The Fiduciary U™ Podcast

Welcome to episode #51 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast. My guest today is Rob Madore from Marshberry.

In this episode, I interview Rob Madore, an expert in investment banking and management consulting. We discuss the role of MarshBerry, a management consulting and investment banking firm, in helping advisory firms grow and maximize their value. We also explore some of the current challenges and opportunities in the industry, including the integration of acquired firms and the importance of organic growth. Our conversation highlights the need for advisory firms to have a long-term plan and a solid growth foundation to achieve success.

We also discuss the challenges and strategies for growing and scaling advisory firms. We emphasize the importance of overcoming growth barriers, cultivating the next generation of advisors, and adapting to a constantly changing competitive landscape. We also touch on the value of niche specialization, differentiation, and focusing on the right types of clients. We conclude our conversation with a discussion on the drivers of value in advisory firms and the importance of scale, profitability, human and capital.

Listeners are encouraged to connect with Rob on LinkedIn or via email to learn more.

Welcome to episode #50 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast. My guest today is Patrick Bushlack from The Standard.

In this conversation, we discuss Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) and their growing impact on the retirement industry. We explore the different flavors of PEPs and the importance of advisor centricity in designing and implementing these plans. We also touch on the challenges faced by HR and benefits teams, the concept of indirect fee compression for financial advisors, and the need for a flexible framework in PEPs.

The conversation highlights the importance of good data, the role of a pooled plan provider, and the value of insulating plan sponsors from operational failures. We also discuss the benefits and challenges of Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs). We explore topics such as the service-first approach, intraplan subsidization, the role of advisors in PEPs, the potential for cost savings, and the timeline for setting up a PEP.

Patrick emphasizes the importance of curiosity and education for advisors considering PEPs. He also shares lessons learned from their experience with PEPs, including the high level of interest from employers and the need for flexibility and collaboration. Listeners are encouraged to connect with Patrick on LinkedIn or via email to learn more.

On this episode, Rebecca Hourihan from 401(k) Marketing and I discuss the changes in marketing strategies over the past decade and the importance of differentiation in the industry. She emphasizes the visual identity of advisors' websites and the need to showcase their office and team to create familiarity and connection with potential clients. She also highlights the significance of brand guidelines and professional photography in conveying a unique client experience.

She suggests focusing on email marketing campaigns, LinkedIn engagement, and maintaining an active blog to attract and retain clients. We discuss the importance of building a rewarding culture, designing an effective content strategy, and leveraging technology in the retirement industry.

We also explore the limitations and benefits of AI in content creation, the challenges of outdated technology, and the value of investing in the right tools and resources.

Additionally, we highlight the need for retirement advisors to view technology as an investment rather than an expense and the importance of storytelling and messaging in delivering high-value content. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the importance of leveraging technology and expertise to enhance the advisor's business and client experience.

In this conversation, I interview Justin Tarantin, the CEO of Venrollment, a participant engagement platform for retirement plans. We discuss the challenges of in-person education, the birth of Venrollment, the impact of COVID-19, and the importance of branding and differentiation. We also explore how Venrollment enables advisors to target the small plan market and deliver value to plan sponsors. Justin shares his career arc and the vision for Venrollment's future, including expanding into health benefits. The conversation concludes with a discussion on integrating retirement and health benefits and the challenges that come with it. We discuss the challenges and pain points in the retirement space and the importance of understanding the advisor pain points. We also explore the complexity of implementing new tools and the advantage of newer solutions with less technical debt. The focus is on making the advisor's life easier and finding simple solutions to complex challenges. Delegating and outsourcing lower-value activities is emphasized, as well as empowering education specialists. The conversation highlights the importance of investing in technology and using it to educate employees. Listeners are encouraged to connect with Venrollment for more information.

Welcome to Part 2 of episode #47 of the Fiduciary UÔ Podcast.  

My guest today is Bill Chetney, Jr. from Viking Cove Institute.  Bill’s dad Bill Chetney Sr. arguably created the first aggregator with National Retirement Partners (NRP), eventually selling it to LPL, and ultimately created GRPAA.  Now it’s Bill Jr.’s turn to lead the organization forward and today he shares his vision for what that looks like.

On the show we cover a lot of ground around topics and the various ways Viking Cove Institue supports the independent advisor community through a combination of resources like training and educations, fintech solutions and partnerships, and favorable economics with product providers to create institutional scale that Viking Cove members can leverage to compete more effectively within the marketplace.

Welcome to Part 1 of episode #47 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast.  

My guest today is Bill Chetney, Jr. from Viking Cove Institute.  Bill’s dad Bill Chetney Sr. arguably created the first aggregator with National Retirement Partners (NRP), eventually selling it to LPL, and ultimately created GRPAA.  Now it’s Bill Jr.’s turn to lead the organization forward and today he shares his vision for what that looks like.

On the show we cover a lot of ground around topics and the various ways Viking Cove Institue supports the independent advisor community through a combination of resources like training and educations, fintech solutions and partnerships, and favorable economics with product providers to create institutional scale that Viking Cove members can leverage to compete more effectively within the marketplace.

Welcome to Part 2 of episode #46 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast.   

My guest today is Liz Davidson from Financial Finesse and this is her second time on the show.

On this episode, we discuss her new book, Money Strong: Your Guide to a Life Free of Financial Worries, her "START" framework which outlines a universal process that can be applied to anyone's financial life regardless of where they are, her writing process, why Financial Finesse focuses on "coaching" vs. "advice" to employees, their "Powered By" division which provides a combination of technology and coaching infrastructure to partners, how AI and mass personalization can help reach more people and drive transformational change, the behavioral and psychological aspects to financial stress, and much more.

Welcome to Part 1 of episode #46 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast.   

My guest today is Liz Davidson from Financial Finesse and this is her second time on the show.

On this episode, we discuss her new book, Money Strong: Your Guide to a Life Free of Financial Worries, her "START" framework which outlines a universal process that can be applied to anyone's financial life regardless of where they are, her writing process, why Financial Finesse focuses on "coaching" vs. "advice" to employees, their "Powered By" division which provides a combination of technology and coaching infrastructure to partners, how AI and mass personalization can help reach more people and drive transformational change, the behavioral and psychological aspects to financial stress, and much more.

Welcome to Part 2 of episode #45 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast.   

My guest today is Bonnie Treichel from Endeavour Retirement.  I’ve been a fan of Bonnie’s for some time and she is seemingly everyone these days sharing her thought leadership as well as her practice management tools and resources for advisors.  She’s one of the voices in the retirement industry that I greatly admire, and listeners will glean a lot of wisdom from this episode.

Bonnie has a unique background, as both an ERISA attorney and former advisors, and it shows in how she communicates her ideas philosophies, and methodologies.  

On the show we do a deep dive into hot fiduciary topics like ESG, guaranteed income, an implementation framework for SECURE 2.0, the benefit of developing what she calls a “partnership wheel, the highs and lows of the startup journey, and more.

Welcome to Part 1 of episode #45 of the Fiduciary U™ Podcast.   

My guest today is Bonnie Treichel from Endeavour Retirement.  I’ve been a fan of Bonnie’s for some time and she is seemingly everyone these days sharing her thought leadership as well as her practice management tools and resources for advisors.  She’s one of the voices in the retirement industry that I greatly admire, and listeners will glean a lot of wisdom from this episode.

Bonnie has a unique background, as both an ERISA attorney and former advisors, and it shows in how she communicates her ideas philosophies, and methodologies.  

On the show we do a deep dive into hot fiduciary topics like ESG, guaranteed income, an implementation framework for SECURE 2.0, the benefit of developing what she calls a “partnership wheel, the highs and lows of the startup journey, and more.