Note Worthy

This year, PLANADVISER and PLANSPONSOR continue to deliver a full calendar of events designed to help you stay competitive in this ever-changing marketplace.

Asset Allocation Solutions

In just a couple of weeks, on March 3 and 4 in Sarasota, Florida, PLANADVISER and PLANSPONSOR will be hosting the first of two conferences this year dedicated solely to the world of asset allocated funds in the defined contribution world. Our agenda runs the gamut of issues regarding asset allocation solutions, target- and risk-based offerings, and managed accounts. We will be dealing with some of the regulatory issues—including qualified default investment alternatives (QDIAs)—as well as issues like benchmarking, glide paths, and the trade-offs between open architecture and proprietary platforms.

The conference will be a platform for a timely and informative discussion of the issues that every adviser and plan sponsor should consider when selecting such funds for a plan’s investment lineup, as well as information about interpreting the final QDIA regulation.

If you still have time in your schedule to attend, you can view the agenda and register online for the Future of Asset Allocated Funds Conference—East Coast at www.planadviser.com/faaf09east/. If you are unable to make the conference in Florida, don’t despair, because we will be offering a West Coast version on October 22 and 23 in Marina Del Rey, California.

Awards Dinner

The PLANSPONSOR/PLANADVISER Annual Awards for Excellence event is scheduled for April 2 in New York City. We will be announcing the winner of the PLANSPONSOR Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year and Retirement Plan Adviser Team of the Year, as well as recognizing award finalists and those who appeared in our listing of most successful advisers. Also honored that night will be PLANSPONSOR’s Plan Sponsors of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award winners, and the winners of the PLANSPONSOR Alties Awards for excellence in alternative investing.

The Year of the 403(b)

Many 403(b) plans are undergoing significant changes as they come into compliance with the rules from the Internal Revenue Service. K-12 school districts, hospitals, universities, and nonprofits are strengthening their efforts to transform 403(b)s into plans that can serve as more than just supplemental savings vehicles. If you work in the 403(b) space—or are planning to—join us April 14 through 16 for PLANSPONSOR’s 403(b) Summit (open to advisers) at the Ritz Carlton, Grande Lakes, in Orlando, Florida. This conference will provide you with detailed discussions of current trends, as well as a road map to upcoming developments. The conference Web site provides all the information you need: www.planadviser.com/403bsummit09/.

Mark Your Calendars

We are still in the process of developing a new conference for this year, specifically for advisers, tentatively called the Recordkeeper and Investment Management Due Diligence Conference. This new event, which will be held in May in Las Vegas, is intended to save advisers time and money by bringing together the best recordkeepers and investment management providers in one venue to present what differentiates them from their competition. Stay tuned for more information.

PLANSPONSOR’s flagship conference, Plan Designs, for plan sponsors, advisers, and providers, is scheduled for June 3 through 5 in Chicago. PLANADVISER’s National Conference, for advisers only, will be held September 23 through 25 in Orlando, Florida.

For those of you who work with more than 401(k)s, the fourth quarter of 2009 holds two interesting conferences. In November, PLANSPONSOR and PLANADVISER again will host the Rollover Solutions Conference at the Ritz Carlton, Battery Park, in New York City, and PLANSPONSOR’s annual DB Summit also will be held that month in a location still to be determined.

Advisers are invited to join us at all our 2009 events. Contact Carol Popkins at cpopkins@plansponsor.com for information. We hope to see you there!