401(k) Specialist Podcast

As pandemic restrictions evaporate and the U.S. economy looks to fully reopen, many 401k-focused advisors are predicting big things for the rest of 2021 as plan sponsors and participants refocus on retirement-related issues.

And they’re not the only ones focused on retirement issues this year, as lawmakers in Washington D.C. continue to build momentum toward passing more significant retirement reform legislation looking to build on 2019’s SECURE Act.

For expert insight on advisor opportunities this year and the most impactful regulatory changes likely to impact 401k plans, we talk with renowned retirement expert Michael Finke, Ph.D., Professor of Wealth Management at The American College of Financial Services.

Finke hits on topics like why we’re entering a new stage of “Retirement 2.0” in terms of QDIAs, the need to develop higher-quality in-plan retirement income solutions, why SECURE 2.0 might actually become law before the end of this year and how the RMD provision helps its chances, and a quick “review” of new-look Social Security statements.

Sponsored by John Hancock Investment Management. To get more information on the John Hancock “State of the Participant 2021” white paper click here.

With a total of roughly $1.7 trillion, student loan debt is a major issue for many Americans. Whether or not it’s an actual impediment to retirement saving, participants often believe it is, acting as a phycological hurdle that often prevents them from saving.

We turn to the one and only Alex Assaley for insight. Alex is managing principal with AFS 401(k) Retirement Services, our overall Top Advisor By Participant Outcomes for 2018, and also president-elect of the National Association of Plan Advisors.

We talk about student loan debt and what to do about it, as well the exciting things the NAPA 401(k) Summit has planned for this year in Las Vegas. Alex joins us right after these messages.

Sponsored by Capital Group, home of American Funds Target Date Retirement Series. If you think every target date fund can deliver the same long-term results, let’s retire that thinking.

Sponsored by Capital Group, home of American Funds Target Date Retirement Series.
If you think every target date fund can deliver the same long-term results, let’s retire that thinking.

Dr. Wade Pfau is a Professor of Retirement Income with The American College of Financial Services. Pfau’s low-key, academic style belies his groundbreaking research in the area of retirement income, making him a leading voice in what can be complicated, yet critically important, issues for most Americans.

We asked him about common retirement income mistakes that can kill a portfolio, the pitfalls of raising the RMD age to 75, and what’s wrong with the 401(k), or at least what it can do better. Wade joins us right after these messages.

Sponsored by Capital Group, home of American Funds Target Date Retirement Series. If you think every target date fund can deliver the same long-term results, let’s retire that thinking.

Jake Rushton, a tech-savvy advisor with TrueNorth Wealth in Salt Lake City, is doing some amazing things with social media engagement. He’s part of a younger generation of plan professionals who are overturning and improving on a traditional, staid (some would say boring) defined contribution system and actually making 401(k)s fun, attracting attention, and clients, by doing so.

We asked him about current regulations and their effect on his business, the benefits of targeting a market niche, and the flood of new business he’s receiving from a re-opening economy. Jake joins us right after these messages.

Sponsored by Capital Group, home of American Funds Target Date Retirement Se
If you think every target date fund can deliver the same long-term results, let’s retire that thSponsored by Capital Group, home of American Funds Target Date Retirement Series. If you think every target date fund can deliver the same long-term results, let’s retire that thinking.

Sponsored by Capital Group, home of American Funds Target Date Retirement Series.
If you think every target date fund can deliver the same long-term results, let’s retire that thinking.

Sponsored by Capital Group, home of American Funds Target Date Retirement Series.
If you think every target date fund can deliver the same long-term results, let’s retire that thinking.

Private equity and retirement plans – do they belong together? It’s a complicated issue, with needed yield and diversification on the one hand and complexity and the potential for abuse on the other. Ric Edelman, author, talk show host, and founder of investing powerhouse Edelman Financial Engines has clear and direct views on the subject.

He breaks it down for us. He also reveals the additional services that advisors should offer participants outside of the 401k, and how advisors can better deal with client emotions during the pandemic. Ric joins us right after these messages.

Sponsored by Capital Group, home of American Funds Target Date Retirement Series.
If you think every target date fund can deliver the same long-term results, let’s retire that thinking.

Pooled employer plans are getting a lot of attention, but do they live up to the hype? JD Carlson has strong feelings on the subject.

The CEO of California-based TPA Plan Design Consultants is also the host of Retireholi(k)s, a fun and informative weekly webcast that combines alcohol, adolescent hijinks, and serious discussions of the issues surrounding retirement plans. It’s attracted some of the biggest names in the business, while also keeping people connected during the darkest times of the pandemic.

Carlson didn’t hold back, giving his frank opinions of PEPs and their retirement plan role moving forward.

We also attempted to get revenge for anyone who’s been in the Retireholi(k)s hot seat but as with everything Retireholi(k)s-related, it didn’t go as planned. You’ll find out why right after these messages.

Sponsored by Capital Group, home of American Funds Target Date Retirement Series.
If you think every target date fund can deliver the same long-term results, let’s retire that thinking.

Is financial wellness actually working and is the general public even familiar with the term? Jean Chatzky is CEO and co-founder of HerMoney.com and the financial editor of NBC’s “Today” show. She’s also a prolific writer of 11 bestselling books.

Jean’s well-versed in financial wellness and how it’s measured, as well as its connection to health and wellness, and she reveals the five things needed to find its success.

Sponsored by Capital Group, home of American Funds Target Date Retirement Series.
If you think every target date fund can deliver the same long-term results, let’s retire that thinking.

Fred gets frank about fiduciary.

It’s a new year, a new Congress, and a new direction with so many of the issues that affect the 401(k) and retirement plan space. This week, we turn to the one and only Fred Reish, one of the country’s top ERISA experts with legal powerhouse Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, for a discussion of fiduciary, ESG investing, Reg BI, and committee meetings in a time of COVID.

He also explains the “one thing” about which he’s 100% sure.

We try to get Dr. David Blanchett, Morningstar’s Head of Retirement Research, to commit to settling an important debate once and for all about target-date funds—do investors need to be “all in” in their allocations in order for TDFs to work properly, or can some assets be held away.

We also take a close look at target-date strategies amid the volatility of 2020 and look to what lies ahead in 2021. Finally, Blanchett covers important trends in target-date adoption and how firms are adapting to meet participant preferences.

You can always count on Ed Murphy for straight talk and honest opinions, and he doesn’t disappoint in our wide-ranging interview. Murphy, President, and CEO of Empower Retirement, is here to discuss M&A and consolidation in the recordkeeping space, the work environment during the pandemic, and NFL football.

Empower announced two major acquisitions in 2020, Personal Capital and MassMutual’s retirement plan business, and we asked him directly about both.