In one of our very first episodes we talked about Pooled Employer Plans and since then, the industry conversation has broadened with several considerations for employers today including legislation that could create even more opportunity. In today’s episode, Bill and Heather talk with Scarlett Ungurean, Executive Director at ABA Retirement Funds Program, a fully bundled retirement offering to approximately 4,000 organizations in the legal community established nearly 60 years ago. As the ABA RF program has a longstanding reputation in the industry, Scarlett joins this episode to talk about some of the insights in the broad pooled plan space that her team has learned along the way. 

We’ve been focused on industry trends recently so thought we’d dive in on one topic that has become an integral way to save for retirement and that is: Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation (NQDC) Plans. In this episode Bill and Heather are joined by Voya’s own SVP of Non-Qualified Markets, Kirk Penland, who shares what he’s hearing from clients as it pertains to NQDC plans and trends he’s seeing in the marketplace at large. 

Bill Harmon is a registered representative of Voya Financial Partners, LLC (member SIPC).

As the topic of 401(k)’s are near and dear to us at Voya, we thought we’d bring on an industry expert to dive into the topic. In this episode, Bill and Heather are joined by Fred Barstein, Consulting Editor at RPA Convergence with InvestmentNews. Fred is most commonly known for his weekly video series “401(k) Real Talk” where he reviews recent industry news and provides open, honest and candid discussions you won’t get anywhere else. Tune in to hear Fred’s take on the latest industry chatter and perhaps more surprisingly the topic of mindfulness and the important role he believes it plays in a healthy retirement industry.

Bill Harmon is a registered representative of Voya Financial Partners, LLC (member SIPC).

Neither Fred Barstein, RPG Convergence, nor InvestmentNews are affiliated with the Voya® family of companies.

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In this episode, Bill and Heather and joined by arguably one of the coolest guys in retirement — Owner of Plan Design Consultants, JD Carlson. JD is also the host of Retireholics, a weekly show where retirement industry professionals get together to talk shop. And, while he spends most of his time talking to folks in varying roles across the retirement plan industry, we’ve asked him to the podcast to share his own perspective to provide a “state of the industry.”

Bill Harmon is a registered representative of Voya Financial Partners, LLC (member SIPC).

Plan Design Consultants is not a member of the Voya® family of companies. 

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We’ve been talking a lot about Open Enrollment recently and there’s a good reason for it – not only is it an important time of year, but now more than ever there is a heightened focus on the concept of “health and wealth” as a dual strategy when it comes to workplace benefits. In this episode, we welcome Gina Mourtzinou, Co-Founder and CEO at SAVVI Financial, an organization focused on leveraging analytics and modeling to develop high quality, affordable financial advice solutions. Gina joins Bill and Heather to provide a deeper understanding of how employers can support their workforce in these areas, particularly during Open Enrollment.

Data referenced in this episode is noted from a Voya Financial survey conducted through Ipsos on the Ipsos eNation omnibus online platform among approx. 1,005 adults aged 18+ in the U.S. Research was conducted throughout 2020: March 25-26, April 22-23, May 29-June 1, June 29-30, July 30-31, Sept. 24-25, Oct. 22-23, Nov. 19-20, Dec. 17-18 and March 12-15, 2021.

Bill Harmon is a registered representative of Voya Financial Partners, LLC (member SIPC).

SAVVI Financial is not a member of the Voya® family of companies. 

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If you’ve been listening to our recent episodes you know we’ve been dedicating our conversations to Open Enrollment. We in this industry know that this is a crucial time of year for both employers and participants. As a result, it’s the perfect time to talk about one of the fastest growing employer offerings in the market – Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Bill Stuart, director, Planning and Business Analysis at Voya, joins Bill and Heather in this episode to help navigate the HSA waters.

Bill Harmon is a registered representative of Voya Financial Partners, LLC (member SIPC).

The accident insurance claim presented was not the result of coverage offered through the Voya® family of companies and does not constitute an endorsement by any individual. 

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They say you can never have too much of a good thing and for us at Voya that good thing is data. So, on today’s episode Bill and Heather talk to some repeat guests, back by popular demand: Kerry Sette, Head of Consumer Insights and Research at Voya Financial, and Tom Armstrong, VP, Customer Analytics and Insight. Kerry and Tom discuss recent insights from Voya’s broad consumer insights and findings from our retirement plan participant data at Voya which showed that the pandemic has clearly made saving for the future a priority for people, within all generations. Tune in hear to hear more on the findings. 

Data referenced in this episode leveraged from the following sources:

• Internal Voya retirement plan participant data as of June 30, 2021.
• Results of a Voya Financial survey conducted through Ipsos on the Ipsos eNation omnibus online platform among 1,005 adults aged 18+ in the U.S., featuring 499 Americans working full-time or part-time; 284 Millennials and 191 Millennials working full-time or part-time. Research was conducted June 3-4, 2021.
• Results of a Voya Financial survey conducted through the Engine CARAVAN omnibus online platform among 3,012 U.S. adults aged 18+, featuring 1,113 Americans working full-time or part-time and eligible to participate in their employer’s benefits program.  The research was conducted July 22-27, 2020.  Data is weighted to the most recent census data.
•  Results of a Voya Financial survey conducted through AYTM (Ask Your Target Market) online research platform among 500 adults, aged 18-64, who are working full-time or part-time, eligible to participate in their employer’s benefits program, and completed their 2021 workplace open enrollment period within 6 months of the survey.  The research was conducted March 10-12, 2021.  Results are balanced by age and gender to reflect the U.S. population.
• Kantar U.S. Monitor COVID-19 Download Volume 2. The Kantar survey was conducted from April 23 – April 29, 2020 with n=2,000 US consumers.

Bill Harmon is a registered representative of Voya Financial Partners, LLC (member SIPC).

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As Open Enrollment approaches we’re continuing the conversation today to talk about benefits spend from the advisor lens. In this episode, Bill and Heather are joined by Jeanne Fisher, CFP®, CPFA and managing director at Strategic Retirement Partners — though she is most commonly known as “The 401k Lady.” In addition to building a successful practice serving as an investment advisor representative and financial consultant for families and businesses, Jeanne has truly cracked the code in terms of helping people understand the often complex nature of the financial services industry via her social media presence. Tune in to hear more about what she has to say on the latest benefits she and her team are prioritizing when it comes to client discussions this Open Enrollment season.

Bill Harmon is a registered representative of Voya Financial Partners, LLC (member SIPC).

Jeanne Fisher and Strategic Retirement Partners are not affiliated with the Voya® family of companies.

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We’re entering an important season ahead for many employers and individuals and that is Open Enrollment season. This year — more than ever — is going to be different as both employers and employees reassess their usage of benefits as a result of COVID-19. To help support employers who might be wondering about the “new landscape” when it comes to health benefits, in this episode Bill and Heather are joined by Paul Fronstin, director of the health research program at the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Data referenced includes research from the following sources:

·       Voya Financial survey conducted through Ipsos on the Ipsos eNation omnibus online platform among 1,005 adults aged 18+ in the U.S. (featuring 294 who are currently working and benefits-eligible). Research was conducted Dec. 17-18, 2020.

·       AARP, “5 Medicare Myths Set Straight” (2021). 

·       EBRI “2020 Workplace Wellness Survey Funders’ Presentation,” July 2020.

Bill Harmon is a registered representative of Voya Financial Partners, LLC (member SIPC).

Paul Fronstin and the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) are not affiliated with the Voya® family of companies.

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Higher education is an industry that undoubtedly has seen an impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, but one that even prior to the pandemic has focused on the importance of expanding financial wellness needs. In this episode, Bill and Heather talk with Jennifer Addleman, who oversees benefits and wellbeing at Rollins College, and Voya’s own Brodie Wood, who leads our healthcare and education practice. Jennifer and Brodie speak to the developing holistic financial wellness needs that are top of mind right now within the higher education industry. 

Bill Harmon is a registered representative of Voya Financial Partners, LLC (member SIPC). Brodie Wood is a registered representative of Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. (member SIPC).

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