Behavioral Finance Meets 401(k): What the Data Says About Defaults
401(k) Roundtable
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...
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Rethinking Retirement: Is the Crisis as Bad as We Think?
401(k) Roundtable
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...
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Engage, Educate, Evolve: Building Better 401(k) Plans for Today’s Workforce
401(k) Roundtable
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...
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Predicting Market Pricing Perfection: Pain or Performance?
401(k) Roundtable
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...
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The Future of Private Equity: Growth, Innovation & Investor Access
401(k) Roundtable
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.
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Inside Q1 2025: Market Moves, Global Shifts, and Retirement Impacts
401(k) Roundtable
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...
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Fiduciary Duty Meets Stewardship: Aligning Compliance with Care
401(k) Roundtable
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...
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Modern Plan Design: Navigating 2025’s Testing Challenges
401(k) Roundtable
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...
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What’s Driving the Market in 2025? Key Insights on Equities, Interest Rates, and What’s Next
401(k) Roundtable
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...
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The Evolution of Financial Wellness: Why It Matters in the Workplace
401(k) Roundtable
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...
info_outlineThis week, we have my promised update from the defense bar perspective on the many happenings in the world of retirement plans. Joining me is repeat guest David Levine, Principal and Co-Chair of the Plan Sponsor Practice at Groom Law group. We start out with some headline grabbing topics like crypto currency in retirement plans, then we delve into cyber security and data privacy followed but some thoughts on the current and future state of retirement plan litigation. David also shares his perspective on a few suggestions I have heard from plaintiff’s attorneys and he plays word police on me in a few of my questions or statements. Good stuff and I hope you enjoy!
Guest Bio
David Levine is co-chair of the firm’s employer-focused practice. He advises plan sponsors, advisors, and other service providers on a wide range of employee benefits matters, from retirement and executive compensation to health and welfare plan matters.David advises on the design and redesign of complex retirement, executive, and health and welfare plans; ongoing, day-to-day counseling of plan sponsors; in-depth compliance reviews of corporate and governmental benefit programs; alternative products and assets, including venture capital, private equity, and cryptocurrency, for IRA, HSAs, and 401(k) plan service providers; products and compliance for retirement and health service providers, and representation of tax-exempt organizations with respect to issues involving corporate governance, executive compensation, and unrelated business income tax liability.
David was previously the Chair of the IRS Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities (2011-2013) and is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association and serves in a number of leadership roles in the American Bar Association Tax Section’s Employee Benefits Committee. David regularly speaks on plan design, fiduciary governance, and legislative issues and contributes a recurring column to NAPA Net — The Magazine. He is recognized in the Chambers USA guide for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation.
401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview
Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over 225 prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!