401(k) Fridays Podcast

In this episode of the 401(k) Roundtable, Rick Unser is joined by John Beshears, Professor at Harvard Business School, and Brad Champagne, VP of Human Resources at Mission Linen Supply, to explore how behavioral finance and thoughtful plan design are reshaping retirement outcomes. They reflect on a decade of data since Mission Linen revamped its 401(k) defaults and discuss the impact of auto-enrollment, investment choices, and employee engagement. The conversation also dives into emerging ideas around emergency savings, personalized defaults, and how employers can better support financial wellness. Whether you're in HR, finance, or advising retirement plans, this episode offers actionable insight on what's working—and what's next.

In this episode of 401(k) Roundtable, Rick Unser is joined by Andrew Biggs, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Mina Biggs, Chief People Officer at Hanson Professional Services. Together, they unpack the so-called "retirement crisis," exploring generational attitudes toward saving, the evolving structure of retirement plans, and how government policies like the SECURE Act 2.0 aim to move the needle. From the role of Social Security to the importance of workplace financial education, this episode offers practical insight for plan sponsors, HR leaders, and anyone navigating today's retirement landscape. The Real Retirement Crisis: Why (Almost) Everything You Know About the US Retirement System Is Wrong

In this episode, Rick Unser is joined by Robert Fortin from Amtrak and Kristina Cox from Recology — two HR leaders with deep experience in optimizing employee benefits.  They discuss the intricacies of 401(k) plans, particularly focusing on the differences between union and non-union benefits, decision-making processes in benefits offerings, and the importance of employee engagement. They explore the implications of Secure 2.0, the challenges of communicating total rewards to employees, and the future of retirement income options. The discussion emphasizes the need for effective communication, understanding employee needs, and adapting benefits to meet those needs while navigating regulatory changes.

In this episode of 401(k) Roundtable, Rick Unser is joined by Charlie Bilello, Chief Market Strategist at Creative Planning. Known for The Week in Charts on YouTube and as co-host of the Signal or Noise? podcast with Peter Mallouk, Charlie brings a data-driven perspective to today’s markets. The conversation covers market volatility, bear market patterns, and the enduring importance of diversification. They also explore the performance of international vs. U.S. stocks, the strength of the dollar, interest rates, and recent economic policy shifts. A timely and insightful episode for anyone trying to make sense of today’s investment landscape.

In this episode of 401(k) Roundtable™, Rick Unser speaks with Jack Weingart, Chief Financial Officer of TPG, a leading global private equity firm. They examine how macroeconomic shifts, technological advancements like AI, and a declining number of public companies are shaping private equity investment strategies. The discussion also touches on the role of institutional investors and the growing interest in making private equity accessible through workplace retirement plans. Jack offers a thoughtful perspective on long-term capital deployment and the future of private markets.

In this episode of 401(k) Roundtable, Rick Unser is joined by Mike Arone, Chief Investment Strategist at State Street Global Advisors. Together, they break down key insights from Q1 2025, including the impact of tariffs and trade uncertainty, current economic indicators, and the potential risks facing investors. The conversation also explores how international markets are performing relative to the U.S., as well as emerging trends in capital allocation and investment strategy — particularly in the context of retirement planning. Rick and Mike take a closer look at the evolving role of private equity in retirement portfolios, the liquidity challenges that come with it, and the importance of real assets in building diversified long-term strategies. They also touch on recent shifts in investor behavior amid market volatility and reinforce the importance of maintaining a disciplined approach to investing.

In this episode of 401(k) Roundtable, Rick Unser is joined by Todd Solomon, ERISA Attorney and partner at McDermott Will, & Emery Law Firm, for a timely conversation on the evolving fiduciary landscape. They explore trends in ERISA litigation, the impact of the current administration on the Department of Labor, and the shifting expectations around fiduciary duties. Key topics include the balance between duty of loyalty and prudence, the role of participant demographics in plan decisions, and the challenges plan sponsors face in weighing cost versus value—especially when selecting investments like target date funds. Todd and Rick also highlight the importance of thoughtful documentation, proactive committee engagement, and innovative strategies to improve participant outcomes in today’s complex regulatory environment.

In this episode of 401(k) Roundtable, host Rick Unser and Alison Cohen, ERISA Attorney and Partner at Ferenczy Benefits Law Center, explore nondiscrimination testing in retirement plans, focusing on long-term part-time employees and new Roth contribution guidelines. They discuss the mega backdoor Roth risks, capping highly compensated employee deferrals, student loan matching, and compliance challenges for controlled groups during mergers. The conversation also covers automatic enrollment rules and audit implications based on new rules. For more insights, visit Ferenczy Benefits Law Center’s resources and articles:  https://ferenczylaw.com/read-what-we-write-2/

In this episode of the 401(k) Roundtable™, we’re joined by Rich Weiss, Chief Investment Officer of Multi-Asset Strategies for American Century Investments and Bob Chapman, Chief People Officer of Trilon Group. They dive into the current state of the investment landscape and focus on the performance of U.S. equities, particularly the S&P 500, and the growing concerns over market concentration. The discussion touches on how generational perspectives influence investment decisions, the impact of interest rates on the economy, and the shifting dynamics of the labor market in a post-pandemic world. Additionally, the episode explores the role of technology and AI in reshaping financial services and the broader economy, as well as the uncertainty surrounding business investments heading into 2025. The hosts also delve into the speculative nature of cryptocurrency and its potential place in 401(k) plans, stressing the importance of diversification in retirement investment strategies.

In this episode of 401(k) Roundtable™, we delve into the evolving concept of financial wellness, its growing importance in the workplace, and how organizations can integrate it effectively. We explore the role of corporate culture in promoting financial wellness and the necessity of making financial wellness a priority within companies. Our guests include Sean Jordan, Vice President of Small and Mid-Market Segments at Principal, and Barbara Coombe, Director of Financial Wellness Benefits at Shaw Industries. Sean brings a unique perspective, drawing from his extensive background in leadership, including his military service as a combat-decorated U.S. naval aviator and his work in the retirement industry. Barbara offers valuable insights into how companies can design and implement effective financial wellness programs to support their employees’ financial health.

This episode of 401(k) Roundtable™ explores the implications of recent election results on retirement policies and market reactions. Joining us for this month's roundtable discussion are two leaders from Creative Planning: Sam Henson, Director of Compliance Services, and Jamie Battmer, Chief Investment Office. We discuss the nonpartisan nature of retirement systems, the emotional responses of markets, and the potential changes in 401k policies with a new administration. They also delve into the role of the Department of Labor, the concept of government efficiency, and the challenges facing Social Security and Medicare. The discussion emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making and the need for bipartisan cooperation in addressing these issues. The conversation delves into various aspects of retirement planning, the implications of Trump's election on ESG regulations, the efficiency of Collective Investment Trusts (CITs), the role of private equity in retirement plans, market predictions, and the

Host Rick Unser and Jeff Schulze, CFA, Head of Economic & Market Strategy at ClearBridge Investments, delve into the current economic landscape as we approach the end of 2024. They discuss the possibility of a soft landing for the economy, examining the implications of inflation trends, the Federal Reserve's recent decisions, and the overall market sentiment. With the elections on the horizon, the duo analyzes how political dynamics can influence business and investment strategies. They emphasize the importance of diversification, explore labor market trends, and assess the outlook for fixed income and commercial real estate. Join us for a deep dive into the forces shaping the future of business, and discover key trends to watch as we head into 2025. Anatomy of a Recession Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All opinions and data included in this commentary are as of the publication date and are subject to change. The opinions and views expressed herein are of the ClearBridge speaker and

In the debut episode of 401k Roundtable, we dive into Vanguard's latest "How America Saves" report, which sheds light on the latest trends in 401(k) plan design. We’ll discuss the report’s findings on plan effectiveness, rising participation rates, and the growing popularity of professionally managed allocations. Our guests share their insights on automatic enrollment and how it's transforming participation rates in their organizations. We’ll also explore innovative features like Super Roth accounts, self-directed brokerage options, and true-up contributions. Our conversation covers a range of topics including improving wait times, shortening vesting schedules, and enhancing employer contributions. We’ll address the challenges of managing retirement distributions and the importance of protecting retirement assets. Plus, we'll delve into the benefits of auto portability for consolidating smaller 401(k) balances and examine emerging trends like student loan matching and retirement income solutions. Finally, we

It’s been a minute since we focussed on PE and retirement plans. To dive into this I have Dan Cahill of the private equity firm Partners Group, one of two firms that took the initiative to seek guidance from the DOL on the utilization of PE in 401(k) plans. We dive right into, what the significance of the information letter in 2020 was, what has transpired since then, the investment case for and against PE and how plaintiff’s attorneys are viewing things.   A lot of great stuff, I learned a lot, hope you do as well. Guest BIo Daniel Cahill is part of the Client Solutions Americas business unit, based in New York. He is responsible for fundraising and business development for Partners Group's strategic US DC initiative. He has 19 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Partners Group, he worked at Neuberger Berman, where he was most recently in charge of strategic planning and business development for both retirement and subadvisory platforms. Before Neuberger, he worked at Putnam Investments where he s

It seems like the major themes that are dominating the investment markets are also of great interest to individuals trying to make decisions personally or in their businesses. That isn’t always the case. I couldn’t think of a better person to wade through this with me than a perennial podcast favorite Rob Arnott, Founder and Chairman of Research Affiliates. As usual, Rob packages his enthusiasm, excellent communication, and insights in a way that should help you think through current trends and how they could impact you, your business and even a few items on your 401(k). Hope you enjoy!   Guest BIo Rob Arnott is founder and chairman of the board of Research Affiliates. Rob plays an active role in the firm’s research, portfolio management, product innovation, business strategy, and client-facing activities. He is a member of the Investment Committee and the Executive Committee of the board. With Chris Brightman, he is co-portfolio manager on the PIMCO All Asset and All Asset All Authority funds and the PIMCO R

Bonds, or fixed income investments did not have a great year in 2022 to say the least. The big question is now what? To delve into that, I am excited to have Michael J. Collins, CFA, and Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager for Core, Core Plus, Absolute Return, and other Multi-Sector Fixed Income strategies at PGIM. We start with commentaries on performance, then move to interest rates, different areas of the bond market and most importantly, what, if anything plan sponsors should be doing in their 401(k) or workplace retirement plans. Also, Michael mentions the graph below, you'll have to listen to get the proper perspective. That’s it, I hope you enjoy! Guest BIo Michael J. Collins, CFA, is a Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager for Core, Core Plus, Absolute Return, and other Multi-Sector Fixed Income strategies. Previously, Mr. Collins was a High Yield Portfolio Manager and Fixed Income Investment Strategist. Earlier he was a credit research analyst, covering investment grade and high

If you are at all involved with workplace retirement plans, you would have to have been living under a rock to have not heard about SECURE 2.0. It is a hot topic, while also ambitious and even confusing. With all those factors, I couldn’t think of a better person to join me to wade through all this than Alison Cohen, Partner at the Ferenczy Benefits Law Center. We do cover a lot ground today so get ready. Also, while there has been a lot announced, keep in mind many new provisions don’t go into affect for one or more years and we still will need guidance from the IRS or others to answer many basic and logical questions.   Guest Bio Alison J. Cohen, J.D., APA, APR is a Partner with Ferenczy Benefits Law Center in Atlanta, Georgia. She advises clients on many issues related to qualified retirement plans, including design, mergers and acquisitions, audits, and operational issues. Alison commonly works with clients that have operational issues to guide them through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and/or Depa

Here we go with a 401(k) Friday’s Podcast first, three guests and a great topic. Today we dive into the recent announcement that three major recordkeepers are launching the Portability Services Network. Joining me to discuss what this means is Dave Gray from Fidelity, Greg Long from Alight and Steve Holman from Vanguard. We tackle what is an automatic rollover, the problems it solves for employees and employers, how it works and whether the DOL and others think this is a good idea. This could have been a disaster having three guests, each with a lot to say, but it turned out well. I hope you enjoy!   Guest Bios Dave Gray is a member of the Workplace Investing Executive Management Team and serves as the Head of Workplace Retirement Platforms, Workplace Investing for Fidelity. Dave leads Fidelity’s defined contribution and multi-product platform and product development teams across sites in the US, India, and Ireland. The teams are responsible for developing and managing market-leading solutions and customer ex

It’s been a little while since we tackled financial wellness, there has been a lot going on in that area so I was glad to be able to connect with Brent Hines, the co-founder and Chief Development Officer of the educational non-profit, Foundation for Financial Wellness. The Foundation’s mission is to improve people’s lives by empowering them with the knowledge and the motivation to take control of their financial lives. During our conversation, we compare definitions of financial wellness, talk about how to design and deliver effective programs with employers and discuss training and certification programs for employers and the industry.   For additional information we discussed in the episode, here is the link for Brent's Tedx Talk and the Financial Wellness Professional Certification program.    Great stuff, and I hope you enjoy!   Guest Bio Brent Hines is the co-founder and Chief Development Officer of the educational non-profit, Foundation for Financial Wellness. The Foundation’s mission is to improve peo

Every now and then you have a guest that like Prince, or Cher, that simply needs one name to know who they are. Today, I am happy to welcome Shlomo, more formally known as Dr. Shlomo Benartzi, Professor Emeritus, UCLA Anderson, Founder and CEO, PensionPlus. We dive into the compelling and complex topic of the good, the bad and the ugly of auto everything in retirement plans. As implied, auto features are powerful, but may or may not be the best solutions to everything. Love to hear what you agree or disagree with, please share and leave your comments on LinkedIn. I learned a lot, hope you do as well!   Guest Bio Shlomo Benartzi is a behavioral economist interested in combining the insights of psychology and economics to solve big societal problems. He works on creating digital nudges that leverage technology to achieve massive scale and help millions make better financial decisions. He received a Ph.D. from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management and is currently a professor emeritus and co