The Wave Strength by Pacific Life

In this episode of The Wave Strength, host Jim Breen sits down with Dawn Colby, Head of Growth Operations for Pacific Life’s Institutional Retirement Solutions Group, to explore how a 160‑year‑old company is bringing fresh, startup energy to help formulate modern retirement solutions for today's retirees.  An industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience, Dawn shares how Pacific Life...

In this episode of The Wave Strength, Pacific Life’s Christine Bass and Brian Galle sit down with Andrew Stumacher from AllianceBernstein to unpack 13 years of evolution in defined contribution lifetime income—and how a multi-insurer, institutionally priced solution is helping increase retirement confidence for participants.  Together they explore how Pacific Life and AllianceBernstein are collabo...

In this episode of The Wave Strength, host Jim Breen sits down with Major General Spider Marks and Lieutenant General Mike Groen. Our guests share their unique military backgrounds, emphasizing the importance of teamwork, trust, character, and positivity. They also discuss Academy Securities and its mission to help veterans transition to civilian life, leveraging their military training in new car...

In this special episode of The Wave Strength, recorded live from the floor of the 2025 NAPA 401(k) Summit in Las Vegas, Jim sits down with Steve McCoy, CEO of iJoin. The two discuss the partnership between Pacific Life and iJoin, which brings Pacific Life’s lifetime income solution to iJoin’s national network of record-keepers, and explore the impact of making guaranteed lifetime income more perso...

In this insightful episode of The Wave Strength, host Jim Breen sits down with Will Hansen, Executive Director of the Plan Sponsor Council of America, to explore the essential elements of the plan sponsor mindset in today's evolving financial landscape.    They discuss key topics, including the importance of employee financial wellness, effective cost and risk management in retirement planning, an...

Academy Securities is empowering veterans in finance and helping them transition from success in the military to successful civilian lives. In this episode of The Wave Strength, host Jim Breen has a compelling conversation with Spencer Wilcox from Academy Securities and Lance Doherty from Pacific Life's Global Institutional Investment Group.  The discussion centers on the initiatives of Academ...

In this episode of The Wave Strength, host Jim Breen, head of Marketing at Pacific Life, is joined by Mike Domingos, AVP, head of Defined Benefit (PRT) for Pacific Life's Institutional team, to discuss Pacific Life's long-standing commitment to its policy owners, spanning over 80 years in the pension risk transfer (PRT) market. Highlighting the company's history of innovation, including early adop...

Join us on this episode of The Wave Strength as host Jim Breen interviews Brian Graff, CEO of the American Retirement Association (ARA), and Karen Neeley, Senior Vice President and Head of Institutional Retirement Solutions Group at Pacific Life. Brian and Karen discuss the critical role of education, innovation, and legislative efforts in shaping the future of retirement planning. Learn about the...

In this insightful episode, Will Hansen, Chief Government Affairs Officer at the American Retirement Association, joins The Wave Strength for a dive deep into the evolving regulatory landscape for retirement plans, including key provisions of SECURE 2.0 and the anticipated SECURE 3.0. Discover how data-driven personalization and emerging AI technologies are reshaping plan administration and partic...

Pacific Life's Maya T. Pillai Provides Insights into Stable Value Wrap and its Future  On this episode of The Wave Strength, host Jim Breen and guest Maya T. Pillai discuss Pacific Life's Stable Value Wrap product. Discover the background, development, and key features of this lower-risk investment option designed for 401(k) and 529 plans. Maya shares insights from her experience at Pacific Life,...

In this episode of The Wave Strength, Host Jim Breen sits down with Will Hansen, Executive Director of the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA), to discuss the vital role of PSCA in advancing retirement benefits for employees across the U.S.     As part of the American Retirement Association (ARA) , PSCA champions education and advocacy for plan sponsors. Will shares insights on the latest retir...

Join host Jim Breen as he sits down with Michelle “Mace” Curran, former lead solo pilot of the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, motivational speaker, and author. In this episode, Michelle shares her incredible journey from a small-town girl to a fighter pilot, and how she overcame imposter syndrome and self-doubt to achieve her dreams. Discover the lessons she learned along the way and how sh...

On this episode of The Wave Strength, host Jim Breen sits down with Lew Minsky, President and CEO of DCIIA, and Karen Neeley, Senior Vice President at Pacific Life, to explore the advisor mindset and the importance of strategic partnerships in the retirement industry. Lew and Karen discuss the critical role of advisors in the retirement industry, the importance of strategic partnerships, and the e...

Tune in to this special episode of The Wave Strength as host Jim Breen sits down with Brian Woolfolk, executive vice president and head of Pacific Life's Institutional Business, to reflect on the team's first five years. Brian shares the remarkable teamwork, growth, and innovation journey that has shaped their success. Learn how they've tackled challenges, cultivated a culture of conti...

On this episode of The Wave Strength, host Jim Breen welcomes Lew Minsky, President and CEO of DCIIA, and Karen Neeley, Senior Vice President at Pacific Life, to discuss the transformative impact of innovation and collaboration in the retirement industry. Lew and Karen delve into the mission of DCIIA and the significance of DCIIA’s Innovation Forum. Discover how the Innovation Forum and Pacific Li...

On this episode of The Wave Strength, Pacific Life’s Chris McGlynn interviews Bonnie Treichel, founder and Chief Solutions Officer of Endeavor Retirement. Bonnie shares her extensive experience and knowledge in the retirement plan industry, offering valuable insights and practical advice for advisors, consultants, and plan sponsors. Chris and Bonnie discuss the need to simplify complex topics and...

In this episode of The Wave Strength, join Pacific Life’s Jim Breen and Shane Dawe, Senior Advisor Relations Director, for a deep dive into the future of retirement income. Shane shares his 24 years of experience, discussing the importance of planning for longer lifespans, protecting savings, and creating lifetime income solutions that can help participants replace their paycheck when they retire....

In the latest episode of The Wave Strength, we explore Pacific Life's innovative approaches to employee benefits and retirement solutions.     Join host Jim Breen, along with Pacific Life’s Karen Neeley, vice president, and head of Institutional Retirement Solutions Group, and Erich Sternberg, SVP, Workforce Benefits, as they discuss the importance of personalized benefits, strategic partnerships,...

In this episode of The Wave Strength, Host Jim Breen and Chris Stout, AVP and Head of National Markets at Pacific Life, take a deep dive into the mindset of retirement plan participants. With over 30 years of industry experience, Chris discusses the challenges participants face, the importance of behavioral finance, and how Pacific Life is leading the way in providing innovative solutions to secur...

In this insightful episode of The Wave Strength, host Jim Breen welcomes Pacific Life’s Karen Neeley, vice president, and head of Institutional Retirement Solutions Group (IRSG), and Chris Stout, AVP and head of IRSG’s National Markets function, to share their thoughts on the evolving retirement landscape and current developments surrounding retirement planning.     Listen in as they delve into Pa...

How are health-related challenges, including chronic diseases, impacting quality of life in retirement?     In this thought-provoking episode of The Wave Strength, Pacific Life’s Dr. Qi Sun and Jim Breen discuss the latest issue of Qi’s newsletter: Hidden Hurdle to The Golden Age: The Financial Impact of Chronic Disease on Older Americans. Qi explains how multimorbidity and medical expenses can je...

President and CEO of Stock-Trak, Mark Brookshire joins Pacific Life’s The Wave Strength for a thought-provoking discussion about financial literacy, and the innovative efforts underway to promote money management and financial wellness among students and adults with gamification.     When students graduate from high school and even college with little or no financial education, they begin their ca...

In this insightful episode of The Wave Strength, renowned Social Security expert Mary Beth Franklin joins Pacific Life's Ruth Shaw and Carolyn Elrod to uncover vital strategies for optimizing Social Security benefits. With a focus on empowering women and diverse groups with knowledge to maximize retirement income, this episode reveals the unique considerations for different demographics, inclu...

In this insightful episode of The Wave Strength , Host Jim Breen welcomes Maya T. Pillai, assistant vice president, and head of the Stable Value Program at Pacific Life, for a thought-provoking discussion on the significance of stable value in retirement plans. With over 15 years in the industry, Maya brings a deep understanding of how stable value works. Maya gives us a look inside Pacific Life&#...

In this eye-opening episode of The Wave Strength , “The Google of Social Security” Mary Beth Franklin, joins Pacific Life’s retirement experts Ruth Schau and Carolyn Elrod to explore the essentials of preparing for retirement. Go beyond the basics of Social Security and discover the significance of emotional well-being, the role of guaranteed income sources like annuities, and the impact that the...