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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!
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.
Our 20th podcast episode is now available for your enjoyment. On this episode we interviewed JD Carlson. He is the co-founder of the Retireholiks and owner of Plan Design Consultants, Inc. In our interview we discuss JD Carlson's origins, and how he revolutionized the pension podcast industry. In the mean time, please visit our website www.the401kpodcast.com and subscribe! _________________________________________ Podcast URL: Amazon: https://lnkd.in/emYQZHe Apple: https://lnkd.in/e5qpghC Google: https://lnkd.in/gVzWS2b Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gURts5w Website: https://lnkd.in/g_jpakT YouTube: https://youtu.be/2yhFydLoW8g _________________________________________ Music Credit: Author - ESBBY Beats Song - YFN Lucci X Rod Wave Type Beat - FIEND Youtube - https://lnkd.in/g44rsyP _________________________________________ In the meantime, visit my website https://lnkd.in/gY4VFzh #The401knews #The401kpodcast #fernandorinconjrqka #Jdcarlson #Retireholiks #Plandesignconsultants #401K #Charlesschwab #Fidelityinvestments #Retirement #Retirementplans #Pension #Johnhancock #Nationwide #Tdameritrade #Transamerica #Barackobama #Vanguard #Vanguardgroup #Empower #Voya #Ascensus #Tdameritrade #Morganstanley #Goldmansachs #Leggmason #TIAA #Lazard #Blackrock #ETrade #Ernstyoung #Deloitte #KPMG #PWC #COVID19 #Methodisthealthsystem #Madisonsquaregarden --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the401knews/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the401knews/support
In this episode, Bill and Heather and joined by arguably one of the coolest guys in retirement — Owner of Plan Design Consultants, JD Carlson. JD is also the host of Retireholics, a weekly show where retirement industry professionals get together to talk shop. And, while he spends most of his time talking to folks in varying roles across the retirement plan industry, we've asked him to the podcast to share his own perspective to provide a “state of the industry.” Bill Harmon is a registered representative of Voya Financial Partners, LLC (member SIPC).Plan Design Consultants is not a member of the Voya® family of companies. CN1873214_1022
Chad Johansen is a Partner and Director of Consulting with California-based Plan Design Consultants, and he's also its resident 401k nerd. And thank God for that, because without him, the firm's weekly Retireholi(k)s webcast would devolve into even more of a drunken mess than it already is. If you're completely lost, check out the latest issue of our magazine. In the meantime, Johansen had great insight about the challenges he sees for independent TPAs and 401k advisors, their move towards wealth management, and what the industry can and should do better.
JD Carlson is the owner of Plan Design Consultants, a TPA firm in California. TPAs provide us an interesting perspective on the industry and our clients. How does JD view the “ownership” of a 401(k) plan participant relationship? What does he see happening right now in the industry that he thinks advisors should be watching closely? Who “owns” the participant and the control of the plan sponsor relationship? How is data going to change the way our industry looks in the next 3-5 years? What should advisors be doing right now to prepare? Can specialist 401(k) plan advisors continue to survive? What opportunities does JD see for advisors to battle against fee compression and expand services and revenue? Join Ross for a deep conversation into where our industry is headed from an industry veteran who has seen it all!Resources: Plan Design ConsultantsRetireholi(k)sHeadspaceBook: Shaping ChangeBook: The Innovator's DNA
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.
In episode 21, Mike Webb chats with arguably one of the coolest guys in retirement, J.D. Carlson. Learn how J.D. went from surf shop owner to CEO of TPA firm Plan Design Consultants, Inc., and host of the notorious Retireholi(k)s, a weekly show where retirement industry professionals notoriously get together for a few beers and "talk shop".
On this show, we talked about how you don’t need to be serious all the time to be responsible, how to think about and develop your professional persona, and how to start finding your voice with JD Carlson, Owner of Plan Design Consultants and host of the Retireholi(k)s. Listen to learn how to authentically stand out in a crowded marketplace! For the Difference Making Tip, scan ahead to 20:22! You can learn more about JD at PlanDesign.com, RetireHoliks.com, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Ready to take back control of your attention, health and finances? StriveDetox.com. Enter “moneysavage” at checkout for 25% off. George is honored to be included on Investopedia's list of the Top 100 Financial Advisors for 2019! You can learn more about the show at GeorgeGrombacher.com, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook or contact George at Contact@GeorgeGrombacher.com.
Safe Harbor is only the start to a great plan design. You need to know what questions to ask to steer the business owner in the right direction. They won't have a clue what the gateway percentage is, but you SHOULD! Listen up to learn from one of the best in the industry! Chad Johansen explains how he approaches plan design conversations for professional groups like doctors, dentists, attorneys and engineers. You can see more of Chad on the Retireholi(k)s ( https://www.retireholiks.com/) show or find him hard at work at Plan Design Consultants (https://www.plandesign.com) Next (k)lub Sesh is June 26th 10:30pst/1:30est https://www.401jake.com/sesh --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/401klub/message
Today we have a little fun, I am excited to welcome back J.D. Carlson who by day is the President & CEO of Plan Design Consultants, a Third Party Administration firm and by night is a YouTube sensation as one fourth of the Retireholiks. Our conversation is a follow-up to one we had on the podcast last year where we tackled some tricky workplace retirement terms to either decipher some industry jargon, declare they are pure Gibberish or if they are real terms or concepts that can be confused or jumbled together. I think the conversation we have falls into the edutainment category. Oh, and two things not to miss this week, our bonus question which you can find a 401kfridays.com/jgj2019 and when JD gets fired up towards the end of the episode. While you don’t have to listen to the first version of Jargon, Gibberish or Jumbled, you can find it by scrolling through your favorite podcast app and look for the title Frustrated Complex 401(k) Terms in March of 2018. While you are there, we do have over 175 episodes in our podcast library. If you find something else that catches your eye, give it a listen as well. Our episodes are evergreen and don’t tend to expire over time. Guest Bio We're Plan Design Consultants, Inc. a retirement company that since 1975 has been providing businesses with affordable, quality plans customized to meet the specific needs of our clients. Over four decades in the business has given PDC the experiences we need to evolve our service model to what it is today. A smart, easy process centered on the needs of our clients. A service model designed to be AWESOME! It is our deep understanding of all areas of retirement plans combined with a constant commitment to customer service that sets us apart. We share our expertise with our clients to make sure they are comfortable and confident in making decisions around maintaining a successful Employer sponsored plan. As an independent company, client advocacy is a major strength of our firm. We partner with Financial Advisors to offer our clients a very healthy choice in vendors. A strong understanding of fees and services allows PDC to help clients find the perfect fit. Thousands of retirement plan clients from all over the country have relied on PDC to assist them in offering the right plan to help their employees reach retirement goals. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over one hundred prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!
We are taking a brief summer hiatus. Enjoy this episode from the archives. New episodes will resume again in August. Enjoy! This episode is fresh out of the 401(k) Fridays Podcast experiment lab. Today my guest JD Carlson, the President & CEO of the legendary Third Party Administration firm Plan Design Consultants and Host of the Retireholi(k)s show we poke a little bit of fun with 401(k) speak. Each of us took the time to prepare a few statements that are full of retirement plan terms, or maybe not, and then put the other person on the spot to determine if the statement is Jargon, Gibberish, or Jumbled. We had a lot of fun recording this but want to make sure we weren’t the only ones. Please share your feedback on whether this was entertaining, informative or both or neither. Shoot us an email to feedback@401kfridays.com or leave a comment on LinkedIn to me, Rick Unser or JD Carlson. If the feedback we get is encouraging, we will tackle some additional retirement plan related topics using this format with future guests. The fate of Jargon, Gibberish or Jumbled is in your hands! We also have another first with this episode, we have video! If you want to check that out, go to YouTube and search Plan Design Consultants. Or go to www.401kfridays.com/jgjand I will have a link towards the bottom of the page. 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 one hundred prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!
This episode is fresh out of the 401(k) Fridays Podcast experiment lab. Today my guest JD Carlson, the President & CEO of the legendary Third Party Administration firm Plan Design Consultants and Host of the Retireholi(k)s show we poke a little bit of fun with 401(k) speak. Each of us took the time to prepare a few statements that are full of retirement plan terms, or maybe not, and then put the other person on the spot to determine if the statement is Jargon, Gibberish, or Jumbled. We had a lot of fun recording this but want to make sure we weren’t the only ones. Please share your feedback on whether this was entertaining, informative or both or neither. Shoot us an email to feedback@401kfridays.com or leave a comment on LinkedIn to me, Rick Unser or JD Carlson. If the feedback we get is encouraging, we will tackle some additional retirement plan related topics using this format with future guests. The fate of Jargon, Gibberish or Jumbled is in your hands! We also have another first with this episode, we have video! If you want to check that out, go to YouTube and search Plan Design Consultants. Or go to www.401kfridays.com/jgj and I will have a link towards the bottom of the page. 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 one hundred prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!
An offer to outsource or delegate your fiduciary responsibility for your workplace retirement plan can be pretty tempting! When you think about all the rules, tasks, processes, approvals and for that matter the time that you could save if you didn’t have to do all that work, it might sound really good! However, before you sign on the dotted line, my conversation with J.D. Carlson and Chad Johansen, TPAs with Plan Design Consultants and half of the infamous Retireholi(ks) could be really helpful to gauge what you are signing up for. We start with some best practices and things to know before outsourcing various administrative functions to an ERISA 3(16) fiduciary. As you will hear, if someone flashes their fancy 3(16) fiduciary badge, it can mean a lot of different things. We also share few thoughts on how some of these concepts either do or don’t relate to hiring an ERISA 3(38) investment fiduciary, another way to delegate. And, we had a first on the podcast, I assigned homework. With both of my parents now retired teachers, I guess it was just a matter of time. It involved magic, a staircase and somehow someway it should be really helpful to employers considering delegating various fiduciary responsibilities to a 3(16) fiduciary. You definitely will have to listen to get any perspective on what I just said. To get your very own copy, be sure to go to 401kfridays.com and subscribe to our email list. We will shoot it out once Chad is done with it. Guest Bio We're Plan Design Consultants, Inc. a retirement company that since 1975 has been providing businesses with affordable, quality plans customized to meet the specific needs of our clients. Over four decades in the business has given PDC the experiences we need to evolve our service model to what it is today. A smart, easy process centered on the needs of our clients. A service model designed to be AWESOME! It is our deep understanding of all areas of retirement plans combined with a constant commitment to customer service that sets us apart. We share our expertise with our clients to make sure they are comfortable and confident in making decisions around maintaining a successful Employer sponsored plan. As an independent company, client advocacy is a major strength of our firm. We partner with Financial Advisors to offer our clients a very healthy choice in vendors. A strong understanding of fees and services allows PDC to help clients find the perfect fit. Thousands of retirement plan clients from all over the country have relied on PDC to assist them in offering the right plan to help their employees reach retirement goals. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your workplace retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over eighty prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!
Helping us move from awareness to action this week is JD Carlson. JD is the CEO of Plan Design Consultants and host of the Retireholi(k)s podcast. We covered the challenges American’s are facing with retirement planning and how you can get the most out of your retirement account. You can find out more about JD and what he’s working on at PlanDesign.com , Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. For templates of letters/emails and or talking points referenced in the show, or simply to say “hi” click here.
LISTENUPSHOW Startup Round JD Carlson CEO of Plan Design Consultants their motto and service model: Rockin, Smart, Easy, and Awesome. JD is the host of Retireholi(k)s, Father, Husband, Surfer. Located in San Diego Carlsbad, California. A former professional surfer and now focused entrepreneur. Proud and motivated to take this his family's company to new levels, he lives, breathes and sleeps retirement plans. He is leading PDC's charge of becoming a new kind of TPA that is disrupting the status quo and inventing a better client/advisor experience. JD leads his team of PDCers into their 5th decade as a Third Party Administrator for retirement plans. They embrace a smart, easy process centered on the needs of our clients. As an independent company, client advocacy is a major strength of our firm. We partner with Financial Advisors to offer our mutual clients the very best in options. A strong understanding of fees and services allows PDC to help clients find the perfect fit. PDC is reinventing what it means to be a Third Party Administrator. We challenge the status quo by inventing new ways that improve and modernize the client experience. He writes a retirement plan blog not like many others you might read, it's at www.four01k.com He also hosts a webshow called Retireholi(k)s, they are laid-back videos on 401k retirement plan industry topics. Geared towards Financial Advisors that are used to suffering through boring corporate webinars. JD brings a youthful insight, energy and results to the company. He learned from his father quickly and over time the company went from joint control with his dad to now JD being fully in charge. The Financial Advisors who call upon JD and his wife Tracy and their marketing/consulting team will get everything they need in proposals, competitive analysis and point-of-sale support to do a great job for their clients and prospects. JD is a walking encyclopedia of competitive industry knowledge. Plan Design Consultants, Inc. is now being run by JD now that his father the founder has retired. JD's father started the business back in 1975 and today they have over 24 other seasoned retirement plan professionals. Wrap up Round Retireholi(k)s four01k.com retireholics.com plandesign.com YouTube Channel Platform: mitchellchadrow.com/youtube mitchellchadrow.com/youtube047
This is our second episode where we tackle the ins and outs of retirement plan discrimination and compliance testing. The first episode we released a few weeks ago hit on some of the core concepts around discrimination testing and laid five strategies to improve your results. Today, we pick up where we left off with the last episode and address some more complex concepts around discrimination testing. Thankfully, I have Chad Johnson, a fellow admitted 401(k) nerd, and Third Party Administrator with Plan Design Consultants to help us out. Over the years I have had numerous conversations with retirement service providers of all shapes and sizes on M&A, Control Groups, Grace Periods and Discrimination testing. In my humble opinion, I think Chad provided one of the better explanations of all this that I have heard! Let me know if you agree, disagree or if we missed something you have questions about, shoot us an email at info@401kfridays.com. Guest Bio Chad Johansen is a self-proclaimed retirement-plan-aholoic. As a frequent speaker at the 401(k) Academy, Retireholi(k)s and other national venues, Chad is passionate about helping advisors and plan sponsors understand the intricacies of the 401(k) market place. Chad takes great pride in translating complicated retirement into 401(k) EasySpeak with the goal of creating educated and confident decisions. Chad joined Plan Design Consultants, Inc. in March 2010. As an Internal Retirement Plan Consultant, Chad was assigned to advisor support throughout Northern California. Chad was also responsible for producing the PDC comprehensive retirement plan comparative analysis and aided in vendor research, product knowledge and PDC marketing efforts. In January 2011, Chad made the transition as our External Retirement Plan Consultant covering the California territory. In 2014 Chad joined in ownership of the firm and was promoted to Sales Director now acting as a player/coach to the PDC Sales Team. Chad also sits on the Board of Directors for The Kyle MacFarlane Foundation. In partnership with legendary bike builder Arlen Ness, Stanford Medical and Victory Motorcycles the foundation is teaming up to build a “Hands on Nutrition” motorcycle to raise awareness to the many stomach conditions plaguing Americans. Chad earned his Bachelors of Science Degree in Business Administration from William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri. While attending WWU on a baseball scholarship Chad excelled in both business and finance. He was honored as Business Student of the Year and graduated summa cum laude. Chad and his wife Brooke live in San Jose, California and recently welcomed their second child. They enjoy being outdoors, golfing and skiing/snowboarding. 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 fifty prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!
On this show, we talked about how 401(k) plans have become more user friendly, how people can best take advantage of them and the confidence you have when you better understand your financial situation. JD is the CEO of Plan Design Consultants and the host of the Retireholi(k)s podcast. Listen to find out what you need to know, why it’s important and how to get started. You can learn more about JD at PlanDesign.com, RetireHoliks.com and LinkedIn. For any other questions or to contact George, click here.