the role of advisors over the previous decade and her prediction that the advisor of the future will need to become an "engagement expert". You will learn about her passion for financial wellness and her motivation and process for finding a M&A partner. Lastly, she shares her mission to help American workers feel less stressed and be happier with their lives—a mission most of us can get behind!

Vince Morris is the President of OneDigital's retirement & wealth division as well as its registered investment adviser, OneDigital Investment Advisors. Vince is a rock-star within the industry, providing key insights and guidance as OneDigital supports holistic workforce strategy conversations surrounding the convergence of health, wealth, and retirement. Today he joins the show to have a conversation about the state of retirement industry trends and what advisors should look for when considering an M&A partner.Listen in as the origins of resources investment advisors as part of the Bukaty Companies and how they got into the aggregator business. You will learn about the M&A tear he and the OneDigital team have been on over the past 12 to 18 months, the importance of partnering with the right record keepers, and how managed accounts are enhancing the overall retirement experience for employees.

Will Collins-Dean is a Senior Portfolio Manager & Vice President as well as Chair of the Investment Stewardship Committee at Dimensional Fund Advisors, where he translates academic research into sustainable investment solutions for his clients. Today he joins the show to discuss environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies, specifically the landscape of ESG investing and the different issues each area tries to target.Listen in as we cover how approaches to ESG impact the long-term strategies of publicly traded companies and the ERISA implications based on DOL guidance. You will learn the importance of conducting due diligence as a plan advisor, as well as what that may entail. We also go over the approach that Dimensional takes to design and implement ESG strategies.  

Chris Walters is the founder and CEO of GradFin, a financial services technology company that provides innovative solutions that address America's student debt crisis. He has helped thousands of borrowers find savings on their student loans and stay in compliance with the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Today Chris joins the show to discuss the current legislative environment as it relates to student loan debt and the advancements he hopes to see in terms of further student loan forgiveness.Listen in as we talk about the likelihood that federal student loan forbearance will be further extended and the impact of the Secure Act 2.0 on retirement. You will learn about the solutions they have created at GradFin to help students deal with refinancing and how they work with financial advisors. 

Liz Davidson is the CEO and Founder of Financial Finesse, a Los Angeles based firm providing millions of Americans with access to unbiased financial guidance through workplace financial wellness solutions. As an advocate for investors, Liz is a pioneer of the financial wellness movement, and she joins the show today to discuss the benefit of providing financial coaching and education instead of advice, as well as how this is complementary to most advisors.Listen in as she shares the origins of her company and her large team of personal financial coaches, who are all CFPs with a minimum of ten years of experience. You will learn about their financial wellness “think tank,” which provides in-depth research and resources about everything happening in the financial wellness movement, and their new tech platform, Artificial Intelligence Motivating Employees Everywhere (AIMEE).

My guest today is Jerry Schlichter, founding and managing partner of Schlichter Bogard & Denton. If you work in the retirement industry or are a fiduciary to a mega plan, you know all about Jerry.  He's been featured in numerous national publications, including The New York Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, USA Today, and the The Wall Street Journal, for his success in pioneering claims of excessive fees in defined contribution plans, obtaining precedent-setting results against large employers.  There's a reason he's been called “public enemy no. 1 for 401(k) profiteers” and  “the industry's most feared attorney”. In this episode, he discusses the economics of taking on 401(k) and 403(b) cases, as well as the past, present and future of retirement plan litigation.  Listen in as we talk in depth about emerging litigation areas like data as a plan asset and the potential risks of cross-selling additional services to participants. You will also hear his thoughts on how litigation will become increasingly more complex over time, whether litigation will continue to come down market and his best advice for ERISA fiduciaries.  

Our guest today is Nevin Adams, the Chief Content Officer for the American Retirement Association, where he is responsible for all marketing and communicating for the organization. Nevin is one of the most well-respected and thoughtful industry commentators within the retirement space, and I am thrilled to have him on the show. In this episode, we discuss the current ERISA litigation environment and what this means for the future. Listen in to learn about the potential impact of a financial transactions tax and student loan debt, as well as the possibility of capping deductibility of retirement contributions for high earners and more. 

Many of us spend years preparing for a future we expect, but when it comes down to it, things never seem to go as planned. Our guest today is a big believer in planning for the unexpected, as life has a tendency to throw us curve-balls. Ross Marino, Founder of Transitus Wealth Partners and CEO of Advisor2X, joins the show to discuss his new book Shaping Change: How To Respond When Life Disrupts Your Retirement Plan as well as how to be flexible and adaptable to change.  Listen in as we talk about how Ross has dealt with adversity in his own life and how advisors can coach their clients through major life transitions. You will learn why he re-branded his flagship conference from Excel 401(k) to Wealth@wor(k) and how to prepare your clients for retirement, even with the knowledge that things may change. 

How can retirement plan advisors leverage technology to drive efficiency and increase profitability when conducting RFPs? My guest today is Benetic CEO Ray Conley. Benetic is a new advisor-centric platform that brings together record keepers, asset managers, and other service providers. Advisors can search for and select plan service providers, choose a fund lineup, and generate a proposal in minutes making the selection and maintenance of retirement plan services easier and more efficient.On today's episode, Ray and I discuss his background as a venture capitalist and fintech in the ERISA space. We also take a deep dive into Benetic, how the platform works, the revenue model, how data and privacy is handled, as well as much more.

A retirement plan audit tends to be pretty low on the "fun" scale for most plan sponsors.  However, plan audits are both required for larger plans and play an important role in the successful management of a retirement plan. Today Brad Bartells, Partner and Plan Auditor at MUN CPAs, will be joining the show to share his expertise on how plan sponsors can prepare for their plan audit and what advisors can do to assist them.  Listen in as Brad breaks down what plan sponsors should look for in a plan auditor, how auditors can provide additional value to client relationships, a recently released new audit standard, cybersecurity issues, and DOL areas of focus for 2021.

Matt Wolniewicz is the President of Income America, and he holds a board advisory role with Prime Capital Investment Advisors. A 25-year veteran of the financial services industry, he previously served as President of Fi360 and a Senior Executive at Morningstar. His new role with Income America is a really interesting one because it brings together several industry leaders to create a target date solution that provides a guaranteed lifetime income. In this episode, Matt shares how his experience with his father's retirement laid the groundwork for his passion to bring guaranteed income to all Americans. Listen in as he shares how he is working to do that through his role at Income America, what it means to be a fiduciary, and what Matt sees as the future of fiduciary in the financial services industry.

David Levine is a Principal at Groom Law Group and a well-known voice in the industry on fiduciary and retirement issues. Co-chair of the firm's employer focus practice, David advises plan sponsors, advisors, and other service providers on a wide range of employee benefits matters. Today he joins the show to discuss how the election results and control of Congress by the Democrats may impact the retirement industry and some of the key elements of the Secure Act 2.0 that was introduced in October with strong bipartisan support. Listen in to hear what's happening in the space of MEPs and PEPs. David will also shed light on the litigation environment that has been coming to the forefront lately and the future showdown brewing between advisors and recordkeepers for the future of financial wellness. 

JD Carlson is the owner of Plan Design Consultants, a third-party administrator that was started by his father and has been in business for nearly 50 years. JD is also the host of the popular web show, Retireholi(k)s, a series of laid-back videos on 401(k) retirement plan industry topics. Today he joins the show to discuss the critical role of a third-party administrator (TPA) and how his firm strives to differentiate themselves from other TPAs by delivering their SmartEasyAwesome service model.  Listen in as JD shares his thoughts on fees, the convergence of health, retirement, and wellness, and how the hunger for participant data is shaping the industry—creating both benefits and potential risks for plan sponsors and advisors. All this from one of the most colorful (and astute) pros in the industry.

Katherine Roy is the Chief Retirement Strategist at J.P. Morgan and has focused on the retirement income-related landscape for more than 15 years. A top speaker at major industry and firm-specific conferences, Katherine's focus is on delivering timely retirement-related insights to financial advisors to help them successfully partner with clients to meet their unique retirement needs.In this episode, she shares insights about retiree spending behavior patterns, sequence of return risk, the impact of healthcare costs on retirement income and spending, and the role of guaranteed income for plan participants and retirees.  You'll also learn how plan sponsors and advisors can redesign the participant experience to incorporate retirement income tiers that meet the evolving needs of participants who choose to stay in-plan, post-retirement.

Michael Doshier is a Senior Defined Contribution Advisor Strategist at T. Rowe Price where he is primarily responsible for furthering the firm's position as a thought leader in the retirement arena. Michael has been in the retirement industry for over thirty years and joins the show to share his insights from T. Rowe's 2020 Defined Contribution Consultant Study. Listen in as we discuss emerging trends facing retirement advisors like improving and aligning communication with plan sponsor clients, the growing trends towards delegated investment solutions like OCIO and 3(38) engagements, expanded participant solutions such as financial wellness, student debt, and HSA offerings, and a framework for advisors and plan sponsors to evaluate longevity risk and architect tiered retirement income solutions.

Eugeny Prudchyenko is the co-founder and CEO of EvoShare, an innovative cashback rewards platform that allows people to save for retirement while shopping online or locally. EvoShare is unique in that it encourages consumers to do what they do best—spend money—while also helping them to save by giving cashback rewards toward things like their 401(k), 403(b), HSA, and brokerage accounts. Listen in as Eugeny shares how the idea for EvoShare was sparked by a billboard, how the company overcame the challenges they faced due to ERISA, and how EvoShare creates a unique alignment between spending and saving. You'll learn how there is a growing demand for EvoShare in the wealth management space and what Eugeny believes will happen if the 401(k) industry doesn't start to embrace new technologies.

Diane Gallagher is Vice President of Value-Add Programs at American Century Investments, where she leads the development of value-add content for financial advisors, plan sponsors, and individual investors. She is also the firm's spokesperson on retirement investing and chairs the American Century Investments Retirement Plan Committee. With over 25 years of communications experience in the retirement industry, Diane has a wealth of knowledge she shares in this episode that will no doubt make you a smarter ERISA fiduciary. She'll be dishing out key insights from American Century Investments' latest survey, discussing how we should be reframing expectations for people in their retirement years, and sharing her experience being a named defendant in an ERISA 401k fee lawsuit that was ultimately dismissed due to meticulous preparation and fiduciary process.

Jen Benz is a leading voice in the employee benefits industry and owned one of the top 100 woman-owned businesses in the Bay Area from 2012-2019 when her company, Benz Communications, was acquired by the Segal Group. She is now a senior vice-president at Segal Benz, heading up the communications practice, where she continues her fantastic track record of helping companies drive exceptional results through better communication.  In this episode, Jen shares the importance of effective employee benefits communications, how to leverage behavioral science to make communication easier and more impactful, and how HR leaders can design benefits programs that better meet the needs of their employees. You'll hear her best advice for navigating through information overload to ensure that the messaging cuts through the noise, as well as what she sees as the future of benefits programs after the pandemic is over.

Aaron Klein is the co-founder and CEO of Riskalyze, one of the most popular risk alignment tools in the financial services industry today, whose mission is to empower the world to invest fearlessly by pinpointing an investor's risk number to build just the right portfolio for every individual. He is also the co-founder of Hope Takes Root, an initiative that is changing the future for orphans and at-risk kids in Ethiopia. Listen in as Aaron and I discuss how the global pandemic has launched us into a "risk-first" decade, why financial advisors without a risk alignment tool in 2020 are like advisors without computers in 2000, and why using a quantitative approach to risk assessment is superior to a qualitative one. You'll hear how the Risk Number® can help financial advisors harness investor behavior rather than change it, and his single best piece of advice for making ERISA fiduciaries smarter by getting participants fully bought into their investments.  You'll also hear his personal story about international adoption, and what led him and his wife to co-found Hope Takes Root.