Conference Agenda

Celine Dufetel, Partner, McKinsey & Company

New realities are altering the traditional routes to success in DC.  To win in the $5.5 Trillion DC market of 2015, record keepers and integrated players will need to adapt to these new product, distribution and economic realities.  In this session we will discuss what these new realities are and the actions record keepers and integrated players can take to win.

Fred Wong, Senior Analyst, Division of Fiduciary Interpretations, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor

The Department of Labor has several pending regulations that will have a significant impact on the retirement plan community, including a proposed change in the definition of fiduciary under ERISA and fee disclosure requirements affecting both service providers and plan sponsors.  In this session, Mr. Wong will update attendees on these regulations and provide an opportunity for the audience to ask questions about these and other planned DOL initiatives for the remainder of 2011.

SESSION A - Participant Disclosure: Real World Issues and Solutions

Wade Dykema, National Client Service Director, Alerus
Pete Newkirk, President, Newkirk Products, Inc.

The final participant-level disclosure regulation, 404(a)(5), issued in October 2010, requires plan administrators of participant-directed individual account plans to provide specific plan-related and investment-related information to participants, newly eligible, and eligible not participating employees, and beneficiaries at various times throughout the year.

With the effective date of January 1, 2012 for plan years beginning November 1, 2011 rapidly approaching, how are you going to satisfy these requirements?  Where will all the fee and expense information come from?  How and when will you communicate to your participants?  This session will explore various communication options that are available to help you stay in compliance.

SESSION B - TPA for Sale: Are You Ready?

Richard Carpenter, President, USVI Pensions
Bob Wuelfing, President, RG Wuelfing & Associates, Inc.

Many TPA owners find themselves wanting or needing to sell their business only to find that they are either unprepared to do so or that they could have gotten more money or better terms if they had prepared properly and in advance of the transaction.  In this session, Bob Wuelfing of RG Wuelfing & Associates, and Richard Carpenter, of USVI Pensions, will outline the strategies and steps TPA owners should take to prepare for a sale of their business and get the best terms when they decide to sell.

SESSION C - Fiduciary Jumble: 3(16), 3(21), 3(38)...What Does it Matter?

Fred Reish, Partner / Chair, Financial Services ERISA Team, Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP

The 401(k) industry uses a host of off-handed references to describe fiduciary status and responsibilities.  It is all well intentioned, but often inaccurate.  This session dissects the terminology and describes the responsibilities.  In addition, it will address the potential impact of the proposed fiduciary regulation and the status declarations in the 408(b)(2) regulation.  

SESSION A - Comparing and Contrasting Retirement Plan Lifetime Income Solutions and the Implications under ERISA for Plan Fiduciaries

Patricia Harris, Vice President, RPG Product Management, The Hartford
Christopher O'Neill, Chief Investment Officer and Director of Research, Investment Strategies,
Mesirow Financial
Susan Unvarsky, Vice President, Institutional Income Investments, Prudential Retirement

The goals of this session include an overview of product design and features of both variable and fixed annuity
in-plan products, and a discussion of the considerations plan fiduciaries must weigh for both product selection and to a lesser extent provider selection.  After describing the two general classes of products and the design and features of their product offerings in particular, the panelists will discuss the related fiduciary issues, with a focus on weighing the balance between the costs and benefits to participants. 

Sponsored by Mesirow Financial

SESSION B - The Current State and Resulting Complications of Technology in Record Keeping

Billy Morris, SVP, Product Managemnet, SunGard
Kenneth Hanson, Partner, Wealth Management, SunGard

Today's current state of complex infrastructures built over many years with redundant rules and replicated data have resulted in legacy applications and databases that are hard to upgrade and expensive to scale.    The resulting complications also include integration challenges as well as difficulty making time sensitive legislative updates.  Learn how streamlining technology footprints through infrastructure and modernization trends will make for more standardized solutions allowing record keepers to focus on fewer vendor relationships and deeper partnerships.

SESSION C - What Are You Worth?  Fee Disclosure and Its Impact on Advisors

Alison Cooke Mintzer, Executive Editor, PlanAdviser Magazine
Introduction by: Clint Modler, Director of Retirement Sales, OppenheimerFunds

New fee disclosure regulations are shaking up the 401(k) market.  Plan sponsors are more aware of, and sensitive to, what they are paying and many are demanding that advisers prove what they are worth.  In this session, Alison Cooke Mintzer will discuss how retirement plan advisers are being driven to explain and justify their fees and what advisers can do to prove they add value to clients.  She'll also explore various fee models being adopted, whether broker dealer or RIA. 

Sponsored by OppenheimerFunds

SESSION D - Advisory Services in the 403(b) Marketplace, Delivering Fiduciary Solutions 

Jamie Ohl, President, Wilshire Associates, Inc.

Evaluating and selecting investment options, building diversified investment portfolios and developing a strategy for delivering secured retirement income can be a daunting task for both 403(b) program sponsors and their participants.  This session will discuss these challenges in the 403(b) marketpace, as well as the various services and approaches to deliver sound fiduciary solutions.

Sponsored by Wilshire Associates

SESSION A - The Strategic Role of Income in Providing Retirement  Readiness: Understanding the Alternatives

Chip Castille, Managing Director, Head of U.S. & Canada Defined Contribution Business, BlackRock

As the 21st Century continues to unfold, the retirement system faces increasing challenges.  An aging population, combined with longer life expectancy, is putting strains on the system by demanding more from it.  A diverse range of risks and uncertainties about future economic, social and environmental circumstances throws up both tangible and psychological obstacles.  Under such circumstances, the need for a reliable source of income in retirement becomes essential.  Join BlackRock to learn how this changing landscape will not only impact the state of retirement readiness but further demonstrate a need for retirement income within DC plans.  BlackRock will unveil findings from its 2011 Annual Plan Sponsor and Participant Survey, discuss strategies to improve retirement readiness, and share a perspective on where we are as an industry and what solutions are available to solve the retirement income puzzle.

Sponsored by BlackRock

SESSION B - e-Efficiency: The Convergence of Delivering Value-Added Information in a Multi-Matrixed Environment

Joe Rathgeb, Chief Development Office, DST Retirement Soltuions (Moderator) 
Michele Booth, Senior Vice President, Defined Contribution Client Services, Lincoln Financial Group
Ellen Lander, Senior Consultant, Renaissance Benefit Advisors
Frank LoMedico, Chief Information Officer, DST Retirement Solutions

In today's world, the demand and requirement for information has never been higher.  Information stems from investments to administration.  Audiences range from plan sponsors, participants and advisers to DCIO managers. Learn how service providers are leveraging technology to drive more information to more audiences in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Sponsored by DST Retirement Solutions

SESSION C - The Retirement Focused Adviser's New Service Model & Value Proposition

Dick Darian, Director, BlackRock

The 401(k) industry has grown and developed through the years based on a plan provider centric model, with the adviser designated primarily as a plan distributor.  Rapid plan consolidation toward the most experienced retirement plan focused advisers is happening and will continue.  These advisers are developing adviser centric service models, providing expanded and scaled services focused on participant outcomes.  These services include the development / selection of core plan managed solutions as well as outcome focused participant services such as gap analysis.  This session will discuss this dynamic shift and review retirement adviser best practices.

Sponsored by BlackRock

 Session D - The 403(b) TPA Market

Joseph Rollins, President & CEO, TSA Consulting Group, Inc.

The 403(b) arena presents both challenges and opportunites for retirement plan administration.  This presentation will offer insights on the unique needs of 403(b) plan sponsors and the necessity of coordination with investment providers as a critical element to success in the market.  Presented by TSA Consulting Group, Inc., one of the premier 403(b) administration firms in the country. 

Steve Saxon, Partner, Groom Law Group

How will Capitol Hill's response to the budget crisis affect pension and 401(k) plans?  Will this lead to major tax reform and how will this impact employee benefit plans?  Will the DOL finalize the regulation defining an investment advice fiduciary?  How will this regulation affect sales presentations, asset allocation programs and rollovers?  And will this lead to more litigation against plan service providers?  What will DOL's investment advice exemption look like?  Will anybody use it?

J. Mark Iwry, Senior Adviser to the Treasury Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Retirement and
Health Policy, U.S. Treasury Department

This session will present a unique opportunity for attendees to discuss important Treasury and IRS issues affecting the retirement plan industry with Deputy Assistant Secretary for Retirement and Health Policy, J. Mark Iwry.  Mr. Iwry will provide an update on the latest retirement savings and employee benefit issues in an open
Q & A format and engage audience members in a discussion about Treasury and IRS regulations and policies.

SESSION A - Maximizing Profitability through Effective Operational Cost Management

Dave Schuette, Managing Partner, Financial Services, Knowledgent

The Defined Contribution revenue model has been impacted due to fee transparency and Plan Sponsor fiduciary obligations. As a result, record keeper's who have relied on bundled record keeping deals must now focus on establishing cost effective operating models to counter margin pressure and reflect true cost-to-serve. This session will discuss how industry leaders are focusing on their internal operating models and underlying costs through applying lean principles to eliminate waste, effectively manage customization, and leverage self-service models to remain competitive in the marketplace.

Sponsored by Knowledgent

SESSION B - Growing Your TPA Practice

Kimberly Zook, Vice President, Strategic Sales Solutions and Training, ING

In today's competitive retirement industry environment, TPAs are constantly seeking ways to build their businesses.  In this session, you'll learn 12 actionable sales strategies that can help you grow your business and demonstrate your value to existing and prospective clients.

SESSION C - Ahead of the Trends: A Washington Update on Retirement Savings Initiatives

John Carl, President, Retirement Learning Center, LLC and Executive Director, PLANSPONSOR Institute 

The U.S. retirement savings system has seen dramatic changes over the years, and there is every indication that this pattern of change will continue.  The current administration has identified what it considers the leading roadblocks to secure retirement and has proposed several solutions.  In this presentation, John Carl will discuss these solutions while providing advisers a call to action that can help gain access to new clients and centers of influence. 

Sponsored by Columbia Management

SESSION D - Understanding the Unique Retirement Plan Needs of Healthcare Organizations 

Lincoln Financial Group and the Spectrem Group will share insights and perspectives on the unique and dynamic retirement plan needs specific to healthcare organizations.  Learn the nuances of what makes healthcare organizations' retirement plan needs different from other market sectors from two organizations with deep knowledge of this market sector. 

Sharon Scanlon, Vice President, Large Market Business Leader,  Lincoln Financial Group
George Walper, President, Spectrem Group

SESSION A - Participant Communications: Four Steps to Achieving Positive Results

Mary Ellen Whiteman, Vice President, Retirement Plan Services, Department Manager, Employee Strategy &
Program Development, T. Rowe Price

Engaging participants and creating a positive and rewarding experience can be a challenge for plan sponsors.  This session will provide insight into a model for achieving desired participant behavior by 1) making communications engaging, simple and convenient, 2) using new technology thoughtfully, 3) delivering the right message at the right time, and 4) using auto-services to enhance the program.

Sponsored by T. Rowe Price

SESSION B - Helping Your Clients Cope with Fee Disclosure

Bob Kaplan, VP and National Training Consultant, ING

Required fee disclosure for service providers and plan participants are a mere few months away. Increase your value to your clients by helping them develop practices and procedures to satisfy the new rules. This interactive session will provide you with an overview of the requirements and practical application tips for enactment.

SESSION C - Evolving Your Practice

Stephen Cronin, CEBS, Vice President, National Sales Director, Ascensus (Moderator)
Alexander Assaley, Financial Adviser, Corporate Retirement Plans, AFS Financial Group, LLC
Rita Fiumara, First Vice President, Investments, UBS Financial Services
Ryan Verdery, Managing Director, LPL Financial Advisor, Insight Wealth Solutions, LLC

Steve Cronin from Ascensus will host a diverse Financial Adviser panel with representation from a variety of broker-dealers and independent firms.  Learn from your peer group about best practices in an ever-evolving market.  In addition, leverage Steve Cronin's experience gathered from his 25+ years in the business, most recently managing 13 Regional Vice Presidents that are working with retirement plan focused advisers across the country.

Sponsored by Ascensus

SESSION D - 403(b) Plans Legal Update

Bob Architect, Vice President, Compliance and Marketing Strategy, VALIC
Evan Giller, Partner, Giller & Calhoun

Two years after the final 403(b) regulations were effective the regulatory landscape for 403(b) plans continues to evolve, and plan sponsors and service providers need to change with it.  In this session, Bob Architect of VALIC, and who previously served many years at the IRS, and Evan Giller of Giller & Calhoun will discuss recent IRS and DOL guidance affecting 403(b) plans, the much anticipated prototype plan program and amendments to EPCRS, and the latest IRS examination activity.  They will also address some of the operational issues that
403(b) plans are facing as they adapt to the new rules that apply to them.

Kevin Crain, Managing Director, Institutional Client Relationships, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Mary Dineen, Head of Global Benefits, DuPont Company

Regardless of your political views on retirement and health care reform initiatives, considering our aging society, ongoing legislation and debate surrounding these issues are here to stay for quite some time to be sure America reinvents methods of preparing its citizens to live well longer.  With access to traditional pensions and government-sponsored entitlement programs under increased pressure, employers will be looked to for unprecedented responsibility - defined by some as burden - and opportunity to help their employees save and invest for retirement, and to demonstrate a deeper level of commitment to their employees' overall financial effectiveness.  During this session, Kevin Crain, Head of Institutional Client Relationships for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Mary Dineen, Head of Global Benefits for DuPont, will discuss the imperative of a paternalistic approach employers must take as it relates to their employees' financial success.  These industry leaders will share integrated benefits best practices, specialized programs for retirees and employees transitioning into retirement, and positive steps corporations can take to help employees at every level of a company, and at every life stage, to prepare for retirement with confidence.