401(k) Roundtable

Episode Description Over the years, participant 401(k) plan loans have gotten a bad rap both with plan sponsors and within the industry. In this episode my guest, Todd Cowman, a Senior Consultant at the Principal Financial Group explores whether that bad reputation is deserved. Todd does a great job of explaining some of the fundamentals of 401(k) plan loans, which are often times misunderstood, and brings a frank overview of the pros and cons of 401(k) plan loans for participants and plan sponsors. Finally, he leaves plan sponsors with some thoughts on plan design and loan policy features to help limit the potential abuses of 401(k) loans. Guest Bio Todd Cowman is a Senior Consultant for the Principal Financial Group . Todd has been with the Principal Financial Group since 1993. He works primarily with Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit clients, both qualified and nonqualified, with up to $1B in retirement plan assets, designing an overall retirement program that is both cost effective to employers and meaningful to employees, while continuing to meet strict regulatory requirements. Todd has focused much of his efforts around mergers and acquisitions, helping plan sponsors understand the unique plan design challenges that arise and navigating available options. He has assisted in developing multiple written documents related to this topic which are frequently used by plan sponsors and other financial professionals. Todd also assists plan sponsors in resolving plan operational/qualification failures and negotiating corrections with the Internal Revenue Service. Todd is often asked to speak on various plan design topics at client specific and industry conferences as well as supporting our sales efforts in the field by participating in SWAT visits both in and outside our Corporate Center in Des Moines, IA. Todd earned his Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) designation from ASPPA in 2008. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Summary You might have heard that Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus, you also might understand a thing or two about Millenials, Generation Xers and Baby Boomers. However, what you might not realize is that having a better grasp on how different generations and genders approach preparing for retirement could actually help you improve your retirement plan health. My guest, Margaret Rux, is a principal and head of Strategic Retirement Consulting at Vanguard. Her team of attorneys, actuaries, plan analysts, and senior benefits professionals offer consulting, analysis, and expertise on a variety of fiduciary and regulatory issues affecting plan design and compliance. Margaret shares great insights from their research on the differences between the generations and genders in retirement plans. For plan sponsors, she shares strong evidence that your go forward plan design can be the great equalizer between historical differences between the groups. Guest Bio Margaret Rux is a principal and head of Vanguard Strategic Retirement Consulting. Her team of attorneys, actuaries, plan analysts, and senior benefits professionals offers consulting, analysis, and expertise on a variety of fiduciary and regulatory issues affecting plan design and compliance. Ms. Rux joined Vanguard in 1987. She has spent most of her career in Institutional Client Services and has also held leadership positions in Vanguard's retail and international businesses. Ms. Rux earned a B.S. from Ithaca College and an M.B.A. from Saint Joseph's University. She is also a certified ERISA paralegal. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Summary If you are at all curious about how rising interest rates here in the United States could impact your 401(k) investments, employees and the economy, my guest Chris Dillon a fixed income portfolio specialist with T. Rowe Price covers these topics and more! During our conversation Chris does a great job of explaining in an understandable way some fundamental concepts such as what a fixed income yield curve is and how interest rate changes impact bond prices. He also helps make sense of the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy, how negative rates and deflation in some countries could impact the US markets and why inflation is a good thing. Finally, he provides great insights on strategies employers can use in your 401(k) to position your fixed income offerings and to provide options that could do well in a rising interest rate environment. This episode is packed, I hope you enjoy! Guest Bio Chris Dillon is a portfolio specialist in the Fixed Income Division at T. Rowe Price. He supports the Municipal Bond, International Bond, and Global Unconstrained Bond Strategies, working closely with clients, prospects, and consultants. Mr. Dillon is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Mr. Dillon has 19 years of investment experience, 10 of which have been with T. Rowe Price. Prior to joining the firm in 2006, he was an investment advisory research consultant for PNC Advisors. Before PNC Advisors, Mr. Dillon directed fixed income management research for Smith Barney Consulting Group. Mr. Dillon earned a B.A., cum laude, in history/economics from the University of Delaware and an M.B.A. in business administration from Wilmington University. He also has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Summary Well, I have to admit, this episode didn't unfold quite the way I thought it was going to, however, thanks to my guest, Peter Dunn, aka Pete the Planner, it turned out to be the most inspirational and motivational episode of the 401(k) Fridays podcast yet. Pete the Planner® has a unique set of gifts as both an award-winning comedian and financial mind. He's a USA TODAY columnist and the author of ten books, and the host of the popular radio show The Pete the Planner Show. Pete has appeared regularly on CNN Headline News, Fox News, Fox Business as well as numerous nationally syndicated radio programs. During our conversation Pete draws on his years of experience working with individuals on their financial needs to cover a range of topics all relating to challenges participants face in saving for retirement. Most importantly, don't miss the last several minutes of the podcast where Pete shares some very passionate and inspiring messages for employers about the important role you play in creating successful retirement outcomes for your employees. Guest Bio Peter Dunn a.k.a. Pete the Planner® is an award-winning comedian and an award-winning financial mind. He's a USA TODAY columnist and the author of ten books, six of which were featured in a nationwide launch at Barnes & Nobles stores in January of 2015. He is the host of the popular radio show The Pete the Planner Show on 93 WIBC FM and is a columnist for the Indy Star. Pete has appeared regularly on CNN Headline News, Fox News, Fox Business as well as numerous nationally syndicated radio programs. In 2012, Cision named Pete the fourth most influential financial broadcaster in the nation. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Summary Today's episode is absolutely packed with information for all plan sponsors regardless of the current "cash" or capital preservation strategy in your 401(k) plan. My guest, Brett Gorman, a SVP at PIMCO Investments and head of their Stable Value business shares valuable information about Money Market Reform and its impact on both plan sponsors and participants. He also lays out a great roadmap to help plan sponsors reevaluate their capital preservation strategy to find the right mix of principal protection, liquidity and real return. Be sure to listen for more details on what real return is and why it should be an important factor in your go forward capital preservation strategy. Guest Bio Mr. Gorman, a CFA Charterholder, is a senior vice president, an account manager in the defined contribution (DC) practice, and head of PIMCO's stable value business. The PIMCO DC Practice, with over $100 billion of DC-related assets under management, is dedicated to promoting effective DC plan design and innovative retirement solutions and offers investment management for fixed-income, stable value and other capital preservation solutions, inflation protection, equities and asset allocation strategies such as target-date solutions. PIMCO has been managing stable value since 1992 and, with almost $30 billion in stable value assets under administration, provides a variety of stable value-related services to the market. Mr. Gorman currently serves on the board of directors of Stable Value Investment Association (SVIA), an industry-peer elected position. The SVIA is dedicated to providing leadership and representation on issues related to stable value before the media, educators, legislators, regulators and opinion leaders, as well as serving as a forum for the exchange of ideas and discussion of issues important to the Stable Value industry. He has spoken at a variety of industry meetings and conferences, including at numerous SVIA Forums, the Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Global Wealth & Retirement Solutions Conference, DCIIA, the PIMCO DC Advisory Council, and the SPARK Institute. Prior to joining PIMCO, Mr. Gorman was a director and senior portfolio manager with the Deutsche Asset Management stable value team and a fixed income portfolio manager for institutional and governmental clients at Merrill Lynch Investment Managers. He has 23 years of investment experience and holds an MBA from Rutgers University and a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Summary The new DOL Conflict of Interest Rule, what is also being referred to as the new DOL Fiduciary Rule, has introduced changes that some are calling the most significant since the introduction of ERISA over 40 years ago. While the rule will have a phased effective date beginning in April 2017, there are multiple items employers should begin exploring now. As usual, Sam does a great job of extracting specific elements of the 1100 page rule that employers should be aware of and provides questions to ask today along with specific next steps. Guest Bio Sam Henson, is a Vice President and Director of Legislative & Regulatory Affairs for Lockton Retirement Services. Sam also brings a unique perspective to our discussion today as prior to joining Lockton, he spent almost 10 years with the U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), where he conducted more than 150 civil and criminal investigations of employee retirement and benefits plans, service providers, and fiduciaries. He capped off his career at the DOL as the 2011 recipient of the Secretary of Labor's Exceptional Achievement Award. Needless to say, we are glad we have Sam on our side now and he is not out there banging down the doors of employers any more! 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Summary While you might be familiar with the term behavioral finance, you have not heard my guest Stuart Ritter, from T. Rowe Price explain the origins, research and fundamentals behind why it is so important for employers to understand and embrace as they design their retirement plans. Stuart is a vice president and senior financial planner—designing, building, and implementing guidance and advice services to assist customers in achieving their financial goals. He has appeared on television and radio programs for networks like ABC News, Fox Business, and National Public Radio; and has been quoted by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, Money magazine, and other national news organizations. During our conversation, he shares useful and entertaining stories and analogies to help employers better understand the concepts of behavioral finance and why plan design options such as automatic enrollment and automatic increases are really not as foreign to employees as we may think. I hope you enjoy this fast paced and information packed episode! Guest Bio Stuart Ritter is a vice president of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. He is a senior financial planner—designing, building, and implementing guidance and advice services to assist customers in achieving their financial goals. He has appeared on television and radio programs for networks like ABC News, Fox Business, and National Public Radio; and has been quoted by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, Money magazine, and national news organizations. Stuart received his B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland College Park, his M.A. in political science from the American University, and holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation. He taught personal finance at Johns Hopkins University for several years, and has also been an instructor at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. He is a member of the Maryland State Department of Education’s Financial Literacy Education Advisory Council. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Summary If you feel like you are spending the “right amount of money” in your retirement plan but not getting the results you expect in either recruiting, retention or employee retirement outcomes, spending more money to get better results doesn’t have to be the answer. According to my guest, Marc Howell without increasing costs, you could improve all three of those metrics by breaking away from a traditional retirement plan design and moving towards plan design customization. Marc is a Vice President and head of Custom Retirement Solutions with Prudential Financial. In our conversation he tackles preconceived notions about 401(k) plan design, how employers can deliver retirement benefits with surgical precision to either incentivize or reward employee behavior and how some popular employer contribution strategies are actually setting your employees up for failure in preparing for retirement. If you have not already subscribed to the podcast, go to iTunes or GooglePlay and search 401(k) Fridays and click subscribe. And now, enjoy conversation! Guest Bio Marc Howell, FSA, EA, Vice President – Custom Retirement Solutions at Prudential Financial, has over 17 years of experience working with sponsors of defined benefit and defined contribution plans. He leads a team of actuarial consultants tasked with providing custom design solutions within the defined contribution market, aiming to deliver better benefits for employees while driving improved bottom line results for employers. He has redesigned retirement programs for numerous plan sponsors including both union and non-union workforces. Marc has partnered with these organizations to create new pension, executive, and defined contribution plans. His retirement programs are in place with organizations across the U.S., ranging from manufacturing, healthcare, utilities, higher education, and professional services organizations. Marc’s innovative approach to plan redesign won his clients 1st place in the PSCA Signature Awards, for both 2013 and 2015, in the following categories: 2013 – Plan Administrative and Design Changes and 2015 - Fiduciary and Plan Decision Resources Marc was a Joseph Wharton Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, where he graduated with a B.S. in economics. He is a Fellow in the Society of Actuaries, a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries, and an enrolled actuary. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Description If you are with a manufacturing company, this is a can’t miss episode. Be sure to listen for key points specific to manufacturing companies about industry trends that are impacting plan design, plan health and employee retirement readiness. Also, my guest Scott Francolini shares great advice on how manufacturers can help recruit younger workers and help older workers make a successful and timely transition into retirement. I hope you enjoy! Guest Bio Scott Francolini is Senior Vice President of Mid/Large Strategic Relationship Management at John Hancock Retirement Plan Services (JHRPS). He previously held the same role at New York Life Retirement Plan Services, which merged with JHRPS in April 2015. Scott joined our organization in 2009 and has more than 20 years of experience in financial services. He was previously Retirement Practice Lead for our Manufacturing, Materials, and Retail/Distribution industry practice, where he was responsible for establishing its strategic direction and overseeing execution through a team of Relationship Managers, ERISA Consultants, Strategic Communication Consultants, and Investment Specialists. Prior to joining our organization, he gained valuable retirement, brokerage, and advisory services experience at CIGNA Retirement & Investment Services, Prudential Financial, and Fidelity Investments. Scott received a B.S. in Finance from Bryant College and an M.B.A. from the University of Hartford. In addition, he maintains his FINRA Series 7, 26, and 63 registrations and is licensed with the State of Massachusetts Insurance Department. Outside of work, Scott enjoys traveling with his family, coaching youth soccer, and skiing. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Description If you are an employer and are at all curious about what’s happening in Washington D.C. that might impact your 401(k) plan, I am happy to report that my guest Joan McDonagh likely covers it in today’s episode! Our conversation includes: Developments with state run retirement programs The DOL’s proposed Fiduciary Rule Initiatives to help participants generate lifetime income in retirement plans Tax reform and how it could impact retirement plans Potential impact of the upcoming presidential election on retirement plans Guest Bio Joan is an ERISA attorney with Empower Retirement and has been working with retirement plans for over 30 years. She is on the Government Relations Committee of the Society of Professional Asset-Managers and Record Keepers (SPARK) and Chairs the Public Policy Committee of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA). She has written numerous articles and presented a variety of seminars on retirement plan issues. And, if all that wan’t enough she is also a co-author of the 401(k) Answer Book. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Summary Conflicts, compensation and reasonableness, what do these three words have in common? Ok, I ‘ll let you off the hook, these are the key issues at the heart of roughly 90% of the recent 401(k) litigation according to my guest, Jason Roberts ERISA Attorney and Founder of the Pension Resource Institute and the Retirement Law Group. Jason has been repeatedly recognized as one of the “100 Most Influential in Defined Contribution” by the 401(k) Wire and a “Rising Star” by SuperLawyers Magazine. To help employers with those three issues, this episode drills into selecting and monitoring 401(k) service providers, a key fiduciary responsibility and one that is often misunderstood by plan sponsors. Jason shares strategies to determine fee reasonableness in light of the value, six open ended questions to evaluate service providers and unique insights such as low cost at all cost might not be the best fiduciary protection strategy. Finally, be sure to stick around for when he alludes to a criminal lawyer performing an ERISA plan document review. Sorry, 401(k) humor, I hope you enjoy! Guest Bio Jason C. Roberts is the Founder and CEO of the Pension Resource Institute (PRI) providing strategic consulting and training to retirement plan service providers and fiduciary education to plan sponsors. Prior to founding PRI, Jason was a partner and co-chair of the Financial Services Group at a leading, national ERISA law firm where his practice focused on employee benefits and securities regulation. Jason continues to provide counsel on ERISA and investment-related matters at Retirement Law Group, PC and is frequently retained as an expert on fiduciary responsibilities, Department of Labor (DOL) investigations and retirement plan product development, design and implementation.Jason was named as one of the “100 Most Influential in Defined Contribution” by the 401(k) Wire and a “Rising Star” by SuperLawyers Magazine. He is an active member of the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) and American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA). In 2014, Jason was appointed, for a two-year term, as an advisor for the Beach Cities Health District's finance committee.Jason is a nationally-recognized speaker and has published numerous articles on fiduciary best practices, ERISA compliance and securities regulation. He is frequently quoted and interviewed by both professional and public publications.Jason received his B.S.B.A. in Finance & Banking from the University of Missouri and his J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law. He is a graduate of FINRA’s Compliance Boot Camp and has obtained the designation of Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ from the Center for Fiduciary Studies. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Description Let’s say you were running your 401(k) fiduciary committee meetings wrong, wouldn’t you want someone to tell you? Luckily, I was able to track down Jason Roberts, ERISA attorney and founder of the Pension Resource Institute to help set the record. straight. Jason has been repeatedly recognized as one of the “100 Most Influential in Defined Contribution” by the 401(k) Wire and a “Rising Star” by SuperLawyers Magazine. In this episode you will hear tremendous insights on why you should develop a well balanced and prudent fiduciary process, how current 401(k) litigation is shedding new light on employer fiduciary best practices and finally, why all the time you spend discussing plan investments might not be providing you the protection you have been lead to believe it does. If you don’t have a pen and paper handy, don’t worry, i have bios, notes, links and a full episode breakdown on the website at www.401kfridays.com. Without further ado, here we go! Guest Bio Jason C. Roberts is the Founder and CEO of the Pension Resource Institute (PRI) providing strategic consulting and training to retirement plan service providers and fiduciary education to plan sponsors. Prior to founding PRI, Jason was a partner and co-chair of the Financial Services Group at a leading, national ERISA law firm where his practice focused on employee benefits and securities regulation. Jason continues to provide counsel on ERISA and investment-related matters at Retirement Law Group, PC and is frequently retained as an expert on fiduciary responsibilities, Department of Labor (DOL) investigations and retirement plan product development, design and implementation.Jason was named as one of the “100 Most Influential in Defined Contribution” by the 401(k) Wire and a “Rising Star” by SuperLawyers Magazine. He is an active member of the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) and American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA). In 2014, Jason was appointed, for a two-year term, as an advisor for the Beach Cities Health District's finance committee.Jason is a nationally-recognized speaker and has published numerous articles on fiduciary best practices, ERISA compliance and securities regulation. He is frequently quoted and interviewed by both professional and public publications.Jason received his B.S.B.A. in Finance & Banking from the University of Missouri and his J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law. He is a graduate of FINRA’s Compliance Boot Camp and has obtained the designation of Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ from the Center for Fiduciary Studies. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Description I am excited to share the first episode in our Sponsor Spotlight segment of the podcast! I had the pleasure to sit down with Brad Champagne, Senior Director of Human Resources at Mission Linen Supply in Santa Barbara, CA We've worked together for a long time and I've always been impressed by his thoughtfulness and ability to focus on the bigger picture. Brad shares candid details about his company, their culture, their 401(k) plan and most importantly the circumstances surrounding some significant plan changes they made to put their employees on a better path to retirement. As you will hear, the retirement committee really struggled with the impact and disruption to both their employees and the company the potential changes could have. Hopefully this isn't too much of a spoiler but both the short and long term results have been beyond their expectations. Finally, there are some great takeaways for employers who are contemplating changes in their retirement plans. Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoy! Guest Bio Brad Champage in the Senior Director of Human Resources at Mission Linen Supply in Santa Barbara, CA. Over the past 23 years, Mr. Champagne has held positions of increasing responsibility within Human Resources at Mission Linen after initially joining the company as a Management Trainee in Operations. He has played a key role in many important initiatives at the company, including the implementation of an Enterprise HR operating system, the development of improved performance management systems and the execution of a new compensation program for Sales and Operations. As Director of Compensation and Benefits since 2011, Champagne has guided the company's benefit plans through changes required by the ACA and overseen administration of the company's 401k plan, which won an Eddy Award in 2014 for outstanding education campaign. Mr. Champagne received a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and has earned both the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) designations. When he's not working, Mr. Champagne enjoys running and watching his three children participate in their various activities. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Description Should there be a balance between employee and employer goals in a 401(k) retirement plan? This was a different statement and one that I felt employers could benefit from learning more about. This episode provides data and specific strategies on how and why everyone can benefit when their goals are aligned. My guest is Hugh O’Toole, President and founder of the Viability Advisory Group. During our conversation you will hear several unique insights and examples of the interplay between healthcare, wages, risk management and employee engagement as the main drivers of both employer and employee financial wellness. I hope you take as much away for this conversation as I did! Guest Bio Hugh O’Toole is Senior Vice President of the Viability Advisory Group, responsible for directing and promoting the firm’s efforts to quantify the value of helping employers and employees make the most of their retirement and other employee benefits. O’Toole has an established track record as a disruptor in the retirement plans and benefits marketplaces. After founding Viability in 2014, O’Toole then joined MassMutual in 2015 when the insurer acquired the assets of his firm. Previously, O’Toole headed distribution and relationship management for MassMutual for seven years, when the insurer more than doubled its retirement plan assets under management. MassMutual then doubled its assets again when O’Toole helped lead the acquisition of The Hartford’s Retirement Plans unit in 2013. Before joining MassMutual, O’Toole led Principal Financial Group’s growth in the nonprofit and worksite insurance markets. He joined Principal after the insurer purchased his firm, Professional Pensions, Inc., which disrupted the nonprofit retirement plans market by making available lower-cost investment offerings previously available only to corporate retirement plans. O’Toole graduated from the State University of New York in Oneonta with a BS in psychology. He is a Registered Principal. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts to enhance Fiduciary Protection, streamline Plan Operations and improve employee Retirement Readiness. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Description If you ever wondered how you can strategically and cost effectively partner with an ERISA Attorney to improve and protect your retirement plan, this episode with Sherrie Boutwell, ERISA Attorney and partner at Boutwell Fay, a boutique ERISA law firm should be very helpful to you. Our discussion covered: Overview of common plan errors in retirement plan documents Points to negotiate in service provider contracts Need to properly delegate fiduciary authority Attorney-client privilege in ERISA plans Value of properly structured fiduciary liability insurance Options to fix 401(k) plan errors Other helpful thoughts and ideas! Guest Bio Sherrie Boutwell has focused for thirty years in the areas of employee benefits law and ERISA, with an emphasis on retirement and deferred compensation plans. She advises and counsels a broad range of clients, including employers, employees, plan fiduciaries, financial institutions and government agencies and trade associations, on a wide range of employee. Sherrie has extensive experience and is a highly sought after speaker and writer on employee benefits topics. Sherrie has represented clients before the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Department of Labor, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, arbitrators from the American Arbitration Association and the United States District Court with respect to employee benefits issues. Sherrie has experience working with the unique deferred compensation issues that arise in the non-profit and governmental employer arena and also has many years of experience in the design and operation of non-qualified executive deferred compensation plans including the requirements under Section 409A of the Code. Sherrie takes pride in bringing a practical and down to earth approach to resolving complex benefits issues involving qualified plans, non-qualified plans and health and welfare plans. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts, new best practices and valuable perspectives on current events. For more information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Episode Overview If you are in the Not-for-Profit Healthcare sector and sponsor a retirement plan, I have some great information for you! This is the first in a series of industry profile episodes that I will be making over the next several months. This episodes features a broad and interesting conversation with Brodie Wood, Senior Vice President, Not-for-Profit Markets at Transamerica Retirement Solutions. He shared several great pearls of wisdom for employers who sponsor a 403(b) or 401(k) plans in this sector such as: Business trends in the sector that may impact retirement plans Impact of physicians integrating back into hospital systems Updates on employer contribution levels Strategies to encourage higher participation and contribution rates Emergence of Retirement Readiness as a measure of plan success How introducing Financial Wellness can improve participant outcomes For more information on this episode, please go to www.401kfridays.com. If you like what you hear, please share with a colleague, friend or peer. Also, please leave feedback on iTunes or Google Play. Guest Bio Brodie Wood, is a Senior Vice President, and head of Not-for-Profit Markets at Transamerica Retirement Solutions. In his role, Mr. Wood leads and is responsible for the company’s not-for-profit business and product development efforts. He was previously Vice President of Transamerica’s Participant Counseling Organization, a group dedicated to delivering employee education and retirement planning for plan participants. He has also served on the board of the American Hospital Association’s Institute for Diversity in Health Management since 2010. He has been involved in the retirement plan field for the past fifteen years helping participants become retirement ready. Mr. Wood earned his B.A. with a dual major in Spanish and Business from Utah State University. He has also completed his M.B.A. from Brigham Young University in 2002. He is a Six Sigma Green Belt and holds FINRA Series 26, 7, 63, and CRPC designations. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview The 401(k) Fridays podcast offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts, new best practices and valuable perspectives on current events.

Introduction The 401(k) Fridays podcast offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts, new best practices and valuable perspectives on current events. Episode Summary The main focus of our conversation is determining if some common employer beliefs about retirement plan audits are truth or myth. John also pulls from his experience to offer some tips to employers who are preparing for their first audit and best practices for some grizzled veterans to help their audit run smoothly. Guest Bio My guest today is John Russon, a retirement plan auditor and founder of Pension Assurance, a single purpose audit firm that specializes in auditing qualified retirement plans. In 2005, after spending several years working at both “Big Four” and local CPA firms, John launched a small, independent practice dedicated to the audit of retirement plans. This fledgling practice was merged with a local CPA firm in 2006. Over the next seven years, the practice grew substantially. In 2007, the practice performed he formed Pension Assurance. As of early 2016, John and his firm audit over 170 retirement plans. According to the recent Department of Labor study, this puts them in the top 2% of firms that audit retirement plans. This also gives them great perspective on what is happening in the marketplace. Show Links Retirement Plan Auditor Sample RFP Questions DOL Study on Retirement Plan Auditors For my information please visit www.401kfridays.com

Introduction The 401(k) Fridays podcast offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts, new best practices and valuable perspectives on current events. Episode Description We have a great episode to share with you today and it is a must listen if you are concerned about a DOL investigation of your 401(k) plan. Our conversation is full of great information about how the DOL operates and how DOL investigations are triggered. Be sure to listen for important steps you should take if you receive a letter notifying you of a DOL investigation. Finally, we close out the conversation with some recommendations and best practices to help avoid DOL investigations and minimize the severity of potential findings. Guest Bio My guest is Sam Henson, VP – Director of Legislative & Regulatory Affairs for Lockton Retirement Services. Sam also brings a unique perspective to our discussion today as prior to joining Lockton, he spent almost 10 years with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), where he conducted more than 150 civil and criminal investigations of employee retirement and benefits plans, service providers, and fiduciaries. He capped off his career at the DOL as the 2011 recipient of the Secretary of Labor’s Exceptional Achievement Award. Needless to say, we are glad we have Sam on our side now and he is not out there banging down the doors of employers any more! For more information, please visit www.401kfridays.com

Introduction The 401(k) Fridays podcast offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts, new best practices and valuable perspectives on current events. Guest Bio Jeff Judd is an Investment Analyst for Lockton Retirement Services. He graduated from the University of Kansas, go Jayhawks!, with a major in economics. Upon completion of his undergraduate degree, Jeff attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he obtained his master’s degree in economics. He is also a CFA Level II Candidate. So he is basically an investment nerd. But, even with all of his technical knowledge, Jeff provided a very easy to follow commentary! Episode Summary Our conversation starts with a review of the market volatility we experienced in 2015 and thus far in early 2016. Jeff also shares valuable perspective for employers on how to evaluate your 401(k) plan investments during volatile markets. As you will hear, volatility can either highlight strengths or expose weakness in your mutual fund managers. Be sure to listen for important questions to help you evaluate the risk profile of your plan investments and tie that to how it could impact the performance of both your core mutual funds and target date strategy. More Information Please visit www.401kfridays.com

Introduction The 401(k) Fridays podcast offers companies of all sizes free strategic, educational and actionable content to improve their retirement plans. My name is Rick Unser and I am your host. All episodes leverage my nearly two decades of experience working with employers to bring you candid interviews with industry experts, new best practices and valuable perspectives on current events. Guest Bio Donn Hess has almost 25 years of experience in the retirement services industry, the majority of that spent working for two of the largest recordkeepers in the country. He has played a part in every aspect of the retirement plan participant experience, ranging from overseeing call centers to building on-line tools to sitting side by side with some of the nation’s largest employers, developing custom communication strategies. Episode Summary The big takeaway from today’s conversation are that retirement education, or participant engagement as you will hear us refer to it, isn’t about education, or really even retirement, anymore. Plan design enhancements, technological advances and changing demographics have altered the way employers think about engaging employees with their retirement benefits. The menu of items to speak to participants about has broadened and is trending toward financial wellness. Communication is much more targeted and tailored to the individual. And the goals of these programs may be more aligned with corporate strategies that go beyond just the traditional savings programs. More Information Please visit www.401kfridays.com