Sunday
Oct. 23
Oct. 23
8:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Women in Retirement Brunch
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
First-Time Attendee Lunch
12 – 4 p.m.
QKC Exam Cram Bootcamp
12 – 4:15 p.m.
Pre-Conference Bonus Sessions (optional)
4:30 – 6 p.m.
Opening General Session
6 – 7:30 p.m.
President’s Welcome Reception in the Exhibit Hall
Monday
Oct. 24
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
Breakfast in the Exhibit Hall
8:30 – 9:45 a.m.
General Session
10 – 10:50 a.m.
Concurrent Workshops
11:05 – 11:55 a.m.
Concurrent Workshops
12 – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch in the Exhibit Hall
1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Deep Dives 75
3 – 3:50 p.m.
Concurrent Workshops
3:50 – 4:20 p.m.
Beverage Break in the Exhibit Hall
4:20 – 5:35 p.m.
General Session
Tuesday
Oct. 25
Oct. 25
7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
Breakfast in the Exhibit Hall
8:30 – 9:45 a.m.
General Session
10 – 10:50 a.m.
Concurrent Workshops
11:05 – 11:55 a.m.
Concurrent Workshops
12 – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch in the Exhibit Hall
1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Deep Dives 75
3 – 3:50 p.m.
Concurrent Workshops
3:50 – 4:20 p.m.
Beverage Break in the Exhibit Hall
4:20 – 5:35 p.m.
Keynote Address
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
ARA PAC VIP Reception
8 – 11 p.m.
ASPPA @ Night
Wednesday
Oct. 26
8 – 8:30 a.m.
Grab-n-go Breakfast
8:30 – 9:20 a.m.
Concurrent Workshops
9:35 – 10:25 a.m.
Concurrent Workshops
10:25 – 10:40 a.m.
Beverage Break
10:40 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Closing General Session
Preliminary agenda as of August 2022. Details subject to change.
Agenda
Sunday, Oct. 23
8:30 –11:45 a.m.
SOLD OUT
Women in Retirement Brunch
Have you ever sat at your kitchen table and said, “whose idea was that anyway”? So have we. Join us for a candid Kitchen Table Tal(k) with Kendra Isaacson, Senior Pensions Counsel, Senate HELP Committee for US Senator Patty Murray, a woman ‘in the room’ and ‘at the table’ where decisions are made that impact women’s economic and retirement security, your life, and the lives of millions of participants.
Hosted by the ARA Women in Retirement co-chairs, Kirsten Curry, J.D., AIF and Leah Sylvester, CPC, QKA, QPA.
Advance RSVP during the conference registration process and confirmation required. Seating is limited.
Who can attend: Our core attendees are Advisors and TPAs (compliance only), but we also welcome women who are in client (plan sponsor) facing roles, including: Actuaries; Broker-Dealers / RIA Home Office; Plan Sponsors / HR Professionals. Core attendees should qualify in one of these categories. To ensure the best possible experience for our conference attendees and sponsors, ARA reserves the right to limit attendance from non-sponsoring companies who do not qualify as core attendees.
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
SOLD OUT
First-Time Attendee Lunch (Advanced Registration Required)
Are you new to this conference and looking to maximize your experience this year? This lunch is the perfect opportunity to connect with other first-time attendees and grow your network. Registering for the lunch gets you an invite to a fun, informative Zoom call a few weeks prior to the conference – review all the events the conference has to offer, get a mobile app tutorial and hear tips and tricks for navigating the exhibit hall. We are excited to have you join us!
12:00–4:00 p.m.
QKC Exam Cram Bootcamp
Bob Kaplan, ARA’s Director of Technical Education will guide you through material designed specifically to prepare you for the QKC certification exam.
Bob will cover:
Leased Employees, Plans Covering More than One Employer, QSLOBs, Self-Employed Businesses, Control and Affiliated Service Groups, Compensation, the Average Benefits Test, Nondiscrimination, ESOPs, Fiduciary Standards, Prohibited Transactions, Life Insurance and the Code of Professional Conduct.
And when it’s done, you’ll have picked up:
- A review of key areas covered by the QKC exam
- Test taking tips
- A review of the format of exam questions
Robert M. Kaplan, CFP, CPC, QPA, QKC, QKA®, Director of Technical Education, American Retirement Association
12:00–1:15 p.m.
Pre-Conference Sessions
Arriving early and need more CE? Come join us for one (or more!) of these optional pre-conference sessions.
Pre-Con 1: Exempt “Ed”: Better Options for Tax-Exempt Organizations – and You
Tax-exempt organizations and governmental entities have different retirement plan options and plan design provisions that are not available in the corporate or for-profit markets.
We’ll discuss what you should know when working with 403(b) and 457(b) plans, including:
- The advantages of a 403(b) plan versus a 401(k) plan for tax-exempts
- 403(b) plan document issues and Cycle 2 guidance
- Different 457(b) plan types
- Best plan design techniques and analysis of using multiple plans
John Griffin, Principal, Actuarial Systems Corporation
Pre-Con 2: When You Assume: Set It, But Don’t Forget It
Assumption setting is an essential element of actuarial services, but while certain assumptions are already set, there are many that must be established with each valuation. We’ll focus on assumption setting in the small plan world while (still) complying with the Actuarial Standards of Practice (ASOPs). We’ll discuss:
- The assumptions actuaries get to select (and why)
- How these assumptions impact valuations
- How ASOPs shape and guide the decisions
David Kupstas, FSA, EA, MSEA, Chief Actuary, Actuarial Consulting Group, Inc.
1:30–2:45 p.m.
Pre-Conference Bonus Sessions
Pre-Con 3: 401(a)(4), Cross-Test My Plan & Hope To Pass
Running a 401(a)(4) non-discrimination test is easy – passing it not-so-much. Enter cross-testing – and in this advanced cross-testing session we’ll cover more complex concepts like related employers, restructuring, calculating EBAR’s, disaggregation, and cash balance plans, as well as the standard when using economic and demographic assumptions NOT selected by the actuary. You’ll:
- Gain an understanding of cash balance basics
- Review advanced cross-testing allocations
- Learn creative testing alternatives for optimal test results
Krisy Dempewolf, CPC, QPA, QKC, QKA, TGPC, Retirement Plan Consultant, Empower
JJ McKinney, CPC, ERPA, Director of Sales, EGPS
Pre-Con 4: ‘SOP Stories: Actuarial Standards of Practice
All ASEA actuaries are subject to the ASOPs, the Actuarial Standards of Practice. However, staying current and striking the right balance between proper disclosure to your client while meeting the Standards of Practice can be a challenge.
In this session we’ll explore recent changes to ASOP No. 27 (reasonable assumptions) and ASOP No. 35 (demographic & other noneconomic) as well as upcoming changes to ASOP No. 4 (measuring pension obligations) and their applicability to small plans, as well as applications of ASOP No. 56 (modelling). You’ll also:
- Learn about the standard when using economic and demographic assumptions not selected by the actuary
- Gain an understanding of contribution lag and reasonable actuarially determined contribution
- Discuss what constitutes a deviation from the ASOPs and their required disclosure
Clint Blankenship, EA, MSEA, MAAA, President, McCloud & Associates, Inc.
Matt Rustidge, EA, MSPA, Enrolled Actuary, Summit Benefit & Actuarial Services, Inc.
3:00–4:15 p.m.
Pre-Conference Bonus Sessions
Pre-Con 5: ESOP “Fables”: Succeeding with a Powerful Succession Option
ESOPs – Employee Stock Ownership Plans – are a powerful business succession option AND a valuable job retention tool – as well as providing significant tax and succession planning benefits. In this session we’ll provide insights on not only how ESOPs generally operate as well as specific examples of where ESOPs can be a particularly valuable alternative. You’ll then be able to:
- Determine whether an ESOP is appropriate to accomplish a client’s goals
- Explain the succession and tax planning opportunity
- Discuss administrative considerations
- Understand the uses of leveraged ESOPs
Pre-Con 6: Topic “Call”: (Your) Actuarial Hot Topics
Some actuarial topics are too good to be ignored, but not quite enough to fill an entire workshop. Bring your questions – and comments – for this lively discussion where we will:
- Debate and discuss “hot topic” items and pressing issues of the moment (TBD)
- Gain a better understanding of relevant concerns and how to (re)solve them with your peers
4:30–6:00 p.m.
Opening General Session: 2022 Washington Update
Come see the latest edition of The Shamanda Show with special guest Brian Graff, CEO of the American Retirement Association as they give a new spin on The Government Update. Shamanda will grill Brian about the prospects of another bipartisan retirement bill becoming law by the end of the year, question him about all the buzz crypto currencies in our retirement system, and inquire about other regulatory developments on the horizon. Don’t miss out on this important, informative, and entertaining session that will provide all of the latest happenings at the Agencies and on Capitol Hill.
Shannon M. Edwards, ERPA, CPC, QPA, QKC, QKA®, President, TriStar Pension Consulting
Brian H. Graff, Esq., APM, Chief Executive Officer, American Retirement Association
Amanda Rae Iverson, CPA, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP, APM, Chief Operating Officer, Partner, Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC
6:00–7:30 p.m.
President’s Welcome Reception in the Exhibit Hall
Join us to officially kick off the 2022 ASPPA Annual Conference with 2022 ASPPA President Natalie R. E. Wyatt, QKA®, QPFC and the incoming 2023 President, Justin Bonestroo, MSEA, CPC, CPFA® at the President’s Welcome Reception. Reconnect with colleagues and the many event partners highlighting their latest products in the Exhibit Hall.
Sponsored by
8:00–10:00 p.m.
Capital Wheel
Experience incomparable waterfront views of DC, Maryland and Virginia seated in comfortable, climate-controlled gondolas. Enjoy a birds’ eye view of National Harbor, the Washington Monument, Masonic Temple of Alexandria, and more. Ticketed attendees will receive a complimentary beverage in a souvenir cup to enjoy during the ride and a complimentary souvenir photo. TPA Growth Summit attendees should visit the Principal® booth to pick up your ticket.
Sponsored by
Monday, Oct. 24
7:30–8:20 a.m.
Breakfast in the Exhibit Hall
Staff Development For A Greater Bottom Line
Strengthening client relationships is a complex challenge for advisors and third-party administrators in the retirement plan business. Discover the keys to long-term success that we’ve gleaned from our years of research and working alongside plan sponsors, advisors and TPAs.
Stacey Scott, Director, TPA Business Development, Cuna Mutual Group
Power of Partnership: Empower’s commitment to TPAs
Empower is dedicated to the TPA marketplace. In fact, 79% of Empower SelectTM plans are sold with a TPA.* Join this session to learn how Empower can partner with you to streamline your efforts, scale your business and promote the value you bring to advisors and sponsors every day.
*As of December 31, 2021
Brian Connolly, Assistant Vice President, National Accounts, Empower
The Tax-Exempt Market- Opportunities for TPAs
Earn 1 CE and learn how to differentiate and grow your business while providing a valuable service to nonprofit organizations and governmental entities in your community. We as retirement plan professionals have the opportunity to help tax-exempt organizations overcome both the retirement and business challenges they face in a market that is often underserved. OneAmerica has been serving tax-exempt organizations since the late 1960s and we partner with TPAs on over 60% of our new business each year. We look forward to sharing the knowledge and best practices we’ve acquired over several decades working with this often underserved market.
Brian Giles, Regional Vice President- Tax Exempt Markets, OneAmerica
Hear what keeps your peers up at night (and what is motivating them as they start their day)
Join us for this panel discussion with fellow TPA peers as we dive into challenges and opportunities they’re focused on today, fresh perspectives on how industry trends are changing the way they conduct business, how they’re creating efficiencies using technology, and where they’re investing their next dollar.
Christabelle Cook, QKA, Director of TPA Relations, Retirement & Income Solutions
Artificial Intelligence in the TPA World
What is AI (Artificial Intelligence)?
Stax will show the various types of Applications of AI
Introduce the TPA world into AI technology as a competitive advantage
How Humans and AI work Together
Should we be afraid of AI?
Q&A for AI-related topics
David Hawash, Chief Operating Officer, Stax.ai
Kyle Johnson, Solutions Architect, Stax.ai
8:30–9:45 a.m.
General Session 2: Hold Your Breath – We’re Taking a Deep Dive Into SECURE 2.0
Building on 2019’s sweeping SECURE Act, Congress is ready to pass legislation that could have a broad and significant impact on retirement plans – and retirement plan administration! Find out now what you’ll need to know then – and get a smart start on preparing for SECURE 2.0. Two of the nation’s leading retirement voices will dig into:
- More (and different) catch-up contributions
- Big ($$$) shifts in tax credits for start-up plans
- (Even) later starts for RMDs
- New(er) rules for long-term, part-time employee eligibility
- Roth revisions and expansion
- Post plan year-end amendments
- Student debt repayment matching
- Some (new) urgency around emergency savings
Robert M. Kaplan, CFP, CPC, QPA, QKC, QKA®, Director of Technical Education, American Retirement Association
Robert M. Richter, J.D., Retirement Education Counsel, American Retirement Association
10:00–10:50 a.m.
Concurrent Workshops
Workshop 1: Testing…1, 2, 3: Retirement Plan Math (Session 1 of 4)
This unique four-part series was specifically designed to provide a strong foundation for plan consultants who want to provide comprehensive consultative services. The series will cover plan opportunities by digging into plan design (and redesign), compliance, and calculation results and concludes with client communication best practices related to plan operations, potential decision points, and various changing situations available to/for the plan.
Session 01: Retirement Plan Math – The Ultimate Word Problem
To fully understand testing, it’s helpful to have a knowledge not only of the math, but the concepts underlying the tests themselves. Therefore, the first session in the series we will dive into plan math.
Mickie Murphy, CPC, QPA, QKC, QKA, ERPA, Senior Manager/Practice Lead, Blue Benefits Consulting
Lynn Young, FSEA, Partner/Consulting Actuary, Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC
Workshop 2: Why is Compensation so Complicated?
Garbage in, garbage out… and few things undermine plan compliance quite as consistently – or as disastrously – as inaccurate compensation information. We’ll cover the three main code-based definitions of compensation, along with:
- Reviewing which exclusions require a compensation test
- Analyzing Post Severance Compensation
- Debating the use of the First Few Weeks Rule
- The impacts of Post Year End Compensation provisions
Robert Richter, J.D., LL.M., Retirement Education Counsel, American Retirement Association
Jennifer Swets, QPA, QKC, QKA, Partner/Director of Relationship Management, DWC-The 401k Experts
Workshop 3: MEPs and PEP – Should You Jump into the Pool?
Have you considered offering – or maybe just been asked about offering – a PEP (Pooled Employer Plan) or a pooled arrangement? Either way, this session will provide answers, including an understanding of:
- The basics of PEPs
- Which type plans are a good fit for PEPs
- The roles of a PPP (Pooled Plan Provider)
- Where the market is going and if PEPs a good idea for your firm
Deborah Rubin, Vice President and Managing Director of TPA and Special Markets, Transamerica
John Webb, MBA, ERPA, QKA, QPA, TGPC, CPFA, ASRI, VP, Retirement Plans, Ameritas
Workshop 4: Ethics “Cull”: Actuarial Ethics and Professionalism (Part 1)
Drawing on real-life scenarios, this session explores ethical dramas you may face in your day-to-day practice and the ethical standards that must be applied. You’ll also have the opportunity in a roundtable setting to discuss the issues at hand and present best practices for resolution – as well as:
- Apply appropriate business ethics to previous and potential lessons.
- Interact with other professionals to hear additional perspectives on ethical challenges.
- Discuss best practices for demonstrating professionalism, courtesy and respect.
Kevin Donovan, Managing Member, Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC
Angie Vadnais, EA, MSEA, Enrolled Actuary, Pension Benefits Unlimited, Inc.
Vision “Statements”: Developing (and Redefining) Your Vision and Strategic Plan
Yogi Berra once famously said “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might wind up somewhere else.”
Identifying and redefining your vision and strategic plan gives you and your team something to aim for and a map of how to reach the preferred destination. We’ll cover how to create or redesign your plan – and once in place – how to communicate it and ensure your team both understands, embraces, and lives it.
Genelle Brakefield, QKA, TGPC, QPFC, Vice President, Ekon Benefits
Kirsten Curry, APM, J.D., CEO & Founder, Leading Retirement Solutions LLC
Available to qualified attendees
10:50–11:05 a.m.
Grab-n-go Drinks & Snacks
11:05–11:55 a.m.
Concurrent Workshops
Workshop 5: “Test” Cases: Retirement Plan Testing (Session 2 of 4)
This unique four-part series was specifically designed to provide a strong foundation for plan consultants who want to provide comprehensive consultative services.
Session 02: Retirement Plan Testing
Having mastered the math (session 01), this session is designed to help you better consult by providing the most optimal results in different situations – and how to evaluate the options available. To do that, you need to know what steps occur in a plan each year – and here we’ll dive “deep” into plan testing.
Mickie Murphy, CPC, QPA, QKC, QKA, ERPA, Senior Manager/Practice Lead, Blue Benefits Consulting
Lynn Young, FSEA, Partner/Consulting Actuary, Pinnacle Plan Design
Workshop 6: Pay “Dazed?”: Decoding the Compensation Puzzle
For those who just can’t get enough of the complexity of compensation in this scenario-driven session, we will drive into more complex compensation definitions, focus on which definition may be right for certain clients and walk through a 414(s) nondiscrimination testing scenario, as well as calculating contributions for Self-Employed individuals.
Sharpen your pencils for this interactive session in which you’ll learn:
- How to calculate eligible compensation from a K-1
- How to aggregate self-employment earnings and W-2 wages
- What can be done to correct a failed compensation ratio test
- Which definition of compensation may be right for your clients
Robert Richter, J.D., LL.M., APM, Retirement Education Counsel, American Retirement Association
Jennifer Swets, QKA, QKC, QPA, Partner, DWC-The 401(k) Experts
Workshop 7: EPCRS! You Made a Mistake – What’s Next?
Even retirement plans make mistakes – but, thanks to special programs from the IRS and DOL, there ARE ways to correct them! In this session we’ll cover case studies with “real life” examples and how to correct them, such as how to:
- Understand the differences in each correction program
- Determine which correction program/process to use
- Avoid most common mistakes in the first place
Heather Bader, APM, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Adam Pozek, QPA, QKC, QKA, Partner, DWC-The 401(k) Experts
Workshop 8: Actuarial Ethics and Professionalism (Part 2)
In Part 2 of this workshop, we will present and discuss scenarios facing actuaries and other retirement professionals within the context of our codes of conduct. In this lively game of actuarial “Ethics Survivor” you will have the chance to vote panelists off, based on their answers to hypothetical professional-conduct questions, until one contestant remains and is crowned the winner:
- Apply appropriate business ethics to potential lessons.
- Interact with other professionals to hear additional perspectives on ethical challenges.
- Discuss best practices for demonstrating professionalism, courtesy and respect.
Kevin Donovan, Managing Member, Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC
Angie Vadnais, EA, MSEA, Enrolled Actuary, Pension Benefits Unlimited, Inc.
Leader “Shifts”: How Leaders Create and Master a Service Oriented, Engaged Culture that Fosters Employee Growth and Improves Employee Retention
Recruiting and retaining talent are some of the biggest challenges that leaders and business owners face – particularly in the midst of what some have termed the “Great Resignation.” As a leader, how can you create a service oriented culture where team members never want to leave and feel lucky to work where they do? How do you create a culture that fosters service, employee engagement and growth, and leads to employee retention because employee turnover is not only costly to you as a leader, but it can have a huge impact on team morale, draining focus for training and spread thinner taking on additional work – AND, it can cost you clients! In this session, you’ll find out:
- What exactly does company culture mean – and what could it mean?
- How to create a service oriented, engaged culture?
- How to design a roadmap for creating or building on current company culture.
- Action items to take back to your team.
Shannon Edwards, QPA, QKC, QKA, ERPA, President, TriStar Pension Consulting
Natalie Wyatt, Senior Vice President, Head of Account Management, SS&C Technologies
Available to qualified attendees
12:00–1:00 p.m.
ASEA Lunch and Business Meeting
All ASEA members are invited to attend the ASEA Luncheon at the ASPPA Annual Conference. The luncheon provides an opportunity to network with fellow members. ASEA’s president will provide an overview of activity over the past year. Further, there will be a transition of leadership to the new president, officers and Leadership Council members.
12:00–1:30 p.m.
Lunch in the Exhibit Hall
Join your fellow attendees for a buffet lunch in the exhibit hall to network and engage with others. New this year is a presentation stage in the back of the exhibit hall where sponsors will be offering quick, 10 minute sessions on an open platform.
Lunch & Learns
12:10-12:20 p.m.
Working Together. Winning Together
According to recent Empower research, plans with a TPA are healthier, have higher participation and have contribution rates. Hear the top 3 reasons why TPAs and advisors should join forces to deliver a comprehensive package of services to plan sponsors and the importance of partnering with a top recordkeeper.
Kathy Lake, National Accounts Market Director TPA, Empower
12:25-12:35 p.m.
The Three Legged Sales Stool
Ideas and tools TPAs and Recordkeepers can partner to assist advisors grow their business and build loyalty.
Joel Mee, Senior Director, Retirement Plan Sales, The Standard
12:40-12:50 p.m.
Updated TPA Service Reimbursement Program
OneAmerica reimburses their TPA partners providing administrative services to shared clients to offset the costs in providing those services. The program is tier structured to allow greater rewards for TPAs based upon annual plan sales as well as overall total plan assets under management with OneAmerica. This is a change from how OneAmerica typically had paid TPAs where the majority of TPAs were paid 15 bps monthly over the first 12 months and 5 bps ongoing. We’re changing the structure of the program to better align our services to TPAs we work more closely with while incentivizing further growth with our TPA partners.
Daryl Swick, Product Manager, OneAmerica
12:55-1:05 p.m.
Plan Management Made Simple for TPAs
Overview of Cuna Mutual Group’s dedicated TPA resources and smart technology to streamline your day to day responsibilities.
Victoria Frey, TPA Business Development Consultant – West, Cuna Mutual Group
1:10-1:20 p.m.
About T. Rowe Price
Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc., has been a retirement solutions provider for nearly 40 years, serving over 2 million retirement plan participants in over 6,000-plus plans. As your resource for top-level recordkeeping services, our industry-leading thought leadership, highest client satisfaction levels, and award-winning participant experiences can help you increase efficiency and reliability for your clients, while helping to improve retirement outcomes for their participants.
Lynn Roy, Vice President, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. & T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc.
1:30–2:45 p.m.
Deep Dives 75
Specialized 75 minute long sessions.
Workshop 9: Building “Blocks”: Retirement Plans: Building, Designing, Maintaining, and Redesigning Plans (Session 3 of 4)
This unique four-part series was specifically designed to provide a strong foundation for plan consultants who want to provide comprehensive consultative services.
Session 03: Building, Designing, Maintaining, and Redesigning
Using the building blocks from the math (session 01) and the test (session 02), this session will cover topics including building, designing, maintaining, and redesigning plans to provide the most optimal results.
Justin Bonestroo, MSEA, CPC, CPFA, QPA, QKA, Senior Vice President, CBIZ, Inc.
Melissa Terito, CPA, Partner, Sentinel Pension
Workshop 10: “After” Map: Building a Post-M&A Action Plan
Plan consultants always seem to be the last to know about mergers and acquisitions! You might find out about these other entities during the onboarding of a new client or maybe three years AFTER an acquisition has occurred. Regardless of timing, in this session we’ll focus on:
- Strategies to effectively complete an M&A
- Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- What to do when you find out about a surprise merger or acquisition
Lyndsey Barnett, Attorney, Graydon Law
JJ McKinney, CPC, QPA, QKA, ERPA, Director of Sales, EGPS
Workshop 11: Correctional “Facilities”: VCP – A Day in the Life (Well a Year In the Life)
To VCP or Not VCP – A conversion with the IRS
Have a burning question regarding the Voluntary Correction Program? Join this interactive discussion to hear from the IRS on topics such as:
- Recent and upcoming changes with the VCP program
- Documentation requirements and best practices for a smooth filing process
- Common failures that are being submitted and how the IRS is responding
- Can I really rescind my VCP application without repercussions?
- To file or not file – case study examples of SCP versus VCP
Heather Bader, APM, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Stephanie Bennett, Tax Law Specialist, IRS
Workshop 12: Open & Shut Case(s): Actuarial Consulting from Implementation to Termination
What do plan sponsors need to know and how can you – as an actuary – effectively communicate all that is involved in taking a defined benefit plan through its life cycle? What do you choose to communicate at inception versus year two or in the future? What issues can a lack of communication cause at plan termination? In this interactive session we’ll tackle real life case studies and solve them together… from start to finish. We’ll:
- Outline the DB Plan lifecycle from inception through termination
- Review what communication is necessary for actuaries, TPAs, and plan sponsors to work together effectively
Mary Ann Rocco, EA, MSPA Consulting Actuary
The Business Owners Roadmap: Seven Steps to a Business That Works (Part 1)
This EMyth session will present a way of thinking about your business, your life, and the relationship between the two that can forever change your business into one that not only truly works but gives you more life. EMyth a model for how to productively relate to the development of your business, your own growth as a leader and the results that you want your company to produce. The essence of this roadmap was originally created in 1977 when Michael Gerber founded the company. Since then, Michael’s ground-breaking ideas about building a small business that works have been incorporated into his series of EMyth books, including his bestselling, The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It, first published in 1986.
This keynote will set the stage and introduce EMyth’s Approach–the philosophy, core principles and a proprietary process–for developing a business that works.
Tricia Huebner, Coach Emeritus, www.emyth.com
Available to qualified attendees
3:00–3:50 p.m.
Concurrent Workshops
Workshop 13: Retirement Plan Client Communications (Session 4 of 4)
This unique four-part series was specifically designed to provide a strong foundation for plan consultants who want to provide comprehensive consultative services.
Session 04: Client Communications
The final session in this series will bring it all together with Client Communications. Regardless of your knowledge and technical proficiency, when there’s a “failure to communicate” that could all go for naught! During this session, we will use role playing scenarios to evaluate what to do and not to do in our communications with clients.
Justin Bonestroo, MSEA, CPC, CPFA, QPA, QKA, Senior Vice President, CBIZ, Inc.
Melissa Terito, CPA, Partner, Sentinel Pension
Workshop 14: “Guide” Paths: A Guide Inside Retirement Plan Investments
Okay, so maybe investments haven’t been your “thing.” But there’s no time like the present to get “invested” in investment types, asset classes, target-dates, QDIAs, and expense ratios. That’s right, we’re going to cover things like:
- Different share class requirements – and why they matter?
- What makes a QDIA a QDIA
- How TPAs can (and should) analyze investment expenses
- How revenue-sharing works on different platforms
Genelle Brakefield, QKA, TGPC, QPFC, Vice President, Ekon Benefits
Workshop 15: Court “Costs”: Lessons from Litigation
COVID notwithstanding, the retirement plan industry has seen a record increase in court filings and litigation the past few years. With a laser-focus on fiduciary breaches and so-called excessive plan fees, what should TPAs and Recordkeepers know about current cases (including a recent decision by the United States Supreme Court) and their impact on retirement plan design and process. We’ll focus on:
- Critical components of why these cases are being filed
- How to better understand how a case moves through the court system.
- How these cases may impact your business
Kizzy Gaul, Esq, CPC, QPA, QKA, TGPC, ERISA Attorney, Ascensus, LLC
Workshop 16: Regulatory Radar: DB Regulatory Update 2022
A gigantic meteor may have wiped out the dinosaurs, but defined benefit plans are still very much with us and continue to evolve! Who’s read the new 401(a)(9) regs? What about 417(e)?
There’s no better place to get an up-to-date overview of the evolving new regulations and recent IRS/Treasury guidance impacting defined benefit plans. We’ll also:
- Recall guidance that has been recently released by the IRS and Treasury
- Identify situations in which the recent changes in the guidance may have an effect
Clint Blankenship, EA, MSEA, MAAA, President-Owner, McCloud & Associates, Inc.
Chris Denning, Actuary, IRS
James E. Holland, Jr., FSEA, FCA, MAAA, ASA, EA, Chief Research Actuary, Cheiron, Inc.
Linda Marshall, Attorney, IRS
The Business Leaders Roadmap: E-Myth Hands on Peer-to-Peer Roundtable – Let’s Get to Work
During this roundtable follow-up workshop, we’ll drill down into the seven steps to:
- Discover ways to manage your time so you can go to work on your business, not just in it
- Ask the question: is your business giving you more life?
- Determine what you need to start/stop/continue doing to be an effective leader
- Assess your business operations and level of systemization
- Give you a template for creating a vision for your business, and your life, that inspires you
- Learn how to develop a high-performing team using a key EMyth management tool
Tricia Huebner, Coach Emeritus, www.emyth.com
Available to qualified attendees.
Roundtable groups will be assigned in advance and attendees be notified the week before the conference of their assigned roundtable group.
3:50–4:20 p.m.
Beverage Break in the Exhibit Hall
4:20–5:35 p.m.
General Session 3: Mental Health in the Retirement Industry: A Critical Conversation, Why We Need to Shift the Narrative, & How
Melissa Doman, MA – Organizational Psychologist, Former Clinical Mental Health Therapist, & Author of Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work (Here’s Why And How To Do It Really Well) will deliver a brief keynote about what we really need to understand about mental health & mental illness actually are, debunking common destructive stereotypes & biases, the obstacles that stop us from having constructive mental health at work conversations, and some tips on how to create a culture of understanding about mental health at work. Then, Melissa will have a very candid fireside interview about the very specific, and real, challenges around opening the mental health at work conversation specifically in the pension advisor and actuarial industries. Mental health at work is a must-have non-negotiable conversation, and this matters in our industry too. Following the keynote and fireside interview, there will be an open Q&A where you will have an opportunity to ask Melissa questions in real-time about the content covered. We know this is an important conversation, and we hope you’ll join us in having it. To learn more about Melissa, her work, or her book, please visit www.melissadoman.com.
Melissa Doman, MA, Organizational Psychologist, Former Clinical Mental Health Therapist, & Author
6:00–7:00 p.m.
TPA Growth Summit Reception
Sponsored by
Available to qualified attendees
Tuesday, Oct. 25
7:30–8:20 a.m.
Breakfast in the Exhibit Hall
Cultivating Durable Loyalty
Strengthening client relationships is a complex challenge for advisors and third-party administrators in the retirement plan business. Discover the keys to long-term success that we’ve gleaned from our years of research and working alongside plan sponsors, advisors and TPAs.
Jonathan Young, Senior National Accounts Manager, Capital Group | American Funds
Cyber Security Trends: Staying Vigilant in an Evolving Threat Landscape
While the cybersecurity landscape is constantly changing, and new hacking and fraud threats emerge daily, we all must vigilantly defend the retirement benefits and personal information with which we have been entrusted. David will share top cyber security industry tips, while providing practical application and industry resources.
David Westin, AVP, Cyber Security Operations, Nationwide Retirement Solutions
5 Moments of Truth
Earn 1 hour of CE and learn how to show advisors how to use the compliance calendar to prospect and grow their retirement plans business.
Rita Taylor-Rodriguez, Director, TPA Sales, The Standard
2021 Defined Contribution Consultant Study – Perspectives Summary
Rowe Price, in partnership with Schaus Group, conducted this second annual study to capture business and retirement views from the consulting and advisory community. The study was conducted at the end of 2021 during the continued coronavirus pandemic and the inaugural year of the Biden administration.
David Norris, Sales Director, T. Rowe Price
Convergence of Health and Wealth in the workplace
Employee benefits have always been an important component of total compensation packages, but they are becoming increasingly more important for both employers and employees—particularly in the wake of the Great Resignation.
To help address employee demands, employers have added flexibility and choice to their benefits menus—which can lead to complexity, confusion and decision fatigue for employees.
These challenges are compounded because:
- With the elimination of Defined Benefit plans, employees are shouldering more responsibility for funding their retirement;
- Healthcare expenses have risen dramatically for both employees and employers; and
- With the proliferation of high deductible health plans, employees are faced with higher deductibles and potential for higher out-of-pocket expenses.
Adding to the pressure employees are facing is the current financial environment of rising inflation—requiring every dollar to be stretched further.
We’ll be discussing how financial professionals and employers can help employees drive better financial outcomes in this environment.
Nate Black, VP, Consumer Driven Health, Voya Financial
8:30–9:45 a.m.
General Session 4: Cyber Cyphers: Tips, Tricks & Practice Shifts That Can Keep Your (Plan) Data Safe
A famous bank robber once said he robbed banks “cause that’s where the money is.” Today that “bank” is a 401(k) account – and hackers are trying to rob them every single day, often , if inadvertently, aided by sloppy security protocols, easy to guess passwords, and (too?) helpful call centers. The Labor Department has provided guidance in the form of questions to ask – but what are the right answers? Our expert panel takes on your questions, real-life dilemmas, and has solutions that can help keep your plan data safe – without making in inaccessible!
Heather Bader, APM, Partner, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Genelle Brakefield, QKA®, TGPC, QPFC, Vice President, Ekon Benefits
Frank Porter, QKA®, QPA, Relationship Manager – Large Mega NFP Market Segment, Empower Retirement
David J. Scott, Deputy Assistant Director- Operations, Cyber Division, Director, National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation
10:00–10:50 a.m.
Concurrent Workshops
Workshop 17: Worldly Ways: Administering a Global Benefits Program
There’s a big old world out there, and a growing number of employers both hire and operate in countries outside the US. Join us for a session focused on untangling the administrative complexities that come with working in a global world. We’ll walk through multiple case studies based on:
- Whether the entities are related
- Are the employees excludable or are they covered under the plan
- How is compensation paid to the employee accounted for
- Do tax treaty laws apply and what do they impact
Derrin Watson, J.D., APM, Ferenczy Benefits Law Center
Workshop 18: Owner “Slips”: Controlled Groups – Ownership Matters!
Why are administrators always the last to know? Whenever you get the news, in this session we’ll work through the intricacies of a controlled group and how to communicate the requirements to the unsuspecting client, as we:
- Review controlled group rules
- Understand the complications inherent in controlled groups
- Analyze plan design and compliance testing options
- Discuss real-life fact patterns that have led to controlled groups
Kelsey Mayo, J.D., Lead Partner, Employee Benefits, Poyner Spruill LLP
Workshop 19: “Wrong” Headed? DB Administration – When things go wrong (and they WILL go wrong)
Whether you’ve encountered problems with defined benefit plan administration – or just want to be prepared for that eventuality, this interactive (and participatory) session will provide an opportunity for an open discussion of challenging situations encountered during administration of defined benefit plans. You’ll:
- Learn how to deal with complicated administration issues
- Have an opportunity to discuss with colleagues scenarios that you are unsure how to manage
- Learn how to more effectively communicate the issues and challenges to the plan sponsor
Eric Brandon, EA, MSEA, MAAA, FCA, Pension Actuary, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
David Kupstas, MSEA, FSA, EA, Actuary, Actuarial Consulting Group, Inc.
Robot “Tics”: The Ins and Outs of Automation: How to Get Started, Areas to Use it, Pitfalls to Avoid
You may not be familiar with Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics, but it’s time to take the robot out of the human, courtesy of Automation or Robotic Process Automation (RPA) – a key component in digital transformation. It can help you boost productivity, reduce manual errors, and free your teams to focus on more fulfilling, high-value, strategic tasks, driving engagement, growth and profitability. Together, we’ll explore:
- What’s RPA
- Where to start
- How to get the buy-in
- Mistakes to avoid
- Lessons we’ve learned
Alex Petrenko Calaf, QPA, QKC, QKA, SVP, Retirement Plan Consulting, Cetera Retirement Plan Specialists
Karen Smith, JD, Enrolled Actuary, President, Nova 401(k) Associates
Available to qualified attendees
10:50–11:05 a.m.
Grab-n-go Drinks & Snacks
11:05–11:55 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions
Workshop 20: Fiduciary Duties: What is a Fiduciary?
Do you know the difference(s) between 3(16), 3(21), and 3(38)? Understanding and offering these various levels of fiduciary services can be tricky. In this session we will provide an overview of these services and focus not only on the differences, but the benefits of providing these services, as well as the risks. We’ll cover:
- The different fiduciary arrangements in the marketplace
- The benefits and risks associated with each fiduciary option
- How to help your plan sponsor decide which services are most valuable and appropriate for their situation
Lyndsey Barnett, J.D. LL.M., Attorney, Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP
Adam Pozek, QPA, QKC, QKA, Partner, DWC- The 401(k) Experts
Workshop 21: A Different and Complex World – Affiliated Service Groups
In this age of acquisition and business diversification, affiliated service groups are becoming more prominent. Using case studies, this session will focus on:
- The different ways those affiliated service groups are being formed
- The implications of being part of an affiliated service group, and
- How leased and shared employees are impacted
Kelsey Mayo, J.D., Lead Partner, Employee Benefits, Poyner Spruill LLP
Derrin Watson, J.D., APM, Ferenczy Benefits Law Center
Workshop 22: Cash Balance “Cache”: The (Deep) Ins and Outs and All Abouts of Cash Balance Plans
If you’re a cash balance expert, this session is for you! We’ll dive into the nitty gritty and focus on:
- How to deal with sticky situations like fluctuating assets with market rates of return, and high PBGC Variable Rate Premiums
- What interest rate assumption should you make to help avoid these situations and why?
- What other plan design choices can you make to mitigate some of these challenges?
When we’re done, you’ll be able to:
- Identify different allowable interest crediting rate assumptions and their impact on plan design and PBGC premiums
- Learn how to select an ICR and when a variable rate could be the right choice
- Explore the complexities of advanced Cash Balance Plan designs
Mike Eaton, MSEA, CPC, QPA, QKA, Lead Actuary, Future Plan by Ascensus
Norman Levinrad, EA, FSPA, MAAA, Chief Actuary, EGPS
Growth “Spurts”: How to Manage Business Risk when Practices are Growing and Evolving
Growth and change often are accompanied by increased business risk(s), and whether your firm is growing organically or through acquisition, growth often requires new (or revised) processes, new collaborations, new employees, and obviously new clients.
During this interactive panel, panelists will discuss planning, processes, protections, and profitability through the lens of growth, with the desired outcome of remaining profitable or becoming more profitable through growth.
Session participants will leave equip with ideas and knowledge to answer:
- What is your Plan around growth?
- What is your Process around growth?
- How do you create Protections around growth?
Justin Bonestroo, MSEA, CPC, CPFA, QPA, QKA, Senior Vice President, CBIZ, Inc.
Amanda Iverson, CPA, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP, APM, Partner and COO, Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC
Kirsten Curry, J.D., APM, CEO & Founder, Leading Retirement Solutions LLC
Available to qualified attendees
12:00–1:30 p.m.
Lunch in the Exhibit Hall
Join your fellow attendees for a buffet lunch in the exhibit hall to network and engage with others. New this year is a presentation stage in the back of the exhibit hall where sponsors will be offering quick, 10 minute sessions on an open platform.
Sponsored by
Lunch & Learns
12:10-12:20 p.m.
Guaranteed Retirement Income: What Advisors Want
When it comes to in-plan guaranteed retirement products, what are advisors and plan sponsors looking for? Flexibility, fee transparency, simple decumulation and guaranteed income all make the list.
12:40-12:50 p.m.
The Smallest BIG Opportunity Before Us
Establishing a new retirement plan for a small business can take up to six weeks or more. There’s information to verify. Documents to sign. Details to coordinate. Learn how we can help you streamline the process—from the proposal to the creation and implementation, to the commitment with employee enrollment—to as little as a week or less.
Jason Neal, Head of Product Strategy-Core Market, Principal Financial Group
1:10-1:20 p.m.
Put Your Workflows on Autopilot
Stax.ai is the first of its kind Intelligent Document Management platform offered to TPAs. Reading documents from various sources from PDFs, Excel, Word docs, scanned docs, emails, faxes, hand writings, and much more.
Stax.ai can understand and extract information so the TPAs can automate a lot of the manual work to save time, money, and maximize human resources. These include automatically sorting, splitting, and filing brokerage statements, automatically pulling record keeper reports (5500 plan admin, loan details and more) from portals for John Hancock, Voya, Empower, logging email communications from clients, automating PensionPro project and tasks creation from intake forms and more.
The presentation will go over how to streamline the processes of TPAs to help them grow and be more efficient in with technology.
David Hawash, Account Executive, Stax.ai
1:30–2:45 p.m.
Deep Dives 75
Specialized 75 minute long sessions.
Workshop 23: Response “Abilities”: “It’s just a retirement plan. I’m responsible for WHAT?”
Has your client ever said, “It’s just a retirement plan. I’m responsible for WHAT?” It may be “just” a retirement plan on paper, but there are duties Plan Sponsors are responsible for that many are completely unaware of, such as overall plan governance, understanding services and associated fees of the Plan.
This session will outline a fiduciary and plan committee overview, discuss service agreements and the identification of responsible parties and their fiduciary status. And at the end you’ll be able to:
- Understand the basic responsibility of a fiduciary
- Understand the plan committee process, plan reviews and the documentation of findings
- Basics of the service agreement and each party’s responsibilities
Alex Petrenko Calaf, QPA, QKC, QKA, SVP, Retirement Plan Consulting, Cetera Retirement Plan Specialists
Robert Gower, Director, Trucker Huss, APC
John T. Webb, MBA, ERPA, QKA, QPA, TGPC, CPFA, ASRI, VP, Retirement Plans Compliance, Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation
Workshop 24: Help! My Plan Failed Nondiscrimination Testing
If at first you don’t succeed…. Let’s face it, failing nondiscrimination testing often presents an opportunity – as well as a need – for creative solutions. However, this is not your “normal” testing refresher course. Rather, the session will dive deep into failed nondiscrimination and coverage tests, including ADP, ACP, 401(a)(4), ratio percentage and average benefits tests.
At the end, you’ll know:
- When to utilize techniques like disaggregation, restructuring, and shifting
- When QNEC or QMAC contributions are advantageous
- Plan design options to prevent or minimize future failures
Erin Patton, CPA, ERPA, QPA, QKA, Retirement Plan Consultant and Administrator, Striegel Knobloch & Company, LLC
Steve Riordan, CPC, QPA, QKA, Director, Plan Consulting, Fidelity Investments
Workshop 25: Designer “Close”: Combined plan design case studies (DB CORE)
This interactive session focused on advanced testing and design techniques is designed with the “hands on” practitioner in mind! You’ll get an opportunity to design combined cash balance plans using the provided census data – and to apply the methods demonstrated during the session (BYO laptop to aid in the calculations). You’ll be able to:
- Compare available options to use for nondiscrimination testing
- Understand what challenges arise from tricky plan designs
- Review the pitfalls in certain plan designs and how to avoid certain errors
- Identify plan design opportunities during testing failures
Lawrence Deutsch, FSPA, President, Larry Deutsch Enterprises
Driving Change: How to Motivate and Inspire Today’s Salespeople to Maximize Sales in Your Organization
Let me be the first to tell you this is NOT your traditional, boring, old-school sales presentation filled with regurgitated sales language, pushy tactics, ABC mentality, and antiquated sales techniques. It’s 2022, not 1992, and it’s time we learn how to teach salespeople how to sell effectively to our potential clients, with honesty, integrity, and humility.
My commitment to ASPPA is to deliver a memorable experience and engage your members with relevant content, fresh ideas, and tangible takeaways that will leave a lasting impact to inspire growth both personally and professionally.
One critical factor that determines how slow or fast we grow our companies revolves around sales. Most of us want to know how to increase sales and how quickly we can do it. A few questions need to be addressed if we want to know the answer to those two questions.
- Do you understand how your salespeople are motivated and how to motivate them?
- Do you use the right tools to evaluate yourselves and your salespeople’s ability to sell?
- Do you effectively inspire your team with a purpose-driven, selfless, client-first culture?
Guess what? You’ll have concrete answers to all three of these very pertinent questions, amongst many others, and you’ll walk away with strategic initiatives, real-world solutions to these challenges, and specific processes to implement in your businesses to get your sales where they need to be.
Success in sales today isn’t about using magic selling systems built 50 years ago, manipulative techniques, or “used car salesman” techniques. Leading the salespeople of today is essential to your bottom line and must be an area of focus in your business if you truly want to thrive in this marketplace.
Steve Heroux, CEO, Victory Selling, www.victoryselling.com
Available to qualified attendees
3:00–3:50 p.m.
Concurrent Workshops
Workshop 26: “Gray” Matters a Discussion in Ethics
Life – and work – presents retirement plan professionals with any number of difficult scenarios that test your professionalism and even at times your personal and professional ethics. We’ll work through case studies that build on real-life interactions, encompassing challenging situations, the impact of decisions made, and how best to communicate with clients. We will also review the ASPPA Code of Conduct and Circular 230 – and don’t forget that Ethics CE credit!
Brian Furgala, CPC, QPA, Director of ERISA Services, Wolters Kluwer
Natalie Wyatt, QKA, QPFC, Senior Vice President, Head of Account Management, SS&C Innovest
Workshop 27: “Required” Reading? New Rules with RMDs
In this session, we will focus on the new proposed (maybe final) Required Minimum Distributions rules – not to mention the timeline and how the SECURE Act has changed the RMD rules. Bring your examples and be prepared to work through real-life situations.
John Griffin, Principal, Actuarial Systems Corporation
Workshop 28: Retro, “Active?”: Retro Plan War Stories
It’s been said that timing is everything – but the timing of new plans has changed everything. With post year end plan adoption allowed under the SECURE Act we are all adjusting to new deadlines, and some new considerations. What are best practices for implementing a retroactive DB Plan? What are the challenges with new and existing 401k plans? What did we learn from the 2021 tax season and how can we do better next year? We’ll discuss all this, and at the end of the session you’ll be able to:
- Apply new deadlines available under the Secure Act
- Discuss best practices for implementing retroactive plans
Mike Eaton, MSEA, CPC, QPA, QKA, Lead Actuary, FuturePlan by Ascensus
Matt Rustige, EA MSPA, MAAA, Actuary, EGPS
Peer-to-Peer Roundtable: Looking to the Future and Driving Change
Steve Heroux, CEO of Victory Selling will follow-up his prior keynote and lead this peer-to-peer roundtable discussion where each roundtable will take what was learned in his previous session (driving change with new and different sales strategies) and determine how to apply these tactics to your firm.
Available to qualified attendees.
Roundtable groups will be assigned in advance and attendees be notified the week before the conference of their assigned roundtable group.
3:50–4:20 p.m.
Beverage Break in the Exhibit Hall
4:20–5:35 p.m.
General Session 5: Retirement Plan Horror Stories
There is a fifth dimension beyond time and space…a place where demanding business owners, errant payroll processors, and those unaware of critical compensation distinctions roam.
It’s a middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, it’s where we all live, work, and occasionally drink.
We’re taking about the retirement plan twilight zone…where you’ll hear (and some will share) the industry’s most incredible tales of misapplication, misappropriation, miscalculation, and more…
Do you have a Retirement Plan Horror story? Share your experience here to help us plan the show!
Hosted by Kizzy M. Gaul, Esq., CPC, QPA, QKA®, TGPC, ERISA Attorney, Ascensus
6:30–7:30 p.m.
ARA PAC VIP Reception
By invite only to $250+ ARA PAC supporters.
8:00–11:00 p.m.
ASPPA at Night
Grab dinner in the area and join us back at the Gaylord where we’ve transformed the general session room to a retro arcade with skeeball, air hockey, Packman and arcade games! Music performance by The HariKaraoke Band – sing with the live karaoke band and be a rock star!
Sponsored by
Wednesday, Oct. 26
8:00–8:30 a.m.
Grab-n-Go Breakfast
8:30–9:20 a.m.
Concurrent Workshops
Workshop 29: “Out” Takes: Plan Termination Strategies and Pitfalls
Particularly in this time of the so-called “Great Resignation” you can expect to receive several calls from clients who are ready to retire – and to take their retirement plan “with them.” We’ll discuss real examples involving plan terminations, partial plan terminations, and mergers/acquisitions. Come prepared to learn:
- The differences between a full plan termination and partial plan termination
- Important deadlines and requirements
- How mergers/acquisitions impact plan terminations
NOTE: Some basic knowledge about plan terminations will be helpful for this session.
Brian Furgala, CPC, QPA, Director of ERISA Services, Wolters Kluwer
Workshop 30: Pension “Penchants?”: DB for Non-Actuaries
One for all? Is there a checklist that one can go through to see if your client should add a DB plan? If only it were so easy. That said, a good partnership between the DB administrator and the actuary is a recipe for success. Join this session to be able to identify things to look for to consider introducing a defined benefit plan. Learn issues to communicate to both the plan sponsor and the actuary when the plan is in place to insure a smooth operation.
Kevin Donovan, CPA, FSEA, Managing Member, Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC
Shannon Edwards, ERPA, CPC, QPA, QKC, QKA, President, TriStar Pension Consulting
Workshop 31: Regulatory Radar: PBGC Update
A panel of PBGC representatives will provide an overview of recently published PBGC guidance and program operations with hints, tips, and relevant information about their various programs. Bring questions you have come across on topics including plan terminations and audits, reportable events, coverage determination, and premium filing requirements. They’ll address:
- Review recent updates from the PBGC
- Learn relevant information regarding PBGC’s program operations and guidance
- Discuss your questions with the PBGC
- Learn best practices for resolving issues and concerns
Brad Porter, Financial Program Manager, Collections and Compliance Division, Financial Operations Department, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Recalibrate, Rewire and Reboot Your Brand (Part 1)
Each year you dive into your business. You look at topline and bottom-line numbers; evaluate what worked and what didn’t; discuss future goals and plans; and likely discuss marketing. Unfortunately, it’s very possible that your brand gets short shrift, unattended and dusty from years of neglect. At this point in the conference, you’ll have spent some time thinking about your business and drivers of success. This session? It’s all about how everything you’ve learned is absolutely related to how you show up in the world—your brand. What drives your brand’s success? What does it mean to recalibrate, rewire and reboot your brand? More importantly, how do you navigate this process without it costing more than 25 percent of your net profit? This is a two-part workshop. The concepts and considerations will be presented during the Part I. Deep industry research will be offered to support the case for retooling your brand and go-to-market strategy. In Part II, you’ll apply what you’ve learned through a step-by-step, practical workshop with a series of one-on-one hot seats with Sheri Fitts, a 30-year financial services sales and marketing veteran.
Sheri Fitts, Speaker, Consultant, Creator, Sheri Fitts & CO., www.sherifitts.com
Available to qualified attendees
9:35–10:25 a.m.
Concurrent Workshops
Workshop 32: Limits “Less”: Yes, You Can Provide More Benefits to Only Highly-Compensated Employees
Nonqualified deferred compensation plans are often a significant component of a retirement program for highly compensated and/or key employees. More importantly as a practitioner the plan design, administration and compliance considerations are quite different from those affecting tax-qualified retirement plans. We’ll:
- Discuss a variety of nonqualified deferred compensation plans and arrangements
- Compare and contrast differences of a 401(k) plan
- Understand basic complexities with 409A
- Understand funding methods for nonqualified plans
Rod Stortenbecker, AVP, Compliance, Lincoln Financial Group
Workshop 33: Notices, Notices, and More Notices
Have you noticed all the notices? Administering a retirement plan can mean the fiduciary has to ensure that many disclosures are timely provided to participants. Some disclosures such as the SAR & SPD generally need to be provided to all participants. There are additional disclosures that must be provided when certain features apply like QDIA or automatic enrollment. This session will provide a summary of what notices are needed and when as well as some best practices to ensure your plans are staying compliant with participant disclosures. In this session, you’ll
- Understand the notice requirements
- Determine which notices are applicable and when
- Discuss best practices to ensure compliance
Erin Patton, ERPA, CPA, QPA, QKA, Retirement Plan Consultant and Administrator, Striegel Knoblock & Company LLC
Workshop 34: Question “Air”: Your DB Questions – Answered
You’ve got DB questions? We’ve got the experts – and expertise – to answer the questions that you have encountered in your practice or questions that have been raised over the course of the conference. Bring your own technical defined benefit and other plan-related questions and get answers from industry experts as we:
- Interact with peers on technical issues and examine any outstanding questions from the conference
- Collaborate with experts to receive feedback on pension related issues and questions
If you would like, you can pre-submit your questions here.
Chris Denning, Actuary, IRS
James Holland, FSPA, FCA, ASA, MAAA, EA, Chief Research Actuary, Cheiron, Inc.
Norman Levinrad, EA FSPA, MAAA, Chief Actuary, EGPS
Linda Marshall, Attorney, IRS
Karen Smith, JD, Enrolled Actuary, President, Nova 401(k) Associates
Recalibrate, Rewire and Reboot Your Brand (Part 2)
This is a two-part workshop. The concepts and considerations were presented during the Part 1. Deep industry research will be offered to support the case for retooling your brand and go-to-market strategy. In Part 2, you’ll apply what you’ve learned through a step-by-step, practical workshop with a series of one-on-one hot seats with Sheri Fitts, a 30-year financial services sales and marketing veteran.
Sheri Fitts, Speaker, Consultant, Creator, Sheri Fitts & CO., www.sherifitts.com
Available to qualified attendees
10:25–10:40 a.m.
Beverage Break
10:40 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
General Session 6: Ask the Experts
Watch as host Robert Richter talks with this panel of industry powerhouses and dives into topics relevant to you to provide you with insights, perspective and perhaps even a solution or two! Submit your questions here!
Host: Robert M. Richter, J.D., Retirement Education Counsel, American Retirement Association
Kevin Donovan, CPA, FSEA, Managing Member, Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC
Kizzy Gaul, Esq, CPC, QPA, QKA, TGPC, ERISA Attorney, Ascensus, LLC
Kelsey Mayo, J.D., Lead Partner, Employee Benefits, Poyner Spruill LLP
JJ McKinney, CPC, ERPA, Director of Sales, EGPS
Jennifer Swets, QPA, QKC, QKA, Partner/Director of Relationship Management, DWC-The 401k Experts
Running a TPA firm and selling TPA services presents unique challenges. You face heavy competition, and work for a firm with limited resources to devote to marketing and sales. Join us to gain practical strategies to successfully navigate these obstacles. Learn how to identify your firm’s strengths and use them as leverage to more successfully compete for business.
The TPA Growth Summit welcomes TPA firm owners and senior leaders as well as sales and marketing employees working for those TPA firms. We encourage firm owners and their salespeople to attend the one-of-a-kind event together! Register to attend ASPPA Annual and select to attend the TPA Growth Summit (all registrations subject to approval; available to qualified attendees).
Monday, Oct. 24
10:00–10:50 a.m.
Vision “Statements”: Developing (and Redefining) Your Vision and Strategic Plan
Yogi Berra once famously said “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might wind up somewhere else.”
Identifying and redefining your vision and strategic plan gives you and your team something to aim for and a map of how to reach the preferred destination. We’ll cover how to create or redesign your plan – and once in place – how to communicate it and ensure your team both understands, embraces, and lives it.
Genelle Brakefield, QKA, TGPC, QPFC, Vice President, Ekon Benefits
Kirsten Curry, APM, J.D., CEO & Founder, Leading Retirement Solutions LLC
Available to qualified attendees
11:05–11:55 a.m.
Leader “Shifts”: How Leaders Create and Master a Service Oriented, Engaged Culture that Fosters Employee Growth and Improves Employee Retention
Recruiting and retaining talent are some of the biggest challenges that leaders and business owners face – particularly in the midst of what some have termed the “Great Resignation.” As a leader, how can you create a service oriented culture where team members never want to leave and feel lucky to work where they do? How do you create a culture that fosters service, employee engagement and growth, and leads to employee retention because employee turnover is not only costly to you as a leader, but it can have a huge impact on team morale, draining focus for training and spread thinner taking on additional work – AND, it can cost you clients! In this session, you’ll find out:
- What exactly does company culture mean – and what could it mean?
- How to create a service oriented, engaged culture?
- How to design a roadmap for creating or building on current company culture.
- Action items to take back to your team.
Shannon Edwards, QPA, QKC, QKA, ERPA, President, TriStar Pension Consulting
Natalie Wyatt, Senior Vice President, Head of Account Management, SS&C Technologies
Available to qualified attendees
1:30–2:45 p.m.
The Business Owners Roadmap: Seven Steps to a Business That Works (Part 1)
This EMyth session will present a way of thinking about your business, your life, and the relationship between the two that can forever change your business into one that not only truly works but gives you more life. EMyth a model for how to productively relate to the development of your business, your own growth as a leader and the results that you want your company to produce. The essence of this roadmap was originally created in 1977 when Michael Gerber founded the company. Since then, Michael’s ground-breaking ideas about building a small business that works have been incorporated into his series of EMyth books, including his bestselling, The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It, first published in 1986.
This keynote will set the stage and introduce EMyth’s Approach–the philosophy, core principles and a proprietary process–for developing a business that works.
Tricia Huebner, Coach Emeritus, www.emyth.com
Available to qualified attendees
3:00–3:50 p.m.
The Business Leaders Roadmap: E-Myth Hands on Peer-to-Peer Roundtable – Let’s Get to Work
During this roundtable follow-up workshop, we’ll drill down into the seven steps to:
- Discover ways to manage your time so you can go to work on your business, not just in it
- Ask the question: is your business giving you more life?
- Determine what you need to start/stop/continue doing to be an effective leader
- Assess your business operations and level of systemization
- Give you a template for creating a vision for your business, and your life, that inspires you
- Learn how to develop a high-performing team using a key EMyth management tool
Tricia Huebner, Coach Emeritus, www.emyth.com
Available to qualified attendees.
Roundtable groups will be assigned in advance and attendees be notified the week before the conference of their assigned roundtable group.
6:00–7:00 p.m.
TPA Growth Summit Reception
Sponsored by
Available to qualified attendees
Tuesday, Oct. 25
10:00–10:50 a.m.
Robot “Tics”: The Ins and Outs of Automation: How to Get Started, Areas to Use it, Pitfalls to Avoid
You may not be familiar with Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics, but it’s time to take the robot out of the human, courtesy of Automation or Robotic Process Automation (RPA) – a key component in digital transformation. It can help you boost productivity, reduce manual errors, and free your teams to focus on more fulfilling, high-value, strategic tasks, driving engagement, growth and profitability. Together, we’ll explore:
- What’s RPA
- Where to start
- How to get the buy-in
- Mistakes to avoid
- Lessons we’ve learned
Available to qualified attendees
11:05–11:55 a.m.
Growth “Spurts”: How to Manage Business Risk when Practices are Growing and Evolving
Growth and change often are accompanied by increased business risk(s), and whether your firm is growing organically or through acquisition, growth often requires new (or revised) processes, new collaborations, new employees, and obviously new clients. That calls to mind key considerations like:
- How do we get our sales teams to sell plans where we have the expertise?
- How do we know a plan is a problem before we are engaged? What happens when you acquire a practice and inherit problems?
- Is it possible to motivate team members to follow processes (and be willing to change processes) to keep up with changing demands?
- What processes are in place to ensure every engagement has an Engagement Service Agreement and no deadlines on the engagement are missed?
We’ll examine these issues (and more) through the prism of Case Studies to evaluate how business risk can be managed and mitigated as you scale your business to meet your changing situation.
Justin Bonestroo, MSEA, CPC, CPFA, QPA, QKA, Senior Vice President, CBIZ, Inc.
Amanda Iverson, CPA, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP, APM, Partner and COO, Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC
Kirsten Curry, J.D., APM, CEO & Founder, Leading Retirement Solutions LLC
Available to qualified attendees
1:30–2:45 p.m.
Driving Change: How to Motivate and Inspire Today’s Salespeople to Maximize Sales in Your Organization
Let me be the first to tell you this is NOT your traditional, boring, old-school sales presentation filled with regurgitated sales language, pushy tactics, ABC mentality, and antiquated sales techniques. It’s 2022, not 1992, and it’s time we learn how to teach salespeople how to sell effectively to our potential clients, with honesty, integrity, and humility.
My commitment to ASPPA is to deliver a memorable experience and engage your members with relevant content, fresh ideas, and tangible takeaways that will leave a lasting impact to inspire growth both personally and professionally.
One critical factor that determines how slow or fast we grow our companies revolves around sales. Most of us want to know how to increase sales and how quickly we can do it. A few questions need to be addressed if we want to know the answer to those two questions.
- Do you understand how your salespeople are motivated and how to motivate them?
- Do you use the right tools to evaluate yourselves and your salespeople’s ability to sell?
- Do you effectively inspire your team with a purpose-driven, selfless, client-first culture?
Guess what? You’ll have concrete answers to all three of these very pertinent questions, amongst many others, and you’ll walk away with strategic initiatives, real-world solutions to these challenges, and specific processes to implement in your businesses to get your sales where they need to be.
Success in sales today isn’t about using magic selling systems built 50 years ago, manipulative techniques, or “used car salesman” techniques. Leading the salespeople of today is essential to your bottom line and must be an area of focus in your business if you truly want to thrive in this marketplace.
Steve Heroux, CEO, Victory Selling, www.victoryselling.com
Available to qualified attendees
3:00–3:50 p.m.
Peer-to-Peer Roundtable: Looking to the Future and Driving Change
Steve Heroux, CEO of Victory Selling will follow-up his prior keynote and lead this peer-to-peer roundtable discussion where each roundtable will take what was learned in his previous session (driving change with new and different sales strategies) and determine how to apply these tactics to your firm.
Available to qualified attendees.
Roundtable groups will be assigned in advance and attendees be notified the week before the conference of their assigned roundtable group.
Wednesday, Oct. 26
8:30–9:20 a.m.
Recalibrate, Rewire and Reboot Your Brand (Part 1)
Each year you dive into your business. You look at topline and bottom-line numbers; evaluate what worked and what didn’t; discuss future goals and plans; and likely discuss marketing. Unfortunately, it’s very possible that your brand gets short shrift, unattended and dusty from years of neglect. At this point in the conference, you’ll have spent some time thinking about your business and drivers of success. This session? It’s all about how everything you’ve learned is absolutely related to how you show up in the world—your brand. What drives your brand’s success? What does it mean to recalibrate, rewire and reboot your brand? More importantly, how do you navigate this process without it costing more than 25 percent of your net profit? This is a two-part workshop. The concepts and considerations will be presented during the Part I. Deep industry research will be offered to support the case for retooling your brand and go-to-market strategy. In Part II, you’ll apply what you’ve learned through a step-by-step, practical workshop with a series of one-on-one hot seats with Sheri Fitts, a 30-year financial services sales and marketing veteran.
Sheri Fitts, Speaker, Consultant, Creator, Sheri Fitts & CO., www.sherifitts.com
Available to qualified attendees
9:35–10:25 a.m.
Recalibrate, Rewire and Reboot Your Brand (Part 2)
This is a two-part workshop. The concepts and considerations were presented during the Part 1. Deep industry research will be offered to support the case for retooling your brand and go-to-market strategy. In Part 2, you’ll apply what you’ve learned through a step-by-step, practical workshop with a series of one-on-one hot seats with Sheri Fitts, a 30-year financial services sales and marketing veteran.
Sheri Fitts, Speaker, Consultant, Creator, Sheri Fitts & CO., www.sherifitts.com
Available to qualified attendees