Professionals from all areas of the retirement industry, including those involved in the product development, marketing, and distribution of individual annuity and retirement income products, and defined contribution and defined benefit retirement plans.
Highlights
This important conference covers the latest strategic, sales, product, operations and administration, marketing and distribution trends as well as regulatory issues that impact the retirement industry.
This year’s conference will explore today’s new retirement reality and the dramatic changes taking place in our industry. Conference partners, the LIMRA LOMA Secure Retirement Institute and the Society of Actuaries deliver highly relevant and present-day focused content.
Attendees can expect to hear updates on the latest industry innovations, issues and emerging opportunities.
Topics include:
DOL's Fiduciary Proposal -- Implications for Employer Plans and Retail Product Design
Retail Retirement Business versus Institutional Retirement Business -- Distribution Trends
IRA Rollover -- Projections and Current Trajectory
Pending tax reform -- Understanding the Political Landscape
Retirement Income -- Moving from Saving to Spending
Robo advice – Investing to Financial Planning
And much more…..
The Retirement Industry Conference is among the premier events in the industry. Come, participate, and network with your peers.
Betsy Hubbard helps leaders in Fortune 100 firms and healthcare organizations get up to speed in a digital age. She and her colleague, Debra Jasper, have provided training and consulting to more than 25,000 people and delivered keynote talks around the world. Before starting Mindset Digital, Betsy worked in higher education, transforming the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism into the first social media fellowship for journalists and teaching graduate courses on digital media. She has also worked in philanthropy as a grant maker, overseeing projects at The Pew Charitable Trusts, and as a consultant, conducted research on leadership and organizational performance for a range of clients, including the Brookings Institution. Betsy has degrees in political science and public policy, with a year spent abroad at the London School of Economics.
International speaker Debra Jasper, Ph.D. has delivered keynotes and master classes in more than a dozen countries around the world, from Ukraine to Dubai.
She serves as a Faculty Fellow at The Ohio State University, where she teaches graduate courses in managing in a hybrid world. Recently named one of the top 12 Winning Women entrepreneurs in North America by Ernst & Young, Debra has been intensely focused for more than a decade on how to engage clients and colleagues virtually.
Today, thousands of professionals, from small businesses to Fortune 100 firms, are enrolled in her firm’s gamified, high-performance online coaching programs that drive new habits—and measurable results.
James Jorden represents many of the country’s largest financial institutions in securities, corporate, and pension litigation. He is experienced in national class action litigation, having served as lead or associate counsel in over 100 securities, insurance, ERISA, RICO, and other class actions. He has also been lead trial counsel in more than 50 individual cases. Jorden has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, eight of the U.S. circuit courts, and numerous state courts of appeal. He chairs the Carlton Fields Jorden Burt life insurance industry group, is also a fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America, a peer-selected honorary society of American trial lawyers.
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.: General Session (1.0 EA Non-Core Credit Hour)
David Laibson
Robert I. Goldman Professor of Economics and
Chairman of the Department of Economics
, Harvard University
David Laibson leads Harvard University’s Foundations of Human Behavior Initiative. His research focuses on the topic of behavioral economics, with emphasis on household finance, macroeconomics, aging, and intertemporal choice. Laibson is also a member of the National Bureau of Economic Research, where he co-directs the National Institute of Aging Roybal Center for Behavior Change in Health and Savings, and is a Research Associate in the Aging, Asset Pricing, and Economic Fluctuations Working Groups. He is a recipient of the TIAA-CREF Paul A. Samuelson Award for Outstanding Scholarly Writing on Lifelong Financial Security.
Senior Executive Director, Head of U.S. Life and Retirement, AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company
Nick Lane oversees all aspects of manufacturing and distribution for AXA Equitable’s Life and Annuity businesses, responsible for Financial Protection (Life), Wealth Management (AXA Advisors), Employer Sponsored, Employee Benefits and Individual Annuity. He also leads the AXA Equitable Funds Management Group, LLC, an approximately $82 billion sub-advised fund complex that supports AXA Equitable’s variable life and annuity insurance products. In addition to serving on the company’s Executive Committee, Lane is Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of AXA Distributors, LLC, the wholesale distribution arm of AXA Equitable. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of AXA Advisors LLC, AXA Equitable’s retail broker-dealer.
Senior Vice President, Private Client Group Investment Products and Wealth Management Division, Raymond James
Scott Stolz oversees the Insurance and Annuity Division, the Alternative Investment Group, Structured Products, Mutual Fund Research & Marketing, Options, Financial and Retirement Planning and Portfolio Solutions. He and his management teams are responsible for providing sales, marketing and administrative support to Raymond James’ 6000+ financial advisors for each of the product areas. Prior to joining Raymond James in 2005, Stolz spent 9 years as Jackson National Life’s Senior Vice President of Administration. He has been a frequent speaker over the years on many topics affecting the annuity industry and customer service.
Bill Taylor is an agenda-setting writer and entrepreneur who has shaped the global conversation about the best ways to compete, innovate and succeed. His most recent book, Practically Radical: Not-So-Crazy Ways to Transform Your Company, Shake Up Your Industry, and Challenge Yourself, is based on in-depth access to 25 organizations that are making deep-seated changes under the most trying circumstances imaginable. These organizations are mastering a set of strategies and practices that every leader can learn. Taylor first made his name as co-founder and founding editor of Fast Company. Today, he chronicles his research, insights and lessons in a popular blog for the Harvard Business Review.
CONOR MCGUINNESS, J.D., Director of Policy and Compliance, Nyhart Actuary and Employee Benefits HOWARD SCHNEIDER, President, Practical Perspectives
There is a perception that robo advisors in the financial services
industry are more commonly employed in portfolio management
for asset accumulation. While Schneider will provide an overview
of robo advisors in the financial services industry, McGuiness will
provide insight on the application of robo advisory methods to the
“decumulation” side of the retirement planning equation applying
an actuarial approach to help guide near retirees, retirees and
their advisors to a holistic retirement strategy.
If your organization is considering a robo advisor strategy, is the
future now?
ANDREW PETERSON, FSA, EA, MAAA, FCA, Senior Staff
Fellow, Retirement Systems, Society of Actuaries LARRY
WALTERS, ASA, Founder and Owner, Diversified Growth
Solutions, LLC
Historically, traditional defined benefit (DB) plans often included provisions so that employees continued to earn pension credit during periods of long term disability. Over time, defined contribution (DC) plans have become the primary retirement plan for many employers. However, in that transition, the connection of disability protection linked to the pension benefits was often forgotten. Today there is usually no disability protection linked to DC retirement plans. The impact is that retirement security is derailed. This session will evaluate opportunities to fix this gap and will provide an overview of disability coverage-related issues.
VINCENT L. BODNAR, ASA, MAAA, Chief Actuary, LTCG RONALD R. HAGELMAN JR., CLTC, CSA, LTCP, President,
Broadwater Insurance Solutions, Inc. STEFNE LYNCH,
Director of Key Accounts, MassMutual
The cost of health care, particularly long-term care, is the biggest fear of people that are approaching and planning for retirement. Yet, few people adequately plan for or protect against this risk. This session will explore some of the root causes for this disconnect, which range from consumer attitudes, lack of attractive financial product designs, risk selection, and distribution challenges. The session will also present new product concepts that have emerged as the industry has made strides to innovate in this space over the last few years, and what will need to happen with distribution to bring such products to consumers.
DEBRA JASPER, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer,
Mindset Digital BETSY HUBBARD, Founder, Chief Operating
Officer and President, Mindset Digital
Before we meet with anyone these days, from a potential new hire to a new colleague, most of us check them out on LinkedIn. So what does your profile say about you? To be a leader in a digital world, you’ve got to be a digitally savvy leader. And looking your best on LinkedIn is a critical part of your digital footprint. That’s why now is the time to rethink how you’re leveraging one of the world’s most powerful professional platforms. Business leaders with fully optimized LinkedIn profiles have 40 times more opportunities. In this fast-paced session, Dr. Debra Jasper and Betsy Hubbard, founders of Mindset Digital, will demonstrate how to use LinkedIn to expand your network and enhance your professional brand, write an effective summary, and share content that keeps you top of mind.
This breakfast and interactive session will focus on current
retirement topics impacting the Canadian market and is open
to all attendees interested in Canadian-specific issues.
(Pre-registration is required for this breakfast.)
In business today, change is the name of the game. Leaders everywhere are engaging in a dramatic rethink of how they compete, work, and get results. But how do you break new ground when there is so much pressure to avoid mistakes? How do you keep people confident about the future in a world that seems more uncertain than ever? In short, how do you unleash long-lasting, positive change in tough, fast-moving times? Those are some of the urgent questions addressed in this inspiring and energizing talk.
Senior Vice President, Private Client Group Investment Products and Wealth Management Division, Raymond James
The New DOL Fiduciary Rule has arrived. Now what? LIMRA & LOMA CEO Bob Kerzner will lead a panel of industry executives charged with transforming marketing and distribution models at their organizations to adapt to what is likely one of the greatest business disrupters our industry has faced. How will retirement plan providers respond? What impact will this have on the retail market? Listen to top industry leaders discuss the challenges they see and strategies they are putting in place to conform to this new reality.
TODD GIESING, Assistant Research Director, LIMRA Secure
Retirement Institute JOSEPH MONTMINY, ASA, MAAA,
Assistant Vice President, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute
At a time of unprecedented need for individual investment and longevity risk management, the retail annuity landscape is facing pressure on multiple fronts. This is affecting product mix and manufacturer standings. In this session, LIMRA’s top annuity experts will share their views on what is driving these changes and where they see the industry’s future.
E. THOMAS JOHNSON, JR., Head of Business Development, Retirement Clearinghouse SPENCER WILLIAMS, President and CEO,
Retirement Clearinghouse Moderator: MATTHEW
DRINKWATER, Ph.D., FLMI, AFSI, PCS, Assistant Vice
President, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute
Have you ever wondered why so few participants move their old 401(k)s into their current employers’ plans? Or why so many participants prematurely cash out their retirement savings accounts, regardless of taxes and penalties? Or why job-changing participants leave their savings behind only to lose track of them — as if their assets for retirement belong on some remote desert island away from all their other savings? This session will address the question of why the need for new portability solutions is so urgent.
MARIA FERRANTE-SCHEPIS, CLU, FLMI, Managing
Principal, Maddock Douglas SCOTT KALLENBACH, FLMI,
Research Director, Strategic Research, LIMRA
LIMRA’s Secure Retirement Institute and Maddock Douglas will unveil their latest consumer research insights, which examine and redefine “retirement.” What messages about retirement is our industry getting across to consumers? And how is that different from the way the middle class believes retirement (and the path towards it) will look and feel in the future? We will explore the threats that consumers worry might knock them off track from having a fulfilling lifestyle; and identify opportunity areas where financial services companies can better meet consumer needs. The session is designed for leaders seeking inspiration and ideas for innovation.
MATHEW H. GREENWALD, President, Mathew Greenwald
& Associates, Inc. ANDREW PETERSON, FSA, EA, MAAA,
FCA, Senior Staff Fellow, Retirement Systems, Society of
Actuaries
Learn how retirees view and manage post-retirement risks. This survey is the eighth in a biennial series that assesses retired and near retired persons’ attitudes towards post-retirement risk. Topics include the impact of shocks, the stages of retirement, and maintaining assets. In addition, a separate but related focus group research study explored the experiences of people who have been retired 15 to 25 years to learn what major changes and issues have confronted them along the way, and how they have adapted.
SIMPA BAIYE, CFA, FSA, MAAA, Director,
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP STEVEN MCDONNELL,
President, Soleares Research SHERYL J. MOORE, ACS,
AIRC, AIAA, FLMI, President and CEO, Moore Market
Intelligence
The individual annuity product landscape continues to evolve in response to the financial crisis of 2008. The steady march towards lower-risk offerings in variable annuity guarantees, the proliferation of managed-volatility indexing in fixed indexed annuities, and the competing customer-value proposition in withdrawal guarantees across variable and non-variable annuities are but a couple of trends that have recently shaped the annuity product space. Our panel of product experts will discuss these trends and their ultimate impact on your company and clients.
GARY BAKER, President, CANNEX USA JUDY ZAIKEN,
CLU, ChFC, Corporate Vice President and Managing
Director, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute
As far as “basic products” go, the use and design of Income Annuities continues to evolve. A recent joint study by CANNEX and LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute examines the demographics and features selected for various SPIA & DIA products over the last three years — from how they are presented and illustrated all the way through the sales pipeline to the final purchase. Learn more about who has been buying these products and how they intend to use them — including Keith.
RONALD BUSH, Principal, Brightwork Partners SRINIVAS REDDY, Senior Vice President, Investments, Prudential Retirement KENNETH VERZELLA, Vice President, Product Management, MassMutual Moderator: DEB DUPONT, Associate
Managing Director, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute
What will the DC industry look like in the future? If consolidation is likely to continue, will there be a place for niche players who serve very targeted market segments, or who offer very specialized services? What is the role of state and federal initiatives in addressing the issue of “coverage” among private sector workers? Industry leaders discuss these key issues in our dramatically evolving industry.
SARAH KONRAD HINCHEY, FSA, CERA, Predictive Analytics Strategist, Milliman
Predictive models are being developed to better target clients, qualify leads, assign leads to advisors, and determine the next best offer to make a client for cross-sell or up-sell. This session will provide an overview to different predictive modeling applications in marketing and distribution. It will cover topics such as customer segmentation, customer lifetime value, propensity to buy, propensity to lapse, etc. The session is intended to serve as an introduction to predictive analytics in the retirement industry and will appeal to individuals of varying backgrounds.
PETER D. GEISMAR, President, Confident Choice RON LOMBARDI, Director and Head of Annuity Marketing,
New York Life Moderator: MICHAEL ERICSON, Research Analyst, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute
When it comes to retirement planning, getting consumers to take action is hard. Uncertainty, doubt, and complexity are all obstacles to engagement. In this session, New York Life and Confident Choice LLC present a simplified process designed to motivate consumers to take action at the first stage of a sales discussion, one that combines data analytics and behavioral psychology to help them identify their needs and priorities. A key benefit is that this approach seamlessly helps both the distributor and the consumer prioritize their needs in simple, actionable terms. The result is an increased likelihood of a client sale — one that is demonstrably aligned with the consumer’s priorities.
Traditional methods of setting assumptions for annuity policyholder behavior are generally simple and based on a mix of intuition and examination of similar historical patterns. With assumptions based on predictive models, additional insight into the drivers of policyholder behavior can be uncovered, but there is a potential for overreliance on these results. Come hear about how predictive models have been applied to annuity lapse assumptions and what to look out for when using these tools.
PETER MCNALLY, Senior Consultant, Bentley University User
Experience Center Moderator:SHARRON ZHU, Research Analyst, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute
Companies and consumers expect the Internet to be the main touch point for all aspects of retirement planning such as research, plan enrollment, changing investments, and withdrawing funds. However, more often than not consumers struggle online because the digital retirement experience does not provide what is truly needed. This session will outline areas to focus on and what key pitfalls to avoid when designing digital retirement experiences. These insights are gathered from the User Experience Center’s many years working with clients in the retirement plan industry.
THOMAS BENTON, Vice President, Research and Development, Novarica
With the proliferation of digital transformation in financial services and the shift to a paperless environment, the opportunity should exist for annuity new business operations to become more efficient and effective to shorten the time to issue and annuity. Attendees in this session will gain a clearer understanding of the digital transformation opportunities in annuity operations and separate the facts from the fiction.
The challenge today is no longer getting
your message out. There are more options than ever:
Vine, Instagram, Periscope — the list goes on. The real
challenge for today’s leaders is getting your message
in — getting your hyper-distracted colleagues, clients,
and even your own employees to take time to engage
with you. So what works? In a time of short attention
spans and big expectations, this high-impact, highenergy
session led by Dr. Debra Jasper and Betsy
Hubbard, founders of Mindset Digital, explores what it
takes to lead in a digital age, including how to:
Leverage the latest visual storytelling techniques
Tap into the world’s most powerful channels to
recruit, connect, and share expertise
Robert I. Goldman Professor of Economics and
Chairman of the Department of Economics
, Harvard University
U.S. households are leaking 40 percent of the dollars that they save in 401(k) accounts. Some analysts say that the solution to this problem is to crack down on leakage. David Laibson explains why leakage may not be a problem after all. If households have trouble saving for a rainy day and 401(k)’s are the new rainy day fund (and the retirement savings account), households need to save more in the first place. The 401(k)/IRA system can have both high levels of leakage and high balances if contributions are increased. In this presentation, we’ll examine how to address these issues with higher default contributions and more aggressive use of auto-escalation.
ANN FARLEY, Assistant Vice President, Innovation
Management, Pacific Life Insurance Company JENNIFER
HEALY , FSA, MAAA, Vice President and Actuary, Product
Expansion Opportunities, MassMutual
Are you looking for new approaches to help you and your teams
with everything from problem solving to strategy development?
This interactive session provides an opportunity to explore
innovation tools.
Understand Design Thinking principles and how you can
use them
Use divergent and convergent thinking to unlock opportunities
Get to the so what? Translating information into strategic ideas
and concrete actions
MICHAEL EWALD, FSA, CFA, CERA, Director and Assistant
Actuary, Hartford Financial Services Group QIAO WANG,
Assistant Vice President, The Hartford Moderator: JOSH
DOBIAC, Consultant, Milliman
This session will discuss the ways predictive modeling is used in actuaries’ daily work and real insurance business. Instead of a general introduction, this session will focus on the real life examples of how predictive modeling can be applied to solve the problems in business. It will touch upon data source and data clean, modeling specification and procedure, model implementation and other considerations.
ANGELA DICASTRI, Director, Retirement Market,
Northwestern Mutual STIG NYBO, Retirement Industry
Strategist and Principal, Nybo Group Moderator: DONNA
MACFARLAND, CEO, Accelerate Strategies, LLC
The opportunity for DC record-keepers to educate America is profound and many do promote “financial literacy.” What’s at stake and what is the industry doing about it? What are the best practices and tactics that seem to be working? What is the role of the financial services industry and is there a larger, social discussion about the need for financially-literate consumers?
MATTHEW KENIGSBERG, CFA, Vice President, Financial
Solutions, Fidelity Investments CHRIS MOEDER, CFA, CFP,
CAIA, Team Leader, AART Portfolio Research, Fidelity
Investments Moderator:JAFOR IQBAL, Assistant Vice President, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute
This session will feature an overview of Fidelity research to allow
attendees to gain a better understanding of the challenges and
solutions to better understand optimal retirement income solutions.
Solutions to be addressed for consideration include but are not
limited to:
Efficiency of annuities and hedging longevity risk versus
‘self-insuring’
Identifying the uncertainty — cash flows or investment horizon
Balancing what a client says versus what a client does
(wants to do)
Putting kale in the smoothie: finding a way to make
annuities palatable
R. DALE HALL, FSA, MAAA, CERA, CFA, Managing Director
of Research, Society of Actuaries ANDREW PETERSON,
FSA, EA, MAAA, FCA, Senior Staff Fellow, Retirement
Systems, Society of Actuaries
There is much in the news about changing longevity trends, from glowing reports about continued increases in longevity to other reports citing declines in longevity for particular demographic groups. Changes in longevity have a particularly significant impact on the retirement industry. This session will provide an overview of some of the recent trends and studies, highlight recent Society of Actuaries research in this area, discuss implications for the retirement industry and demonstrate a simple tool that can be used for helping individuals to better understand their own longevity risk.
LAUREN FINNIE, Associate Analyst, International Research,
LIMRA CECILIA SHINER, FFSI, ALMI, ACS, Assistant
Research Director, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute
Despite vast geographical, cultural, and economic differences, both China and the United States are facing many of the same challenges related to retirement — from longer lifespans to underfunded pension systems. So how do Chinese attitudes toward retirement compare to those of Americans? Based on recent LIMRA consumer research on China and the United States, this session examines the similarities and differences between these very different countries. Find out how an international perspective can improve your company’s marketing strategies.
DONNA MEGREGIAN, FSA, MAAA, Vice President and
Actuary, RGA ELAINE TUMICKI, CLU, ChFC, LLIF, Corporate
Vice President, Insurance Research – Product, LIMRA
Ever wonder what improvements could be made to your product development process? Think your time to market is best in class? Come hear results and thoughts generated from the SOA recent research on benchmarking the product development process. Diving deeper into annuity products and some life insurance used for retirement purposes, come look under the hood and determine for yourself if your process is well-oiled or in need of a tune up.
11:45 a.m.
Conference Adjourns
Registration
Registration Fees
Early Registration Rates (Register by April 6, 2016): LIMRA, LOMA, and SOA Members: $1,195 Non-member: $1,695
Standard Rates (After April 6, 2016): LIMRA, LOMA, and SOA Members: $1,395 Non-member $1,895
Group Discount
If five (5) or more individual employees from the same member company register for this conference, each individual registrant may take advantage of a group registration discount of $100. This discount applies only to people registering at the full conference rate. See the online registration form for complete details.
Cancellation Policy
All cancellations and refund requests must be received in writing. These requests carry a $100.00 U.S. administrative charge. Full refunds minus the administrative fee will be granted on written requests received no later than ten business days before the meeting. No refunds will be granted if the request is received within ten business days of the meeting. If for any reason a meeting is cancelled, the Conference Organizers will refund the total registration fee. However, the Conference Organizers will not be responsible for any travel, hotel accommodations or other costs incurred. Cancellation requests should be submitted to meetings@loma.org.
Hotel / Venue
The Westin Copley Place 10 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02116
The Westin Copley Place is now sold out.
Please call A Room With A View for information on the official designated Retirement Industry Conference overflow hotel. They will secure the lowest available rates at the best available hotels within a short distance & easy access to The Westin Hotel.
Should cancellations occur at The Westin Copley Place Hotel, A Room With A View will contact attendees to transfer them back to The Westin Copley Place Hotel in the order in which they were booked.
A Room With A View can be contacted at 1-800-780-4343 Monday to Friday: 8am – 5pm CST International attendees can reach them at reservations@aroomwithaview.net
This is a Free Service for all Retirement Industry Conference attendees.
Become a Sponsor or Exhibitor
Connect with Key Prospects
This conference is your opportunity to meet and network with professionals from all areas of the retirement industry, including those involved in the product development, marketing, and distribution of individual annuity and retirement income products, and defined contribution and defined benefit retirement plans.
Sponsorship Opportunities - Raise your level of branding with this audience by securing a Sponsorship. Options include:
Multiple conference registrations, which include full access to attendees at breaks and meals
Special recognition in the registration brochure, onsite conference program, onsite signs, and general session walk-in slides
Acknowledgement from the podium
Your company's marketing piece in attendee packets
Specialty conference merchandise that will deliver your company name to all attendees
To create your Sponsorship package, contact:Barbara Kimball at 860-298-3950 / bkimball@limra.com
EXHIBIT PACKAGE $4,500 - includes:
Exhibit Space with one electrical outlet. (No piped and draped booths, 6-foot skirted table, maximum width of space 8 feet)
Two full-conference registrations
Limit of one additional attendee, at the member registration rate, per Single Exhibit space (Additional attendees at member rate of $1,195 each, by March 4, 2016 or $1,395 after that date).
One-time use mailing list (Your choice: three weeks prior to or three weeks following the event)
Listing in the Conference Brochure (payment must be received by November 30, 2014 to be included)
Listing on the conference organizers websites
Listing in the On-site Program; contract and payment MUST be received by March 13, 2015
EXHIBIT REGISTRATION FEE:
After February 4, 2016 – Exhibit Space $5,000
Organizations exhibiting at the Retirement Industry Conference may also exhibit at The Life Insurance Conference being held April 4-6 at The Bellagio, in Las Vegas and receive a discount of $500 off each event.
