It's Conference Season!
As we go to press, we are gearing up for PLANSPONSOR’s flagship industry conference, Plan Designs: DC Designs for Changing Times, scheduled for June 18 through 20 in Chicago at the Fairmont Hotel.
Plan Designs was launched in 2006 as a first-of-its-kind collaboration of plan sponsors, retirement plan advisers, and providers focused on understanding and applying the most innovative plan design solutions available. It is still one of the only events that allows—and encourages—advisers to mix with both sides of your business: the client and the vendor.
This, the third year of the conference, looks to be its most successful yet. With an expanded agenda, featuring three tracks of workshops, and plenty of time to connect with other plan sponsor and adviser attendees and vendors, you will not want to miss it. The agenda includes topics such as: what the 2008 election means for your benefit plans, best practices for plan fiduciaries, what to do about revenue-sharing and fee disclosures, and how to figure out if plan fees and services are “reasonable.”
It is not too late to register and join us! The conference Web site provides all the information you need: www.plansponsor.com/pd08/index.html.
2008 PLANADVISER National Conference
PLANADVISER’s National Conference for advisers will be held September 15 through 17 in Orlando, Florida, at the Ritz Carlton.
Last year, more than 350 senior retirement plan advisers and providers came together for the first PLANADVISER National Conference. Attendees gathered for three days discussing all the hot topics (and acronyms) from the retirement plan world: the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Pension Protection Act (PPA), qualified default investment alternatives (QDIAs), as well as the latest news from broker/dealers and plan providers.
The aim of the PLANADVISER National Conference was to have every attendee walk away with a handful of practice management, sales, or service ideas—and nearly all told us they did. Ideas included, among others, using “fee disclosure and client accomplishments as a part of client reviews,” “marrying client data (performance/participation rates) with benchmarking studies to demonstrate the value advisers provide,” and a better understanding of the use of ERISA budgets in retirement plans.
Check out the conference Web site for an agenda and registration information at: www.planadviser.com/panc08.
If you would like to be considered for a speaking role at the 2008 PLANADVISER National Conference, let me know at acooke@plansponsor.com. We would be pleased to incorporate some new names and faces onto our panels, and would be happy to consider you if you are so inclined.
Survey Says
Also in June, we will be sending out electronic surveys to ask your opinions about defined contribution plan providers and investment managers. This year, we are combining those surveys into one large survey and will be releasing the results in various issues of the magazine and at the PLANADVISER National Conference in September. I hope that you will take part in the survey and help us better understand your relationships to both groups in the retirement plan industry. Be on the lookout for the e-mail in the next few weeks, if you haven’t received it already.