Articles

Authored by, contributed to, or recommended by members of the Advanced Strategies Group

A Paradigm Shift in Constructing 401(k) Menus

Even before the COVID 19 crisis, 401(k) menu construction best practices were ripe for a paradigm shift. Now, the realizations derived from our collective pandemic experience make evolution not only inevitable but critical.
As an industry, we must bring forth technological innovation, new investment management strategies and service models that mitigate the financial anxiety and shaken confidence of the many 401(k) participants, especially the cohort over age 50. This article explores how evolved 401(k) menu construction can be the foundation upon which to help restore optimism around a secure retirement still being a viable reality.

The Possibilities, Pitfalls, and Potential of Managed Accounts within 401(k) Plans

The integration of goals-based planning driven by the tenants of behavioral finance, expanded asset class
utilization, and sophisticated dynamic allocation algorithms within 401(k) Managed Accounts may well be the future of advice for those over age 50 with defined future income needs and/or larger account balances.

Using Annuities to Address the Planning Challenges of Retirement Longevity

As published in the Journal of Pension Benefits Summer 2021 By Jeffery A. Acheson Jeffery A. Acheson, CPWA®, CFP®, CPFA, AIF®, CEPA®, has 40+ years in the financial services and retirement plan industries, creating a value proposition that is an exceptional and diversified integration of credentialed education, experience-based knowledge, and industry leadership. His fiduciary based… Continue reading Using Annuities to Address the Planning Challenges of Retirement Longevity

The Current Positioning, Inherent Trapdoors and Untapped Potential of 401(k) Self-Directed Brokerage Accounts

SDBAs have been panned, extolled, dismissed, and even regulatorily feared by different voices with varying
perspectives from within the retirement plan industry. Some even consider them simply a necessary evil, while
others see them as having untapped potential which is a perspective this column will explore.

The US Supreme Court Ups the Ante for Retirement Plan Fiduciaries

By Jeffery A. Acheson  Jeffery A. Acheson, CPWA®, CFP®, CPFATM, AIF®, CEPA® has 40+ years in the financial services and retirement plan industries, creating a value proposition that is an exceptional and diversified integration of credentialed education, experience-based knowledge and industry leadership. His fiduciary based business model focuses on enhancing his ability to be a… Continue reading The US Supreme Court Ups the Ante for Retirement Plan Fiduciaries