The 401(k) Marketing Podcast

Retirement plan marketing keeps changing, and AI is adding another layer for advisors already trying to keep up with search, social media, email, and video. How can you embrace what’s next without losing the human relationships that build trust? 

In this final official episode of The 401(k) Podcast, Rebecca Hourihan reflects on 12 years of change in retirement plan marketing and looks at what may come next. She explores how AI can support more tailored content, why search is expanding beyond Google, and how video helps prospective clients become familiar with an advisor. Rebecca and Patrice Sikora also examine the connection between marketing and sales, along with the consistent communication required to build trust over time.

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Things can feel steady until they slowly start slipping without warning.

What if the biggest risk to your growth isn’t what you’re doing, but what you’ve stopped doing?

In this episode, Rebecca Hourihan breaks down how marketing momentum works using a powerful airplane analogy. She explains why slowing down your efforts doesn’t cause an immediate drop, but instead leads to a gradual decline in visibility and client mindshare. Rebecca also highlights how competitors step in when your presence fades, how to properly evaluate marketing ROI, and why consistency and accountability are critical for long-term growth.

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Everything around advisors is moving fast, and Patrik Delaney has spent twenty-five years watching the industry shift under their feet. 

In this conversation, he and Rebecca dig into what is driving those changes, why traditional education is no longer enough, and how the most successful advisors are learning to inspire behavior rather than just explain it.

Pat breaks down how demographic pressure, AI, and participant expectations are reshaping advisory work. More importantly, he explains why the qualities of great coaches, like curiosity, courage, and compassion, may matter more for advisors going forward than technical skill alone.

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About Our Guest:

Patrick Delaney is an insights director within U.S. Intermediaries – Advisor Engagement, the group focused on helping financial professionals understand and adapt to the changing face of wealth in the United States. 

Patrick has been with T. Rowe Price since 2000, beginning in Retirement Plan Services. Prior to his current role, Patrick developed and delivered practice management content for financial professionals designed to help them learn, sell, and better serve their corporate retirement plan clients

Patrick earned a B.A. in economics from Gettysburg College. He is a Series 7 and 63 registered representative and state-registered broker-dealer.

Standing out online has never been harder. With endless content competing for attention, how do you make sure your voice is the one people remember?

In this episode, Rebecca Hourihan welcomes back Laura Garfield, Founder of Idea Decanter, to talk about the growing “visibility war” and why video has become increasingly important for many advisors. They explore how AI-generated content is flooding the market, why authentic storytelling still wins, and how advisors can measure ROI beyond vanity metrics. Laura also shares her 3-2-1 Countdown framework for creating effective video and practical ways to start without becoming a full-time content creator.

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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. 

Along the way, she has written a book, worked as a foreign correspondent, and has lately been drawn to the emerging possibilities of digital storytelling. Instead of a company relying on a big ad spend, with the Internet, you can be a broadcaster of your own brand. Laura believes that all you need to pull it off is a talented content marketing team (like Idea Decanter!) to help you craft your message.

Confidence alone won’t make you a better communicator. What if the key to connecting with others lies in understanding them first?

How do you shift from speaking at people to truly engaging with them? What role does listening play in building trust and deepening relationships?

In this episode, Rebecca Hourihan interviews Matt Mosich, a communications expert who has helped hundreds of professionals speak with enhanced clarity and confidence. He shares why the best communicators prioritize awareness over confidence, how to become a better listener, and the framework for asking questions that reveal what kind of communicator someone is. 

Matt also explores how communication shapes company culture and offers practical strategies to stop losing your train of thought during important conversations.

Rebeca and Matt discuss:

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About Our Guest:

Matt Mosich is the President and Owner of The Mosich Group and a communications coach who helps professionals strengthen how they speak, listen, and connect. His approach is shaped by years in wealth management, leadership development, and deep study of communication frameworks. Matt works with individuals and executive teams to refine message clarity, build awareness, and create more collaborative cultures. He is known for his practical tools, such as the Three Ps framework and the Personal FAQ process, which help clients communicate with intention in any setting.

Some conversations hit closer to home, especially when your guest is your mom.

In this refreshingly candid episode, Rebecca Hourihan sits down with her mother for a conversation that moves from garden centers and white minivans to the heart of what it means to lead with confidence in uncertain times.

From generational shifts to TikTok finance rabbit holes, and what really happens when advisors go quiet (spoiler: your clients start listening to Reddit, this episode delivers insight with humor, honesty, and just the right amount of sass.

Rebecca reminds us that communication isn’t just part of your strategy; it is your strategy—helping advisors stand tall like a lighthouse when the market gets foggy.

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Most retirement plan advisors spend their days working in their practice, reacting to client emails, putting out fires, and chasing deadlines. But what if you carved out just 2 hours a month to work on your practice instead?

In this high-energy episode, Randy Fuss of Fuss Success Builders joins Rebecca Hourihan to unpack the real meaning of practice management. From clarifying the “Big Three” (wins, retention, and efficiency) to using DISC personality profiles and AI tools like Crystal, Randy shares strategies that can transform your client conversations, team dynamics, and sales outcomes.

Whether you’re walking into a boardroom full of decision-makers or trying to earn trust across generations, this episode will help you speak your clients’ language, literally.

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About Our Guest:

Randy Fuss is passionate about presenting, coaching, and consulting with the many professionals who work in the group retirement plan industry, who are seeking ways to take their performance to the next level! After a very productive and lengthy stint at Cuna Mutual Group, he is now excited to bring his skill set and experience in helping others through his own firm, Fuss Success Builders!.

As a Registered Corporate Coach and Certified DiSC® Trainer, Randy is most in his element in front of a group conducting trainings, workshops & webinars, sharing actionable ideas that lead to improvement. He’s been a frequent presenter at various industry meetings & conferences, and looks forward to bringing his practice management experience through coaching and speaking engagements to help individuals and companies like yours achieve greater success!

Becoming the go-to expert in your niche isn’t just for influencers; it’s for retirement plan advisors, too.

In this episode of the 401(k) Marketing Podcast, Rebecca Hourihan shares how advisors can become micro-influencers through education, storytelling, and strategic content. From quick videos to compliance-friendly guides, she explains how to build trust and credibility before you walk in the door.

Rebecca also dives into the shift with AI, the power of planning, and how consistent visibility drives results. No matter your work style, she shows how to harness your team’s strengths for scalable, effective marketing.

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What makes startup 401(k) plans the new frontier for retirement savings?

Join Rebecca Hourihan as she sits down with Kevin Spaeth from PenChecks to explore the modern twists redefining 401(k) plans. They delve into the impact of auto-enrollment and escalation, the role of safe-harbor rules, state-mandated IRA programs, and the introduction of strategic tax incentives designed to engage more businesses. 

Rebecca and Kevin discuss:

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About Our Guest:

As part of the Clean Up Crew, Kevin Spaeth helps TPAs support their clients in keeping retirement plans clean, compliant, and running smoothly. The goal: to help clients increase average account balances while reducing fiduciary risk.

Since 1997, Kevin has dedicated his professional career to working with ERISA plans, with a focus on helping small businesses empower their employees to prepare for retirement. His background spans recordkeeping, investment management, and the administration of qualified retirement plans.

Today, at PenChecks Trust, Kevin is passionate about reuniting Americans with their hard-earned retirement savings, ensuring no one leaves behind what they’ve worked so hard to earn.

As the retirement landscape continues to evolve, understanding how new legislation and emerging technologies impact employers and employees is more important than ever.

In this episode, Rebecca chats with Will Hansen, Executive Director of the Plan Sponsor Council of America, to discuss the latest shifts in retirement planning and policy, and what they mean for you. Together, they explore how SECURE Act 2.0 has reshaped the way plan sponsors and employers approach retirement benefits, the growing gap between policymakers and those on the front lines, and how AI might change the future of plan management.

Will discusses:

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About Our Guest:

Will Hansen joined the American Retirement Association (ARA) in January 2019 in the new role of Chief Government Affairs Officer. In this position, Will oversees all advocacy activities at the federal, state, and local levels on behalf of the five trade organizations within ARA. In addition, Will is the Executive Director of Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA) as of January 2020. Founded in 1947, PSCA has been at the forefront of protecting the American retirement system and is committed to improving workers’ retirement security by providing advocacy, insights, and education to plan sponsors.