Episode 43

In episode 43 of Revamping Retirement,  Jennifer Doss and Scott Matheson are joined by Dawn McPherson, CAPTRUST’s director of retirement plan consulting. Jennifer and Dawn recently attended the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) D.C. Fly-In Forum, which provides an opportunity for retirement plan advisors to engage with key policymakers and get the inside scoop on what’s going on in terms of legislative policy affecting the retirement industry.

The two provide an update on where we’re at with the Senate’s Securing a Strong Retirement Act (SECURE 2.0) and the House’s Retirement Improvement and Savings Enhancement to Supplement Healthy Investments for the Nest Egg (RISE and SHINE) Act, what needs to happen get a reconciled bill over the finish line, and the expected timeframe for doing so. They also explore some of the more significant provisions, like student loan repayment, emergency savings access, and auto-portability.

On the regulatory front, Jennifer shares what she heard from Ali Khawar, the acting assistant secretary of the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)—including his cryptocurrency concerns, why cybersecurity keeps him up at night, and when we can expect to see guidance on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing in retirement plans.

Later, Mike Webb discusses the differences between plan termination and mergers in Minute with Mike.

Show Notes:

Episode 42

In episode 42 of Revamping Retirement, Jennifer Doss and Scott Matheson talk with Dr. Shlomo Benartzi, a behavioral economist widely known for the Save More Tomorrow (SMarT) program, which he pioneered with Nobel Laureate Dr. Richard Thaler. Save More Tomorrow is a behavioral nudge designed to help employees increase their saving rates gradually over time. The SMarT program was incorporated into the Pension Protection Act of 2006 and has since helped boost the retirement savings of more than 15 million Americans through auto-enrollment and auto-escalation features.

More than 25 years later, Dr. Benartzi talks about the success of the SMarT program and shares why he feels there is a big opportunity to rethink the details, particularly when it comes to incorporating technology to elevate customization. He also discusses how proposed legislation like the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021 (SECURE 2.0) could help move the dial for auto-features.

Shifting the focus from the accumulation phase of retirement, Dr. Benartzi talks about why auto-features are not as relevant when it comes to decumulation—which he considers to be the next big retirement industry gap. He shares why moving from a savings plan mentality to a true retirement plan approach is key and speaks to the importance of personalization when it comes to addressing the differing retirement income needs of participants. 

In Minute with Mike, Mike Webb shares the differences between fiduciary liability insurance and a fidelity bond.

Episode 41

In episode 41 of Revamping Retirement, Jennifer Doss and Scott Matheson check in on their 2022 predictions and discuss what the second half of the year may have in store for the retirement industry. Find out where we are with the DOL Rule, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) guidance, the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022—better known as SECURE 2.0—and the newly proposed Rise and Shine Act—formally known as the Retirement Improvement and Savings Enhancement to Supplement Healthy Investments for The Nest Egg Act.

In Minute with Mike, Mike Webb discusses the types of investments permitted in defined contribution retirement plans.

Episode 40

In episode 40 of Revamping Retirement, Jennifer Doss and Scott Matheson are joined by Shawn O’Brien, associate director of retirement research at Cerulli Associates, a strategic consulting and market research group focused on the financial services industry.

With extensive research across industry stakeholders—from plan sponsors and participants to recordkeepers and asset managers—Shawn shares Cerulli’s latest insights on key topics like the adoption of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing in retirement plans, plan sponsor reaction to inflation, and the prevalence of managed accounts. He also discusses what he considers to be the biggest disconnect between the demand and supply sides of the industry.

Later, Mike Webb provides an overview of the taxation of Roth distributions in Minute with Mike.

Episode 39

In many regards, this year is off to a turbulent start. From the war in Eastern Europe and its effects on the markets and economy to continuing inflation and labor market concerns to retirement-related regulatory and legislative developments, there is no shortage of headlines for plan sponsors to consume.

In episode 39 of Revamping Retirement, Jennifer Doss and Scott Matheson are joined by Chief Investment Officer Mike Vogelzang to provide context around the challenging environment investors now face. Mike recaps where we are with the bond market, interest rates, and inflation and why maintaining a long-term focus during unsettling times is key.  

Later, Jennifer and Scott discuss the recent and expected regulatory and legislative developments—like the House’s passage of the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021 (SECURE 2.0), the DOL’s cryptocurrency bulletin, and final guidance on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments in retirement plans—that may impact retirement plans this year.

In Minute with Mike, Mike Webb breaks down the tax penalties associated with early retirement plan distributions.

Episode 38

In episode 38 of Revamping Retirement, Jennifer Doss and Scott Matheson are joined by John Diehl, director of applied insights at Hartford Funds on behalf of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Age Lab. The Age Lab is a multidisciplinary research program that works with businesses, nonprofits, and the government to understand the challenges and opportunities of longevity and emerging generational lifestyles. Its work is focused on driving innovation and practical solutions that improve the quality of life for older people.

John shares the Age Lab’s latest research on how shifting demographics, technology innovations, and new employee expectations are shaping the workplace of the future. With the Great Resignation and tight labor market top of mind for many employers, John explains why understanding employees and their life-stages is essential to designing benefits that attract and retain talent. He digs into what the future is female means for employers and how companies can leverage an aging population’s desire to stay involved to help retain business critical expertise—and why flexibility may be the answer to both. 

Later, Jennifer and Scott discuss the impact of the challenging labor market on retirement plan design. The two recap our latest webinar on the topic, discuss recent plan design and employee benefit trends, and share key plan sponsor takeaways.

In Minute with Mike, Mike Webb reflects on the definition of compensation in retirement plans—which is one of the leading causes of operational errors.

To learn more about the MIT Age Lab, click here.

Episode 37

In episode 37 of Revamping Retirement, Jennifer Doss and Scott Matheson sit down with Rosalyn Brown—equity, diversity, and inclusion director for WE Inspire. Promote. Network. (WIPN)—to discuss why creating a culture of inclusivity can help differentiate organizations in a tight labor market. Rosalyn talks about the importance of looking at retirement plan benefits through the lens of DEI, why the culture of money matters, and why communication is key to maintaining an inclusive culture.

Later, Mike Webb joins to discuss plan sponsor considerations when it comes to vesting schedules and eligibility for employer contributions.

Don’t miss WIPN’s upcoming Culture of Money event on February 24 at 3:00 pm ET.

Episode 36

In episode 36 of Revamping Retirement, Jennifer Doss and Scott Matheson tackle one of the predominant themes of 2022—the tight labor market. As organizations react to the newest supply chain issue, many retirement plan sponsors are scrambling to understand what they can do to differentiate their retirement plan in an effort to recruit and retain talent. Jennifer and Scott provide context on the employment squeeze and the drivers behind it. They also offer actionable ideas on how organizations can ensure their plan is competitive, highlight distinguishing features, and maximize the impact of their benefit dollars. 

Chief Investment Officer Mike Vogelzang joins the conversation to discuss why we should manage our market expectations in 2022 following the banner period of the past few years. 

Later, Mike Webb provides insight on how plan sponsors can navigate and prevent loan overutilization in Minute with Mike.

Episode 35

In episode 35 of Revamping Retirement, our hosts are joined by Jeff Bush, a Washington insider known for his ability to decode the often confusing tax and fiscal legislative landscape. 

Jeff provides an overview of what we can expect out of Washington in 2022—including a breakdown of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and what the Senate may cut from the House’s version of the Build Back Better Act. Jeff also shares a recap of where Congress is on mandatory year-end legislation—like increasing the debt ceiling, approving government funding, and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

Later, Jennifer and Scott share the key takeaways of the Securing a Strong Retirement Act (known as SECURE 2.0) and discuss what this and other proposed legislation could mean for retirement plan sponsors.

In Minute with Mike, Mike Webb talks about how to prevent hardship distributions from destroying your participants’ retirement savings.

Episode 34

In episode 34 of Revamping Retirement, our hosts are joined by Sarah Harris and Jenn McCabe from Armanino, one of the top-25 largest accounting and business consulting firms in the U.S. Armanino is challenging the status quo by tackling the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) conversation head-on—with transformative results.

Sarah and Jenn share why Armanino is dedicated to DEI, the changes they’ve made to their retirement plan and benefits package, and why helping diverse people benefits all people. They also share their perspective on how other organizations can initiate or elevate their inclusivity efforts.

Later, CAPTRUST Chief Investment Officer Mike Vogelzang provides an update on the markets and economy, including his thoughts on inflation and where it is likely to be ongoing versus cyclical. He also shares why wage inflation has a silver lining despite being a loathsome topic for many employers.

And don’t miss Mike Webb’s Minute with Mike, where he recaps the retirement plan types available to different organizations.