401(k) Specialist Podcast

Creative Planning’s Peter Mallouk, one of the largest RIAs in the country, caused a minor controversy last week with his criticism of target-date funds, calling them a “terrible choice for most people.”

An intense yet respectful debate then erupted on Twitter, which is almost unheard of for the platform, with Morningstar’s Christine Benz, among others, weighing in. Benz joined us to discuss the spat and much more, including possible changes to back-door Roths, HSAa, and what’s new in retirement income research.  

Sponsored By: T. Rowe Price 

We’re joined by Gerard Baker, Editor-at-Large of The Wall Street Journal and author of the weekly “Free Expression” column.

Baker previously served as Editor-in-Chief of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones from 2013 to 2018 and has been a journalist for over 30 years. Our discussion touched on inflation, ESG, Bitcoin, and, of course, retirement-related issues.

Sponsored By: T. Rowe Price

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.

We had a controversial question about bitcoin in 401(k)s, so of course, we went to Anthony Scaramucci, the investment manager and political heavyweight who the New York Post called one of the city’s top powerbrokers. He launched his bitcoin fund in January, and the timing could not have been better, as the price skyrocketed in the following months. His high-profile SALT conference, with its extremely high-profile guests and speakers, is in-person once again at the Javits Center in New York, September 13 – 15. We spoke with Anthony about bitcoin, baseball, how it feels to get roasted on Saturday Night Live, and the exciting features at this year’s conference.

Teresa Ghilarducci once called the 401k an immature, underdeveloped child that needs help over a mudpuddle to the curve when crossing a street. While we disagree, we love the imagery. A labor economist and nationally recognized expert in retirement security with The New School for Social Research, Ghilarducci is a consistent and prolific advocate for a better system, however defined. She often partners with industry and political heavyweights like Blackstone’s Tony James and presidential advisor Kevin Hassett. We asked if she still feels the same way about 401ks, what a well-designed system needs (in her opinion), and why 401k father Ted Benna agrees with her view.

Few, if any, know ERISA better than Marcia Wagner. The high-profile attorney is the go-to person to explain complex regulatory guidance to the layperson, one reason the law firm she founded is so successful. We asked her what’s keeping her up at night and her answer was not what we expected, but insightful as always. Wagner clues us in on rollover regulation, ESG, and an important milestone in her career.

We just have to ask if anyone knows if Ross Marino has time to sleep. Advisor2X, the firm he founded in 2010, has held over a thousand events in 50 cities, all focused on advisory practice growth. Then there’s his own wealth management and retirement plan book of business, his OUTCOMES podcast, and oh yeah, his new book, Shaping Change: How To Respond When Life Disrupts Your Retirement Plan, written with co-author Susan Bradley.

Ross joins us to discuss key concepts in the book, including the four stages of life transitions, the two sides of retirement, and what he calls the decision dilemma. He also reveals some of the exciting content planned for this year’s Weath@Wor(k) conference, an advisor-focused event unlike any other, that will take place in Nashville, October 24 – 26, 2021.

It’s difficult to find a better ambassador for the retirement plan space than Jania Stout, founder of Fiduciary Plan Advisors, a OneDigital company. Her enthusiasm and engagement are infectious and while retirement saving is her focus, she’s helping her client with so much more. She was on the road for a summer vacation but nonetheless made time for us, and we started with student loan debt, one of her current priorities.

Barbara Roper is an outspoken advocate for effective regulation to protect the public from predatory practices, and she’s often critical of watered-down rules friendly to the industry. As director of investor protection for the Consumer Federation of America, she makes frequent targets of Reg BI and the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule. She has a lot to say about where we are with the new administration and what the near future holds.

Samantha Russell is chief evangelist with Twenty Over Ten, a digital marketing platform for financial professionals.

Russell’s practical yet insightful digital marketing tips and techniques have helped thousands of financial professionals experience significant growth. And lord knows, when it comes to digital marketing, they certainly need the help.

Russell joins us to discuss what advisors can do better, new and cool technology and the latest ideas in social media marketing.