401(k) Specialist Podcast

It was announced at the start of the recent Viking Cove Institute 2025 Industry Leaders Summit that well-known retirement industry veteran Amy Glynn would be taking the reins as President at the unique independent organization that boasts a membership of over 600 advisors across roughly 200 firms.

Glynn joins the 401(k) Specialist Pod(k)ast to talk about the transition, the recent summit, why advisors need independent guidance, and some key new initiatives set to roll out this year at Viking Cove.

Key Insights:

Industry Leadership Shift at Viking Cove Institute
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The “flavor of the month” in retirement plan ERISA lawsuits seems to be 401(k) forfeiture reallocation cases, where employers are accused of using forfeited funds to benefit the company instead of plan participants.

Richard Clarke, Chief Insurance Officer at Colonial Surety Company, a leading direct seller and writer of surety bonds, joins the 401(k) Specialist Podcast to address why plan sponsors need to remain vigilant and have the proper guardrails in place to mitigate the risk of a costly lawsuit.

He’ll also talk about some of the new SECURE 2.0 provisions and how plan sponsors can sa...

High-profile retirement plan advisor Holly Knight joins the 401(k) Specialist Podcast in this episode to discuss her recent move from NFP to Alera Group, where she is in the newly created role of “Director of Retirement Advisor Services.”

Knight explains the rationale behind the move and why she believes the young and growing company is uniquely positioned to deliver true financial integration for its clients, and how she plans to tackle the task of building scalable infrastructure.

Key Insights:

A second Trump Administration, coupled with new leadership at the SEC and Department of Labor, brings the potential for significant changes in the regulatory environment in Washington, including discussions that could impact retirement tax incentives and their role in encouraging long-term savings.

For insight on what this could mean when it comes to the retirement industry, we check in with Eric J. Pan, President and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based Investment Company Institute. ICI is the leading association representing the interests of regulated funds and the more than 120 million Americans who depend on them to...

The Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Jan. 6 thanks to strong bipartisan support. The intent was to provide greater retirement security and “fairness” to people who have dedicated their careers to public service, with bill supporters saying the old law unfairly stripped many low-income government and public workers of the benefits they deserve.

But did they get it wrong? Andrew G. Biggs, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a nationally recognized expert on retirement issues and Social Security policy, makes a compelling argument for why the Soci...

With the new year quickly approaching, it’s a good time to think about some of the key trends to watch out for in 2025. Vanguard Head of Defined Contribution Research Jeff Clark—who is the author of the company’s popular “How America Saves” research—joins the 401(k) Specialist Podcast to talk about four 2025 retirement trends he anticipates will impact the workplace retirement plan market next year. podcast here 

Clark covers growing Roth contribution options, increases in auto enrollment, why to expect a broader focus on financial wellness, and continued momentum for in-plan lifetime income options.

t’s always important for retirement plan advisors to know the primary concerns and interests of 401(k) participants in order to be able to communicate with them effectively.

Invesco recently conducted some new research on the mindset of participants, and in this episode of the 401(k) Specialist Pod(k)ast, we talk with Greg Jenkins, Managing Director and Head of Institutional Defined Contribution at Invesco, who shares some surprising findings uncovered by the new research, and what advisors can learn from it.

Key Insights:

In this episode, we sit down with Pete Welsh, Managing Director of Retirement and Wealth at Inspira Financial, to explore the complexities of company mergers and their impact on retirement plans. 

Welsh sheds light on what happens when businesses with different retirement plans merge, outlining key outcomes and compliance concerns. He also provides expert guidance on plan terminations and offers insights into how companies can navigate these intricate processes while staying compliant with federal regulations.

The small to mid-size business retirement plan market is a key growth opportunity for advisors who are looking to expand their client base and provide much-needed benefit solutions to a traditionally underserved segment.

With all the new tax incentives for startup plans and state mandates to either offer a plan or have employees opted-in to a state-run auto-IRA program, the time has never been better to get smaller businesses on board with starting a plan—which can lead to additional opportunities on the wealth management side.

To learn more about the SMB market, we’re join...

In this episode of the 401(k) Specialist Podcast, we’ll travel down the road to better participant outcomes with MFS Investment Management’s Jeri Savage, who will direct us through the key insights from the newly released 2024 MFS Global Retirement Survey. Podcast Episode Player 

Savage, Lead Retirement Strategist at Boston-based MFS, elaborates on some of the most impactful findings and explores how advisors and plan sponsors can help participants prioritize savings, improve retirement readiness, and navigate the complexities of target date funds.

Key Insights:

Target Date Fund Misunderstandings: Addressing misco...

Since the rapid rise in interest rates over the past few years, fixed income has come back into the spotlight. As the Federal Reserve begins cutting interest rates, retirement plan advisors might now be wondering how this shift will impact core bond and core plus bond portfolios.

To find out, we speak with Matt Brill, CFA, Head of North America Investment Grade Credit and Senior Portfolio Manager for Invesco Fixed Income. He’ll walk us through the basics of core bond and core plus bond portfolios, how the Fed’s intended “soft landing” will impact these sectors, and also...

Considerable resources have been devoted to solving the challenge of portability in retirement savings over the past few years, and the stakes are high to get it right and cut down on costly an unnecessary retirement plan leakage.

In this episode, we talk with Ben Thomason, Head of Defined Contribution Distribution at Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, to explore the importance of portability and the unique challenges it poses when it comes to in-plan guaranteed lifetime income solutions.

Thomason dives into the complexities of why portability matters for participants, preserving benefits, maintaining guarantees...

ERISA attorney Allie Itami, Partner at Lathrop GPM in Minneapolis, joins the 401(k) Specialist Pod(k)ast to talk about the status of the Department of Labor’s beleaguered fiduciary rule in light of recent stay rulings in Texas, and also chimes in on ERISA at 50 before addressing compliance challenges presented by annuities in 401(k) plans.

And click here to check out a recent blog post from Itami about ERISA’s 50th anniversary, which will be celebrated with a gala event in Washington D.C. on Sept. 12.

Itami is a partner in Lathrop GPM’s Busine...

Morningstar Retirement President Brock Johnson joins a special 100th episode of the 401(k) Specialist Pod(k)ast to provide an inside look and share insights into the past, present and future of the comprehensive retirement planning solutions and investment research unit.

Johnson talks about how retirement solutions and research have evolved over the years, what’s behind a host of recent innovations, and provides a glimpse into the future.

Key Insights:

The retirement landscape is undergoing a dramatic shift, characterized by unprecedented challenges such as increased longevity and unpredictable market conditions. Traditional retirement models centered solely on wealth accumulation are no longer sufficient. A more holistic approach is imperative to effectively manage risks, generate sustainable income, and ensure financial security throughout retirement.

To explain this transformation, joining us on the 401(k) Specialist Pod(k)ast are a pair of well-versed subject matter experts in Joshua Grass, CFA, Senior Strategic Accounts Associate at Allianz Life, and Todd Levy, Managing Director, RIA, with The Retirement Plan Company.

Josh...

It’s quite rare for one person to manage a large-cap mutual fund for a consecutive span of 25 years, but that’s just what Kevin C. Holt, CFA, chief investment officer, U.S. Value Equities at Invesco, is celebrating this summer.

Holt and Devin Armstrong, who have been co-lead portfolio managers for the Invesco Comstock Fund since 2007, apply a unique contrarian approach and classic value investing techniques.

Holt joins the 401(k) Specialist Pod(k)ast to share more about the approach, what he looks for in a value stock, and why 401(k) participants need a well...

No matter how easy plan sponsors try to make it for employees to participate in their company-sponsored 401(k) plan, too many workers still aren’t enrolling.

Our guests on today have some ideas on dealing with this problem—centered on how instead of making it easy to participate, making it even harder to avoid enrolling in the plan in the first place.

Marc Howell and Felix Okwaning, who are both Managing Directors—Enhanced Plan Design at Principal Financial Group, share some great ideas on how to use a combination of automatic features including “auto-sweep” to boost enro...

Despite offering unique tax advantages, lots of people remain unaware of health savings accounts (HSA)—and even many who are using them aren’t using them to anywhere near their full potential.

Jeremy Keil, CFP, CFA, a retirement-focused financial advisor and host of both the Retirement Revealed Podcast and Mr. Retirement YouTube channel, joins the 401(k) Specialist Pod(k)ast to discuss the most common mistakes he sees people with HSAs making, as well as how to help correct these mistakes with strategies that make the most of their exceptional capabilities.

Key Insights Include:<...

The DOL’s new fiduciary rule is scheduled to become effective in September, and retirement plan advisors and plan sponsors have plenty to do to prepare for the changes it will bring.

Jerry Schlichter, founding and managing partner of Schlichter Bogard LLC and a well-known pioneer of retirement plan excessive fee litigation, visits the 401(k) Specialist Pod(k)ast to share some important insights on the upcoming changes, legal challenges and what advisors need to be doing to prepare for compliance.

SEE ALSO:

• Fred Reish Unpacks the DOL’s New Fiduciary Rule<...

Health Savings Accounts can be a very effective tool not only to pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses, but also to save for retirement thanks to a unique triple tax advantage.

To check in on the pulse of the HSA market, we talk with the co-founder and president of Devenir Research Eric Remjeske, who is also a co-author of the semi-annual Devenir HSA Marketplace Research Report, recognized as the industry standard for tracking health savings account market statistics and trends.

We’ll cover the key findings from the latest report while also talking about some market gr...

The Department of Labor released its final “Retirement Security Rule” recently, which aims to raise the legal bar for financial advisors, brokers, insurance agents and others who give retirement investment advice.

Noted ERISA attorney Fred Reish Esquire, Partner at Faegre Drinker, shares his thoughts on some of the rule’s key focuses and changes, along with implementation questions and potential hurdles to the rule becoming effective in September.

Key Insights:

There’s a trend happening right now where asset managers are using a new strategy to help 401(k) plan participants manage their retirement spending: Target date funds featuring annuities.

Morningstar recently did some really interesting research on this trend, and there are some compelling reasons to believe this type of solution could gain some serious traction in the coming years.

Jason Kephart, director of multi-asset ratings for Morningstar Research Services LLC, was a lead author of the new research, and he explains why annuities in target date funds are trending, who’s getting into this mark...

Artificial intelligence is a hot topic everywhere these days, including the financial services industry. We check in with artificial intelligence early adopter Liz Davidson, founder and CEO of Financial Finesse, who tells us about their award-winning AI-powered virtual financial coach named Aimee, and how AI really is turning into a game-changer for many retirement plan advisors.

Financial Finesse is making great strides in this area, and she explains how they’re doing it and why AI has so much potential to provide safe and accurate financial education to plan participants.

The workplace retirement plan industry’s premiere event is just days away, with top professionals set to descend upon Nashville April 7-9 for the 2024 NAPA 401(k) Summit.

We get a preview of the big event from two of the key people in charge of putting it together in Nevin Adams and John Sullivan, the former and current Chief Content Officers for the American Retirement Association.

In addition to highlighting some of the topics and key must-see sessions scheduled for the event, we’ll check in with Nevin about his “gradual retirement” and John about how he’s fit...

The 401(k) has been under attack on multiple fronts lately.

Between calls for eliminating their tax advantages to prop up Social Security to Bernie Sanders pining for a return to pension plans, and momentum seeming to build for the TSP-like “Retirement Savings for Americans Act” that many in the workplace retirement market believe would constitute unfair competition from the federal government, it’s enough to have retirement plan advisors feeling a little defensive these days.

Fortunately, plenty of retirement industry experts have stepped up to answer these attacks, and today’s podcast features a prominent one in S...

Unlocking the Door to Broader Adoption of Guaranteed Lifetime Income in 401(k)s: Matt Gray and Todd Levy

Guaranteed lifetime income remains a hot topic in the workplace retirement plan market and there are plenty of factors at play these days that are helping these solutions gain traction—and more widespread adoption—in 401(k) plans.

Matt Gray, Assistant Vice President, Workplace and Middle Markets at Allianz Life, and Todd Levy, a “first mover” for lifetime income in DC plans who is Managing Director of RIA for The Retirement Plan Company, join the 401(k) Speciali...

Ohtani’s ‘Retirement’ Strategy, NQDC Plans and 2024 Stock Trends with ‘401(k) Lady’ Jeanne Sutton

Baseball’s biggest star Shohei Ohtani made headlines recently by signing the largest individual contract in the history of sports when he inked a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Interestingly, he deferred $68 of the $70 million per year in a move that could save him nine figures in California state income tax down the road.

We’ll talk about that unique contract and the power of non-qualified deferred compensation plans with Strategic Retirement Partners Managing Director Jeann...

Catching Up with 'Annuity Yoda' Tamiko Toland

Guaranteed in-plan lifetime income solutions is a hot topic in the workplace retirement market these days, and we wanted to hear from one of the foremost experts on these products in “Annuity Yoda” Tamiko Toland.

After stints at TIAA and CANNEX, the thought leader in retirement and annuities in the individual and institutional markets last year started Toland Consulting, LLC, to share her insights, experience, and strategic analysis with clients, and she’ll also tell us about a couple of other new gigs keeping her busy these...

The Year Ahead with John Hancock Retirement CEO Wayne Park

As the new year opens, our first podcast of 2024 features a look at what to expect in the workplace retirement market from a high-level leader in John Hancock Retirement CEO Wayne Park.

With oversight over all aspects of John Hancock Retirement’s business, Park is an ideal person to shed insight on topics that will impact the workplace retirement business this year, particularly as they relate to emerging opportunities in the small plan marketplace.

He talks about impacts of SECURE 2.0 and st...

IBM sent shockwaves through the retirement industry recently when it was revealed that the tech and computing giant is halting its 5% 401(k) match in favor of a 5% contribution to a new, portable, immediate-vesting pension called a “Retirement Benefit Account.”

Joining us to discuss this move and its wider implications within the retirement industry is someone who knows the defined benefit market very well in Brian McDonnell, Head of the Global Pension Practice at Cambridge Associates. There he oversees the firm’s work with more than 150 plan sponsors, and also works directly with clients as their OCIO.

He'l...

2024 SECURE 2.0 Insights with Principal’s Lance Schoening

As we head toward 2024, more and more provisions of the landmark SECURE 2.0 retirement reform legislation package are coming online, including some provisions that have lots of people in the industry really excited.

One of those people is Lance Schoening, Director of Policy at Principal, the sponsor of today’s podcast. As the person responsible for the company’s analysis of retirement legislation, he’s well-versed in all things SECURE 2.0, and shares insights on a number of new provisions.

He’ll also explain why he’s excited ab...

IRI’s Jason Berkowitz: Why Biden’s Fiduciary Rule Gets it Wrong

While the American Retirement Association is among those saying “fair” when it comes to the Department of Labor’s new proposed retirement security rule released last week that seeks to update the definition of an investment advice fiduciary under ERISA, many insurance-based organizations are crying “foul” over the controversial proposal, arguing that it imposes unnecessary regulatory burdens on investment advice.

In the interest of learning more about the reasons behind annuity advocate opposition to the proposal, we invited Jason Berkowitz, Chief Legal and Regulatory Affairs Office...

Talking DOL Retirement Saving Priorities with EBSA Head Lisa Gomez

It’s been about a year since the Honorable Lisa M. Gomez was sworn in as the Assistant Secretary of Labor, and quite a busy year it’s been for the head of the Employee Benefits Security Administration, which is responsible for administering, regulating and enforcing provisions of ERISA.

She joins the 401(k) Specialist Pod(k)ast to talk about topics including the high-profile rewrite of the conflict of interest rule, SECURE 2.0 and its ability to address the workplace retirement plan coverage gap, and...

When you want to gain insight about what’s going on in the retirement industry, you want to talk to someone who’s in the loop and immersed in the business. We can’t think of someone who fits that description better than Jania Stout.

401(k) Specialist’s “Top Advisor by Participant Outcomes” in 2020 is now the Senior Vice President, Retirement + Wealth, at OneDigital, where she brings over 22 years of experience in ERISA plan consulting to her role as Practice Leader.

She fills us in on the latest when it comes to helping participants tackle the difficul...

Capitol Hill Retirement Reform Update with Invesco’s Jennifer Flitton

With 2024 quickly approaching, it’s a good time to check in on the status of retirement reform efforts and progress in Washington D.C.—particularly as the industry prepares for a variety of SECURE 2.0 provisions scheduled to kick in come January.

To learn where things stand on a variety of key retirement issues, this episode of the 401(k) Specialist Pod(k)ast is proud to feature a true Capitol Hill insider in Jennifer Flitton, Head of US Government Affairs at Invesco. In her 15 years...

Andrew Biggs Explains Why There is Really Is No Retirement Crisis

In an environment where Americans are repeatedly told by mainstream media that they are facing a serious retirement savings crisis because they aren’t saving enough, there’s one person who repeatedly stands up to refute these claims.

Andrew Biggs, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former Deputy Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, explains why he thinks most Americans probably are indeed saving enough for retirement, and how what he says are “flawed” calculations exaggerate the shortfall of Social S...

Building Client Relationships with Advisor Derek Fiorenza

Derek Fiorenza, C(K)P, CPFA, AIF, PPC, MSBA, is wired a little differently than the typical retirement plan advisor. He joins us to explain the somewhat unique approach he has to building client and participant relationships.

Fiorenza, who serves as the Vice President, COO and CCO of Summit Group Retirement Planners in the Philadelphia area—a firm he co-founded with his father Anthony Fiorenza in 2013—has earned several accolades as a “top advisor under 40” and the company has been named a top DC advisor team by NAPA...