With over 25 years of experience in the retirement plan industry, Jania Stout is a passionate and knowledgeable fiduciary leader who helps employers with fiduciary governance but with a dual focus on helping their employees achieve their financial wellness goals. As the Senior Vice President and Co-Founder of Fiduciary Plan Advisors, a OneDigital company, Jania provides comprehensive and customized solutions for plan design, investment monitoring, ERISA compliance, fee benchmarking, and total well-being strategies.

Jania holds the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) and Certified Behavioral Finance Analyst (CBFA) credentials, which demonstrate her commitment to excellence and innovation in her field. She also serves as an Advisory Board Member at The CFO Leadership Council, where she shares her insights and best practices with other finance professionals. She has served as a Past President of NAPA (National Association of Plan Advisors), providing leadership to the Plan Advisory industry that she has spent the past few decades working in. Additionally, Jania is a keynote speaker and writer who enjoys educating and engaging audiences on topics such as fiduciary governance, employee engagement, and behavioral finance. Her mission is to help working America feel less stressed and be happy.

In this episode, Eric and Jania discuss:

• Enhancing retirement transitions
• Diligently evaluating retirement income solutions
• Prioritizing ongoing education 
• Using wholesaler expertise for client guidance on retirement income solutions

Key Takeaways:

• The purpose behind educating retirement plan committee members and advisors is to improve participant outcomes when it's time to transition from accumulating savings to spending them down responsibly—a crucial phase that should be diligently planned for.
• Committee members should thoroughly evaluate the retirement income solutions at their disposal. They must scrutinize their options and should, over time, demand open architecture of these solutions in 401(k) plans to promote the best practices in our business.
• Advisors and committee members can cultivate self-improvement by making time to delve into networking, cultivate in-depth comparison methods, and stay abreast of the latest industry trends. 
• Investment committee members can leverage wholesaler expertise to supplement their learning and services, ensuring that financial advisors provide their clients with the best possible guidance without feeling the pressure to master every detail themselves.

“We need your commitment as a committee to open your eyes and evaluate solutions and not just go with whatever the record keepers offer you.” - Jania Stout

Connect with Jania Stout:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/401kconsultant/ 

Connect with Eric Dyson: 

Website: https://90northllc.com/

Phone: 940-248-4800

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/401kguy/ 

The information contained herein is general in nature and is provided solely for educational and informational purposes.

It is not intended to provide a specific recommendation of any type of product or service discussed in this presentation or to provide any warranties, financial advice or legal advice.

The specific facts and circumstance of all qualified plans can vary and the information contained in this podcast may or may not apply to your individual circumstances or to your plan or client plan specific circumstances.