401(k) Roundtable

Episode Summary Sometimes employers will comment, we don't hear to much about the 401(k) from our employees, well that's not because your employees don't have questions, it's likely because they are going elsewhere to get their answers!  To help uncover what 401(k) participants are doing outside the watchful eyes of their employers, is my guest Catherine Golladay, the Senior Vice President of Part...

Episode Description By leaps and bounds, target date funds, or lifecycle funds are the fastest growing investment in 401(k) plans primarily due to their popularity with plan sponsors as the qualified default investment alternative, or QDIA in their 401(k) plan.  As some fiduciaries are starting to realize, evaluating target date funds can be a bit tricky due to the numerous variances in style from...

Episode Description Over the years, participant 401(k) plan loans have gotten a bad rap both with plan sponsors and within the industry.  In this episode my guest, Todd Cowman, a Senior Consultant at the Principal Financial Group explores whether that bad reputation is deserved.  Todd does a great job of explaining some of the fundamentals of 401(k) plan loans, which are often times misunderstood,...

Episode Summary You might have heard that Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus, you also might understand a thing or two about Millenials, Generation Xers and Baby Boomers.  However, what you might not realize is that having a better grasp on how different generations and genders approach preparing for retirement could actually help you improve your retirement plan health.  My guest, Margare...

Episode Summary If you are at all curious about how rising interest rates here in the United States could impact your 401(k) investments, employees and the economy, my guest Chris Dillon a fixed income portfolio specialist with T. Rowe Price covers these topics and more!  During our conversation Chris does a great job of explaining in an understandable way some fundamental concepts such as what a...

Episode Summary Well, I have to admit, this episode didn't unfold quite the way I thought it was going to, however, thanks to my guest, Peter Dunn, aka Pete the Planner, it turned out to be the most inspirational and motivational episode of the 401(k) Fridays podcast yet.  Pete the Planner® has a unique set of gifts as both an award-winning comedian and financial mind. He's a USA TODAY columnist a...

Episode Summary Today's episode is absolutely packed with information for all plan sponsors regardless of the current "cash" or capital preservation strategy in your 401(k) plan.  My guest, Brett Gorman, a SVP at PIMCO Investments and head of their Stable Value business shares valuable information about Money Market Reform and its impact on both plan sponsors and participants.  He also lays out a...

Episode Summary The new DOL Conflict of Interest Rule, what is also being referred to as the new DOL Fiduciary Rule, has introduced changes that some are calling the most significant since the introduction of ERISA over 40 years ago.  While the rule will have a phased effective date beginning in April 2017, there are multiple items employers should begin exploring now. As usual, Sam does a great j...

Episode Summary While you might be familiar with the term behavioral finance, you have not heard my guest Stuart Ritter, from T. Rowe Price explain the origins, research and fundamentals behind why it is so important for employers to understand and embrace as they design their retirement plans.  Stuart is a vice president and senior financial planner—designing, building, and implementing guidance...

Episode Summary If you feel like you are spending the “right amount of money” in your retirement plan but not getting the results you expect in either recruiting, retention or employee retirement outcomes, spending more money to get better results doesn’t have to be the answer.  According to my guest, Marc Howell without increasing costs, you could improve all three of those metrics by breaking aw...

Episode Description If you are with a manufacturing company, this is a can’t miss episode.  Be sure to listen for key points specific to manufacturing companies about industry trends that are impacting plan design, plan health and employee retirement readiness.  Also, my guest Scott Francolini shares great advice on how manufacturers can help recruit younger workers and help older workers make a s...

Episode Description If you are an employer and are at all curious about what’s happening in Washington D.C. that might impact your 401(k) plan, I am happy to report that my guest Joan McDonagh likely covers it in today’s episode!  Our conversation includes: Developments with state run retirement programs The DOL’s proposed Fiduciary Rule  Initiatives to help participants generate lifetime income i...

Episode Summary Conflicts, compensation and reasonableness, what do these three words have in common?  Ok, I ‘ll let you off the hook, these are the key issues at the heart of roughly 90% of the recent 401(k) litigation according to my guest, Jason Roberts ERISA Attorney and Founder of the Pension Resource Institute and the Retirement Law Group.  Jason has been repeatedly recognized as one of the...

Episode Description Let’s say you were running your 401(k) fiduciary committee meetings wrong, wouldn’t you want someone to tell you?  Luckily, I was able to track down Jason Roberts, ERISA attorney and founder of the Pension Resource Institute to help set the record. straight.  Jason has been repeatedly recognized as one of the “100 Most Influential in Defined Contribution” by the 401(k) Wire and...

Episode Description I am excited to share the first episode in our Sponsor Spotlight segment of the podcast!  I had the pleasure to sit down with Brad Champagne, Senior Director of Human Resources at Mission Linen Supply in Santa Barbara, CA  We've worked together for a long time and I've always been impressed by his thoughtfulness and ability to focus on the bigger picture.  Brad shares candid de...

Episode Description Should there be a balance between employee and employer goals in a 401(k) retirement plan? This was a different statement and one that I felt employers could benefit from learning more about. This episode provides data and specific strategies on how and why everyone can benefit when their goals are aligned. My guest is Hugh O’Toole, President and founder of the Viability Adviso...

Episode Description If you ever wondered how you can strategically and cost effectively partner with an ERISA Attorney to improve and protect your retirement plan, this episode with Sherrie Boutwell, ERISA Attorney and partner at Boutwell Fay, a boutique ERISA law firm should be very helpful to you.  Our discussion covered: Overview of common plan errors in retirement plan documents Points to nego...

Episode Overview If you are in the Not-for-Profit Healthcare sector and sponsor a retirement plan, I have some great information for you!  This is the first in a series of industry profile episodes that I will be making over the next several months.  This episodes features a broad and interesting conversation with Brodie Wood, Senior Vice President, Not-for-Profit Markets at Transamerica Retiremen...

Introduction The 401(k) Fridays podcast offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve  their retirement plans.  My name is Rick Unser and I am your host.  All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts, new best practices and valuable perspectives on current events....

Introduction The 401(k) Fridays podcast offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve  their retirement plans.  My name is Rick Unser and I am your host.  All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts, new best practices and valuable perspectives on current events....

Introduction The 401(k) Fridays podcast offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve  their retirement plans.  My name is Rick Unser and I am your host.  All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts, new best practices and valuable perspectives on current events....

Introduction The 401(k) Fridays podcast offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve  their retirement plans.  My name is Rick Unser and I am your host.  All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts, new best practices and valuable perspectives on current events....