What should communication and retention in the “new normal” look like? One thing’s for sure - if you’re going to move forward with a hybrid workplace, it’s more important than ever to figure out how you’re going to relay information to your employees (specifically around your benefits and retirement plan).

Recently I had a chance to chat about ESG investing with Jonathan Ricketts, who works with Natixis as Vice President – Southeast Region, Retirement Strategies Group. We discussed some of the reasons why we’re seeing ESG investing so often in the news lately, and cleared up a few misconceptions, as well.

With all the mergers and acquisitions taking place in the retirement plan industry, it’s time to take a hard look at your plan (and plan providers) and figure out if it’s a good time to see what else out there might serve you better (spoiler alerts: it IS a good time to do so).

Choosing a new investment advisor for your plan can be a cumbersome, complex task, and due diligence is required - you don’t want to just pick the first advisor you come across. But what should the process look like and how can you spend the least amount of time on the task while still getting the maximum impact?

Recently I sat down with Allison Brecher from Vestwell to discuss the unique opportunities and challenges of being a woman in retirement (you can read the article here). It was a great discussion, but since there was so much more I wanted to say in the limited time we had, I thought I'd write a blog article and share those thoughts. Interested? Read on!

Does tailoring financial wellness programs to women and their unique challenges make sense for companies? That was the topic of my recent Linkedin Live with Jessica Ruggles, Financial Wellness Strategist with Prudential Financial.

Recently I was a panelist with Amanda Devery, CCP, GRP, Vice President, Total Rewards for Envista on the webinar Building Competitive Total Rewards for Executives hosted by Cordia Resources and Human Capital Strategic Consulting. Here’s a recap of our discussion on constructing total rewards for executives and a few elaborations.

Recently I did a LinkedIn Live with Jill James of Sif Industries - we discussed small business finance and retirement plans. Here's an overview of our chat in Q&A format, plus some of the things that I wish I had thought to share with you!

On my latest LinkedIn Live: Planology for Plan Sponsors, I pulled in Doug Hoefer of DWC to talk about SECURE, what plan sponsors need to know prior to year-end, and a few other topics. Here are some highlights from our chat.

Financial wellness programs have become increasingly popular in recent years, with many businesses eager to ease the financial stress of their employees. But is it right for YOUR business? Here are 3 questions to ponder before you set out to offer such a program.

Retirement Planology is pleased to announce that Courtenay Shipley has been named to the 2020 edition of the Financial Times 401 Top Retirement Advisers. The list recognizes the top financial advisers who specialize in serving defined contribution (DC) retirement plans across the U.S.

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Meghan Dotter, Founder & CEO of Portico PR, a public relations firm in Washington DC. Meghan is a presentations specialist who helps her clients effectively and engagingly get their message across. Here are a few highlights from our talk.

Want to see corporations change? Become an activist investor. This means swaying votes and influencing business practices using your share of ownership in publicly traded companies. Can you be an activist investor with your retirement plan dollars? Well, it’s complicated - let’s look at the issues.

Auto-enrollment features for retirement plans: friend or foe? Let’s talk about what’s available and why they may be worth considering for your plan.

The Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation (NQDC) plan is an extremely flexible tool that companies have for recruiting and retaining top talent. Executive retention is one of the main reasons to offer it, but there are also other reasons it is put into place.

It’s no secret that Covid-19 has affected everyone and everything, and we’ve been keeping tabs specifically on the impact it has had so far on retirement plans. Without boring you to tears with all the statistics, we have cherry-picked data points from some of our retirement plan recordkeeper partners to demonstrate the current state.

Everyone has a struggle bus fueled by Covid-19. In the midst of the abrupt life changes we are all experiencing and the struggle and adaptation they inevitably cause. I offer three thoughts about this pandemic and how to approach retirement. As Joseph Campbell said, “It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life.”

Financial fragility was found to be connected to how a person feels about their chances of being infected by COVID-19 as well as their beliefs about the spread of the disease. If financial fragility (AKA financial wellness) can influence behavior and beliefs on non-financial topics, perhaps employers should examine the role that financial wellness plays within their organization and benefits package. This article offers guidance.

The Aspen Institute in April released an article that says, “Amid the COVID-19 crisis, which continues to impact public health, the global economy, and life as we know it, known instances of cybercrime have more than tripled.” Cybersecurity should be an ongoing part of your due diligence process and monitoring for your retirement plans, and also a vital part of your communication campaigns with employees.

We recently had a discussion with one of our colleagues at Hertzbach and Co. One of their clients planned to sell their business and terminate their retirement plan as a result. Meanwhile, COVID-19 came and thew a wet blanket of uncertainty on business cashflow. Many small businesses are rethinking whether continuing their employee retirement plan is a good idea or not.