Conference Highlights

“Very informative. The sessions gave me more questions than I came with; I left with my initial questions answered and with knowledge of how to get information from my proposed vendors. ”

– Terri Kastanis
Controller
Medical Center Cardiologists

Keynote and Luncheon Presentations

A Call to Action: What Every American Needs to Know to Become Financially Fit
Carrie Schwab Pomerantz, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategist, Consumer Education
Charles Schwab
Increasingly, plan sponsors are placing more importance on retirement outcomes, focusing on how well prepared their employees really are for retirement. At the same time, employees are starting to raise their hands and ask for more help. Understand the factors driving this new workplace dynamic and the state of financial literacy today. Carrie Schwab Pomerantz shares insights from behavioral economics and other research, including a closer look into cultural issues that affect retirement savings and overall financial fitness. Learn action steps you can take for your employees and their families.

The Impact of Key Trends in Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans: Hope or Despair?
Scott J. Macey, Senior Vice President and Director of Government Affairs
Aon Consulting
Industry trends and recent public policy changes have significantly affected the employer-sponsored retirement arena. Scott Macey discusses what employers can do within the context of this new environment to continue to attract and retain the level of talent they need to succeed in their missions. His remarks provide meaningful focus on the key retirement plan management issues and concerns plan sponsors face today.

The Evolution of Workplace Benefits: Providing for Employees' Total Financial Health
Scott David, President, Retirement Services
Fidelity Investments
As baby boomers begin to reach retirement age in unprecedented numbers, the composition of the American workforce will undergo a fundamental change. Members of Generation Y entering the workplace bring a new set of needs as employees and wants as consumers. It is undeniable that workplace savings plans, in particular total compensation and benefit allocation, must continue to evolve. Scott David discusses why it is incumbent upon service providers and employers to find innovative ways to distinguish their organizations through flexible benefits that meet the needs of a more fluid workforce. He also explains how these employers will be better prepared to manage evolving fiduciary and regulatory risks.

Balancing Competitive Total Retirement Plan Fees and Comprehensive Plan Services
Nick Della Vedova, President
401(k) Advisors
Recent class-action lawsuits have placed retirement plan fiduciaries under greater scrutiny to ensure that total plan fees are competitive. At the same time, the evolving definition of the “prudent man rule” under ERISA holds these same administrators accountable for the resulting participant experience. Vince Giovinazzo explores how fiduciaries balance the responsibility of providing appropriate plan services and investment options while negotiating and maintaining reasonable plan fees. Mr. Giovinazzo offers solutions to the challenge of offering comprehensive plan services that facilitate the growth of adequate financial security for employees at retirement while maintaining competitive total plan fees.

Panel Discussion

Mapping Out a Strategy to Boost Your Employees' Retirement Readiness
Moderator: Mark E. Friedman, Conference Co-Chairman
Panelists: Brant J. Griffin, Director, Corporate Services Group, The Corporate Services Group of Oppenheimer & Co.; Patrick J. Kendall, Vice President, Defined Benefit Practice Leader, Diversified Investment Advisors; David B. Orlando, Vice President, Regional Relationship Manager, T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc.; Dennis Simmons, Principal, Vanguard

PPA 2006, the DOL’s clarification of QDIAs and stricter standards for defined benefit plans have changed the landscape for your retirement program. Are you prepared to take advantage of new opportunities to strengthen your plan and avoid potential pitfalls? Conference co-chairman Mark Friedman and a panel of qualified plan specialists explore the pros and cons of the new plan management terrain. Hear what they have to say about best practices in such areas as safe harbor provisions for auto-401(k) features, default investments, fiduciary risk associated with target date funds, fee disclosure, investment strategies for pension plans and much more. Take away ideas you can put to work to make a meaningful impact on your participants’ retirement readiness.