401(k) Specialist Podcast

The third edition of the retirement industry’s least traditional conference is coming up Aug. 3–5 in Milwaukee, Wis. To get the low-down, we spoke with organizer Sheri Fitts, a well-known expert in personal branding for financial advisors and 401(k) marketing. Audio here 

Sheri explains what sets the conference apart. It focuses on helping attendees strengthen their personal brand through storytelling and human connection. Additiona...

Recently the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration announced that it has rescinded its 2022 guidance that discouraged retirement plan fiduciaries from including cryptocurrency investments in 401(k) plans.

The move is seen as a removal of a big regulatory roadblock that forced plan fiduciaries to exercise “extreme care” before adding crypto to 401(k) investment menus, in line with the Trump administrat...

One of the most promising—and rapidly evolving—segments of the retirement plan industry is the small- to medium-sized business (SMB) market. With a wave of government incentives and employee expectations for workplace benefits on the rise, the time is ripe for innovation and growth.

To help unpack the challenges and opportunities in serving this critical market, we’re joined by Stan Smith, Chief of Growth at 401GO, a digital-first r...

The integration of guaranteed lifetime income solutions into workplace retirement plans remains a hot topic among plan advisors, sponsors and participants. To get an idea of the current state of these efforts, we talk with Matt Stubblefield, Aggregator Channel Director at Allianz, who highlights some key findings from a new report by the Allianz Center for the Future of Retirement, part of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North Am...

The inaugural "Next-Gen 401(k) Report" from KWP Growth Partners is being released on April 8, unveiling a dozen transformative trends that are shaping the future of retirement plans, putting the spotlight on 60 leading digital-forward companies that are driving innovation in the workplace retirement plan space.

Will Prest, Managing Partner for KWP Growth Partners and Lisa Kottler, KWP’s Partner of Strategic Growth and Inno...

In this episode, we explore how large-cap value investing fits into a well-structured 401(k) plan investment menu with the help of Devin Armstrong, co-lead manager of the Invesco Comstock Fund, who is Senior Portfolio Manager and Director of U.S. Value Research at Invesco.

With market uncertainty and shifting economic conditions, value investing remains a compelling strategy for long-term retirement savers. Armstrong breaks down why...

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 ...

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 th...

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 t...

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 Was...

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, seni...

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 growin...

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 surprisin...

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 navig...

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 boa...

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 h...

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. ...

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 ...

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, whic...