Join Rebecca Hourihan in this engaging episode of the 401(k) Marketing Podcast as she shares insightful strategies to elevate your 401(k) advisory practice from good to great. Explore Rebecca’s five dynamic techniques to stand out on social media, boost your engagement, and solidify your presence in the retirement plan community.

Rebecca discusses:

Connect with Rebecca Hourihan: 

Are you keeping up with the AI wave in the financial services industry?

Rebecca Hourihan chats with Spencer X. Smith from AmpliPhi Digital about the transformative power of AI in the retirement plan industry. Get ready to explore how AI has quickly evolved from a niche technology to an everyday tool for financial advisors. Spencer and Rebecca discuss the innovative ways AI is being embraced, share insightful case studies, and offer practical advice for integrating AI into your business to enhance efficiency and profitability. 

Spencer discusses:

Resources:

Connect With Rebecca Hourihan: 

Connect With Spencer X. Smith:

About Our Guest:

After starting his career at IBM during the Y2K days, Spencer X. Smith has always been an early adopter of new technology, with a passion for teaching others what he learns. This dedication to education has led Spencer to deliver over 300 in-person speeches, including at prestigious venues like the New York Stock Exchange, Gillette Stadium in Boston, and the Superdome in New Orleans. From 2008 to 2015, Spencer worked as a 401(k) wholesaler. Since then, he has been a regular presenter at the NAPA 401(k) Summit, the nation’s largest retirement plans conference. The rise of “DeFi Summer” in 2020 sparked Spencer’s deep interest in cryptocurrency and all things Web3, including NFTs, metaverses, and blockchains. Spencer is also among the first graduates of the Economics of Blockchain & Digital Assets program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Rebecca Hourihan sits down with Mike DiCenso, a renowned expert in institutional retirement plans, wealth management, and fintech innovation. Discover Mike’s profound insights on tackling modern challenges in the retirement plan advisory space and how to leverage them for success.

Mike discusses:

Connect With Mike DiCenso:

Connect With Rebecca Hourihan: 

About Our Guest:

Mr. DiCenso is a thought leader in Financial Services, Investment Management, Asset Management, and Wealth Management arenas in the Institutional and individual Markets, both USA and International. Focused in the areas of fiduciary process management, fee transparency, innovation, technology, vision, strategy, sales growth, marketing, client service, operations, practice management, M&A, and capitalizing on industry trends. He has been quoted in numerous retirement and financial publications and media sites including PLANSPONSOR, PLANADVISOR, 401kwire.com, the Chicago Sun Times, Defined Contribution, and more.

In this episode, we talk with Brandon Helms, MarshBerry Vice President on the five key strategies for financial advisors to build more value in their businesses. The conversation covers the importance of organic growth, differentiation strategies, succession planning, M&A opportunities, and understanding client demographics. Brandon emphasizes the need for advisors to think like stewards of their business, focusing on long-term success, and client relationships. 

Brandon discusses:

Connect With Rebecca Hourihan: 

Connect With Brandon Helms:

About Our Guest:

As a Vice President on MarshBerry’s Financial Advisory team, Brandon’s background in building fast-growing financial advisor teams gives him a unique perspective on consulting with advisors on growth strategy and succession planning. His commitment to using clarity to make more informed decisions when working with clients helps drive retirement and wealth advisors to steward their businesses. Brandon’s core focus is providing financial advisors with ideas & insights specific to their business today that align with their vision for the future. Many times, this includes anticipating any potential challenges advisors face as they grow and ways to overcome them.

Rebecca Hourihan speaks with Blake Allison, founder and CEO of LifeCents, on the evolving concept of financial wellness, its challenges, and how it impacts both employers and employees. He emphasizes the need for personalized financial wellness programs and critiques overly complex, one-size-fits-all programs, advocating instead for tailored approaches that consider each employee’s unique financial situation, stressors, and goals. Blake highlights the importance of measuring success through behavioral changes rather than just numerical outcomes, advocating for a more holistic approach to financial health.

Gain insight from today’s conversation as Rebecca and Blake highlight:

Connect With Rebecca Hourihan: 

Connect With Blake Allison:

About Our Guest:

Blake founded LifeCents with a mission to empower individuals by making financial health accessible, personalized, and behaviorally driven. Since 2005, Blake has championed a holistic approach to financial wellness, pioneering LifeCents as an adaptive platform that responds to each user’s unique needs, values, and goals. Under his leadership, LifeCents has set a new standard in the industry by combining technology, behavioral insights, and inclusivity to transform the way people engage with their financial health—changing lives and redefining what it means to be financially well.

Rebecca Hourihan is joined by Laura Garfield, co-founder of Idea Decanter, to discuss the evolution and significance of short-form content and video marketing, particularly for financial advisors. Laura emphasizes the importance of adapting to your audience’s evolving preferences, leveraging video for effective communication, and utilizing AI tools to enhance video production.

Gain insight and actionable takeaways surrounding:

Connect With Laura Garfield:

Connect With Rebecca Hourihan: 

About Our Guest:

Laura Garfield spent her teenage years idolizing Jane Pauley and Katie Couric. A thirst for learning and a love of writing had her hooked on broadcast journalism – where you didn’t have to know everything except how to ask the right questions. After graduation, Laura landed her first news gig at a tiny TV station in Hastings, Nebraska. Over the span of more than a decade, she worked her way up through stations in Omaha and New Orleans to a position at CBS News in New York and then CNN in Atlanta. 

Rebecca Hourihan shares seven practical suggestions designed to smooth out your prospecting pipeline and drive consistent growth for your business. Rebecca discusses innovative ways to enhance communication with AI tools, emphasizes the importance of high-quality design in your marketing materials, and offers invaluable tips for maintaining meaningful connections with prospects and clients.

Rebecca touches on:

Connect With Rebecca Hourihan: 

In this episode, Rebecca is honored to welcome Nevin Adams, a legendary figure in the retirement planning industry. With a career spanning nearly five decades, Nevin has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of retirement plans. His wealth of experience and knowledge is undeniable as he shares his insights and future projections.

Dive into the transformative impact of target date funds, the advent of automatic enrollment, and the challenges with retirement income solutions as Rebecca and Nevin discuss:

Resources:

Connect With Nevin Adams:

Connect With Rebecca Hourihan: 

About Our Guest:

Now “retired” (whatever that means), Nevin is the former Chief Content Officer and Head of Retirement Research for the American Retirement Association.  One of the retirement industry’s most prolific writers, these days he’s “retired”, which means he writes less but continues to keep his eye on developments in, and threats to, the nation’s private retirement system.  In addition to helping guide the agenda development for the NAPA 401(k) Summit, he’s also the “Nevin” in the Nevin & Fred podcast (along with renowned ERISA attorney Fred Reish), offering irreverent, but relevant perspectives on the critical issues confronting plan sponsors, advisors, and retirement industry professionals. 

Rebecca Hourihan reflects on a decade of retirement plan marketing. She emphasizes the challenges of change, the evolution of marketing strategies from cold calling to leveraging social media, and the necessity of maintaining a visible and professional online presence. Rebecca also touches on the importance of creating tailored content, and discusses the critical role of effective communication, highlighting the need to provide relevant and timely information without overwhelming the audience. 

This episode is packed with insights and best practices for anyone looking to enhance their expertise and authority in the retirement plan community.

Key takeaways include:

Connect With Rebecca Hourihan: 

Did you know that approximately 10-12% of plan sponsors actively shop their plan every year?

Tune in to Rebecca Hourihan’s conversation with Eric Ryles, Vice President, of Customer Solutions at ALM Media, LLC (parent company of Judy Diamond Associates). They explore ways to improve prospecting and enhance client retention, as well as telltale signs a plan sponsor might be at risk of leaving.

Eric and Rebecca discuss:

Resources:

Connect with Eric Ryles:

Connect with Rebecca Hourihan: