Revamping Retirement

In this episode of Revamping Retirement, Audrey Wheat and Jennifer Doss sit down with ERISA Attorney Brandon Long of McAfee & Taft for a wide-ranging discussion on the issues shaping today's retirement plan landscape. Brandon shares insights on DOL enforcement priorities, the proposed designated investment alternatives rule, and key considerations for plan sponsors evaluating new products and services. The conversation also explores financial advisor search trends, evolving fiduciary responsibilities, and several litigation cases that could have significant implications for retirement plans.

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The SpaceX IPO captured investors' attention, but many were surprised to learn that a company's size doesn't automatically translate to a large stock market index weight. In this Revamping Retirement episode, Northern Trust's Austin Guy sits down with CAPTRUST's Jennifer Doss and Pete Ruffel to discuss the rules behind index inclusion, the role of float-adjusted market capitalization, and why mega-sized IPOs can have a smaller impact on indexes than investors expect.

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Artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly, and its impact is being felt across the retirement industry and beyond. In this episode of Revamping Retirement, Matt Patrick and Jennifer Doss sit down with Lucas Erb, AI strategist and founder of AI Experts, to discuss how businesses can develop AI strategies, improve workflows, manage risk, and prepare for a future increasingly shaped by intelligent technology. They explore the opportunities and limitations of today's AI tools, the importance of governance and cybersecurity, and what plan sponsors can expect as AI becomes more integrated into retirement plans and participant experiences.

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In episode 87 of Revamping Retirement, CAPTRUST's Jennifer Doss and Pete Ruffel explore the realities of 401(k) audits, featuring guest Brad Bartels, partner at MUN CPAs, with decades of experience in the field. The conversation breaks down the purpose of retirement plan audits, emphasizing that they are designed to protect plan participants and support plan sponsors—not to penalize them. Bartels also addresses common misconceptions, outlines what sponsors can expect during the audit process, and highlights frequent findings like late contributions and compensation errors.

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In this episode of Revamping Retirement, CAPTRUST's Audrey Wheat and Matt Patrick sit down with Jake Connors of Cofi to discuss how independent search consultants can help plan sponsors navigate one of their most important fiduciary decisions—selecting a retirement plan advisor. The conversation explores how advisor searches have evolved beyond fees and investments to focus on service, HR support, and accountability, along with common pitfalls sponsors face when going it alone. Looking ahead, the group discusses how a maturing industry is reshaping expectations for both retirement and broader employee benefits oversight.

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In this episode of Revamping Retirement, Pete Ruffel and Jennifer Doss sit down with Kelsey Mayo, Chief of Retirement Policy and Regulatory Affairs at the American Retirement Association, to unpack the Department of Labor's newly proposed rule on fiduciary duties and the selection of designated investment alternatives (DIAs). Mayo explains why the rule is asset-class neutral, how it aims to recalibrate litigation standards, and what the DOL is signaling to both fiduciaries and the courts. With the 60-day comment period underway, this episode offers timely insight into what plan sponsors and fiduciaries should be thinking about now and what may come next.

In this episode of Revamping Retirement, Jennifer Doss and Matt Patrick are joined by Benny Goodman of the TIAA Institute to unpack what retirement income really means for individuals and for plan sponsors. The conversation explores the shift from saving to spending, the role of Social Security as an income foundation, and why guaranteed income tools like annuities are often misunderstood. Goodman also shares why employers are increasingly focused on helping participants retire through their plans, not just to retirement, and what that could mean for the future of workplace retirement plans.

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In this episode of Revamping Retirement, hosts Matt Patrick and Pete Ruffel unpack insights from CAPTRUST's first annual Financial Wellness Survey. They're joined by Chris Whitlow and Cat Ellis, who break down the evolving landscape of financial stress, engagement trends, and what employees truly want from their financial wellness programs. The conversation highlights key findings around generational differences, the power of personalized one‑on‑one advice, and surprising gaps between what stresses employees and what they're most eager to learn. Together, the group explores how plan sponsors and advisors can turn these insights into more effective, tailored strategies that genuinely support participants' financial confidence.

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In this episode of Revamping Retirement, Jennifer Doss and Matt Patrick sit down with Jim Underwood, CAPTRUST's head of portfolio management, to unpack the latest trends shaping financial markets and what they mean for retirement plan sponsors. From Federal Reserve rate cuts and inflation outlooks to equity market concentration and global investment considerations, the conversation dives into the forces driving today's investment landscape. Tune in for practical insights on navigating volatility and positioning plans for long-term success.

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In this episode of Revamping Retirement, hosts Audrey Wheat and Peter Ruffel welcome back Neal Ringquist, executive vice president and chief revenue officer of Retirement Clearinghouse, for a deep dive into auto portability and the Portability Services Network (PSN). Neal explains how auto portability enables seamless retirement balance transfers between employers, backed by regulatory support and a consortium of major record keepers. The conversation highlights key adoption metrics—over 21,000 plan sponsors enrolled and 16,700 completed transactions—and explores future applications like the Saver's Match. The episode also clears up common misconceptions and encourages plan sponsors to engage in expanding PSN's impact.

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