The Gap

Episode Intro: The GAP with Kirsten Curry Cannabis employees were locked out of retirement plans for years, even when their companies were operating legally. That wasn’t because a 401(k) is “not allowed” for cannabis businesses. It was because the retirement ecosystem around the plan, recordkeepers, custodians, and banking partners often refused to participate. We walk through what actually stood...

Episode Intro: The GAP with Eric Dyson Your retirement plan advisor can be the difference between a 401(k) that simply exists and a plan that actually changes employees’ lives. We sit down with Eric Dyson, executive director of 90 North Consulting and host of Be More Than a Fiduciary, to get brutally practical about how plan sponsors can evaluate an advisor, run a meaningful advisor search, and av...

Episode Intro: The GAP with Will Hansen Your 401(k) committee can be doing its best and still be one missing document away from a compliance mess. That tension, doing meaningful work under complicated rules with limited time, is exactly what we unpack with Will Hansen, Chief Government Affairs Officer at the American Retirement Association and Executive Director of the Plan Sponsor Council of Amer...

Episode Intro: The GAP with Stephen M. Welch and Cindy Hounsell Retirement doesn’t begin at retirement, and for many women, the biggest risks show up decades earlier in quiet ways. Money messages that discourage questions, lower pay over time, career pauses for caregiving, and missed access to a workplace 401(k) can all stack up into a retirement savings gap that feels impossible to catch. We crea...

Episode Intro: The GAP with Erika Goodwin and Madison Oakley Women retire later, live longer, and often try to do it with less money and less margin for error. That isn’t a personal failure, it’s a system of pay gaps, caregiving interruptions, and uneven access to workplace retirement plans colliding over decades. We sit down with Erika Goodwin and Madison Oakley from the American Retirement Assoc...

Episode Intro: The GAP with Grant Ellis Your 401(k) plan might be “working” on paper, but are your people actually getting clearer, calmer, and more confident about retirement? We sit down with Grant Ellis, founder of Ellis Retirement Services, to talk about what plan sponsors are up against right now: nonstop vendor outreach, confusing regulatory updates, payroll integrations that break, and a fl...

Episode Introduction - The Gap with Lisa Gomez   A retirement plan can look like a line item on a pay stub until you’re the person without one. That’s where this conversation starts, and why it gets so real so fast. I’m joined by Lisa Gomez, a nationally recognized employee benefits leader and the former head of the Employee Benefits Security Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor, the age...

Episode Introduction - The Gap with Lisa Gomez   A retirement plan can look like a line item on a pay stub until you’re the person without one. That’s where this conversation starts, and why it gets so real so fast. I’m joined by Lisa Gomez, a nationally recognized employee benefits leader and the former head of the Employee Benefits Security Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor, the age...

Episode Introduction - The Gap with Toni Whaley Today's episode of The Gap is one I've been really excited to record. If you listen to this podcast regularly, you know that while we spend a lot of time talking about the retirement savings gap and the coverage gap in America, we also make a point to recognize something that doesn't get enough attention. The private retirement system...

Episode Introduction - The Gap with Bonnie Treichel Today on The Gap, I'm excited to welcome Bonnie Treichel, a true leader and innovator in the retirement plan industry. Bonnie is the founder and chief solutions officer of Endeavor Retirement, where she focuses on simplifying retirement plan governance so advisors and plan sponsors can spend less time navigating complexity and more time help...

Episode Introduction - The Gap with Rachel Fox Today’s conversation is one I am really excited about, because it goes straight to the heart of what The Gap is all about—not just saving for retirement someday, but helping working Americans stay financially stable today so they can actually get there. I’m thrilled to welcome Rachel Fox to the podcast. Rachel is a seasoned leader in the employee bene...

What if the secret to building a truly successful retirement plan wasn’t about plan features at all—but about culture, intention, and the belief that employees deserve more than the bare minimum? In this episode of The Gap , host Shannon Edwards sits down with Nathan Helms, Controller at Balon Corporation, to explore what happens when a company decides that taking care of people is non-negotiable....

What if helping your employees achieve true retirement security came down to communication, clarity, and the courage to simplify? In this episode of The Gap , Shannon Edwards sits down with Marjorie Mann, Senior Counsel at NextEra Energy and current President of the American Retirement Association, for a candid conversation about what’s really working—and what still needs fixing—in America’s priva...

When most people think of actuaries, they picture spreadsheets and formulas—but behind the math are people who help businesses protect promises made to their employees. In this episode of The Gap , Shannon Edwards sits down with two leaders shaping the future of retirement plan design and administration: Lynn Young , Partner at Pinnacle Plan Design , and Erin Russell , Co-President of Actuaries Un...

What if your money weren’t a source of stress, but instead a tool that gave you clarity and confidence about the future? This episode invites you to rethink how you approach financial planning—not as a rigid checklist of savings and investments, but as a way to design the life you want. You’ll hear how simple shifts in perspective can help you uncover overlooked resources, make smarter decisions,...

You don’t need to be a finance expert to realize the stakes—your future depends on it. In this compelling episode, we speak with Petros Koumantaros, Managing Director & CEO of Spectrum Pension Consultants, Co-Founder of the fintech company GROUPIRA, Financial Consultant at intellicents, volunteer financial literacy instructor at St. Joseph School, and a governing board member of Washington Sav...

If you think retirement planning is just about ticking boxes and meeting deadlines, you’re missing the bigger picture—and the real opportunity. In this episode, we sit down with industry heavyweights Will Hackler and Jason Grantz to explore how smart, intentional plan design can drive better outcomes not just for employers, but for the people who count on these plans to retire with dignity. Will,...

Today on The Gap, we’re thrilled to welcome Amanda Iverson, a true leader in the retirement plan space. Amanda is the CEO and a partner at Pinnacle Plan Design, a firm known nationally for its defined benefit and cash balance expertise. She was also the 2024 President of The American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA), the nation’s largest organization representing Third Party...

About Eric Dyson: Eric Dyson is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. After graduation, he served for ten years as a highly decorated nuclear-trained submarine officer. Eric has been a professional in the financial services industry for over 30 years, serving ERISA plan sponsors for over 25 years. He is currently the Executive Director of 90 North Consulting, where he provides services in...

About Will Hansen: Will Hansen is a recognized leader in advancing the private sector retirement system, with over a decade of experience in employee benefits. As Executive Director of the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA), he oversees the strategy and operations of the 75-year-old organization, equipping retirement plan administrators with essential education, advocacy, and resources. In his...

In this premiere episode of The Gap , Shannon Edwards shares her journey into the retirement plan industry and unveils her mission to tackle the coverage and savings gaps affecting millions of Americans. With over 25 years of experience, Shannon introduces this podcast as a resource for financial advisors, employers, and HR professionals eager to revolutionize retirement outcomes. From inspiring i...