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. Conference partners, the LIMRA LOMA Secure Retirement Institute and the Society of Actuaries deliver highly relevant and present-day focused content. The Retirement Industry Conference is among the premier events in the industry. Come, participate, and network with your peers.
An expert on political affairs, Andrew Friedman is known for predicting the outcomes of Washington tax and fiscal deliberations and providing financial advisors and investors with strategies to consider in light of the changing political landscape. He was a senior partner with the law firm of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., where he practiced for almost thirty years, serving as head of the tax and corporate groups. Friedman also served as tax counsel to several professional sports leagues. He appears on CNBC, which refers to him as “Wall Street’s Tax Expert,” and also has been quoted extensively in publications ranging from The Wall Street Journal to USA Today.
Matt Thornhill is considered to be the nation’s authority on generational dynamics. Some 14 years ago, he partnered with SIR Research to launch the Boomer Project, and recently morphed it into GenerationsMatter. His firm provides insights and consulting services to help organizations better understand generational dynamics in the workplace and marketplace. Thornhill has delivered generational insights to organizations like Walmart, Google, and the Social Security Administration. His opinions and insights are sought by media around the world, including NBC, CBS, CNBC,BusinessWeek, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.
Dean and Chief Academic Officer, The American College of Financial Services
Michael Finke, Ph.D. is a Professor of wealth management and Frank M. Engle Distinguished Chair in Economic Security at The American College of Financial Services. He leads the O. Alfred Granum Center for Financial Security at the American College, is a Research Fellow at the Retirement Income Institute, and serves as a Trustee on the Pension Reserve Trust of Puerto Rico. He was named one of the 25 most influential people in the field of investment advising in 2020 and 2021 by Investment Advisor Magazine.
Managing Principal, Insurance and Actuarial Advisory Services, EY
Doug French has spent over 32 years in actuarial consulting, working on engagements across the world. His clients include banks as well as insurance companies. Prior to entering advisory services, French was involved in various areas of life insurance company actuarial operations, with an emphasis on product development. He is a Corporate Advisory Council member of the International Association of Black Actuaries, a Mathematics Advisory Council participant at the University of Texas at Austin, and is the Immediate Past-Chair of The Actuarial Foundation.
Vice President, Business Development, Retirement Plans, Nationwide Financial
Hutch Shafer leads Nationwide’s Business Development group, which is responsible for delivering competitive retirement plan solutions, guiding large scale programs, and developing business strategies for the retirement market. He is also the President of Nationwide Investment Advisors, LLC, which offers various investment advisory programs, including a discretionary managed account service, to defined contribution retirement plans. Shafer’s past experience includes the development of various individual fixed and variable annuity products.
Jim Kerley’s background includes more than 40 years of professional experience in the financial services industry, including nearly 25 years with New England Financial (now part of MetLife). He was also a founding partner of Trinity Communications before establishing Clearview Partners.
Jim formed Clearview Partners with the goals of connecting insurance executives and ideas in transformative ways, providing strategic insights in a rapidly changing environment, and consulting, coaching and collaborating with insurers interested in taking the necessary next steps into modernization.
ANDY FERRIS, FSA, MAAA, CFA, Managing Director, Deloitte Consulting THOMAS HAMILTON, Vice President, Head of Analytics Center of Excellence, Voya Financial
Big data and predictive analytics can be used to enhance the marketing function, both to generate new leads and create new opportunities within an existing client base, by deploying cross-sell and up-sell programs. Attend this session to learn how the growing tools of predictive modeling can contribute to the success of your marketing function. Our panelists will present practical use cases, including categories of data used, successes that have been achieved, as well as considerations for implementation and other aspects.
MELANIE MILLER, Associate Vice President, Product Development, Nationwide STEVE MITCHELL, Managing Consultant, BridgePoint JOSPEH NOWAK, Senior Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, Nationwide
Thirty-four percent of 114 million private-sector workers (39 million) do not have access to a retirement plan through work, which contributes to the overall projected retirement savings deficit of $6+ trillion. Inadequate savings not only creates stress for older Americans who may have to sacrifice supporting their basic financial needs, but it also leads to increased dependence on state and federal social welfare programs. Attend this session to learn about State Sponsored Retirement Programs, which are one avenue to assist private sector employers who may not be able to afford a qualified plan by giving employees access to alternative retirement savings arrangements.
MELANIE HENDERSON, Executive Director and FSO Strategy Deputy Leader, EY
It
is no longer an option for an insurance company to become more digital. It is
an imperative. The insurance ecosystem is facing massive changes and providers
must produce solutions to improve customer engagement, reduce operating costs,
and accelerate an insurer’s market growth. Start-up insurers are disrupting the
market, shaking up standard insurance business processes, and offering
attractive new products. In order to meet customer’s rapidly evolving needs and
desires, digital change is needed to transform existing business and technology
architectures. Carriers need a technology-enabled solution to rapidly offer
innovative digital products, and to provide innovative digital operations. EY will present a forward looking view on the art of the possible.
SCOTT DUNN, CLU, Scott Dunn Associates; TIM PFEIFER, FSA, MAAA, President, Pfeifer Advisory, LLC
Successfully
meeting the needs of consumers, distributors, and insurance companies is always
a challenge for annuity product developers. However, the new fiduciary world we
live in is making the challenge even more difficult. Attendees will benefit
from learning how companies are adapting their product strategies. Topics to be
discussed include recent product changes, industry trends, and insights into
future changes.
For the first time in eight years, a new administration takes over the White House — an administration with vastly different policy goals than the one that preceded it. Andy Friedman, an expert in political and legislative affairs, will lay out the wide-ranging initiatives President Trump will seek to enact during his first year in office, including those involving financial services. He will consider the extent to which the new administration is likely to overturn or soften regulatory policies the Obama administration put in place, including the controversial Department of Labor regulation imposing new fiduciary obligations on financial advisors.
Managing Principal, Insurance and Actuarial Advisory Services, EY
Hutch Schafer, FLMI
Vice President, Business Development, Retirement Plans, Nationwide Financial
James W. Kerley, LLIF
Managing Partner, Clearview Partners
What are the implications of the new administration on the retirement landscape? How should the industry respond and prepare to serve future generations of retirees? Come hear the informed perspective of senior industry executives on where the opportunities will be found and how business models must evolve in response to these new world realities.
RYAN ABERNATHY, CRPC, Director, Head of Annuity Product and Platforms, Merrill Lynch; CHUCK LUCIUS, CEO, Gradient Financial Group, LLC; SCOTT STOLZ, CFP, Senior Vice President, PCG Investment Products, Raymond James; Moderator: AL DAL PORTO, FSA, MAAA, Vice President, Product Development, Security Benefit Life
Distribution firms are developing new product, business processing, and distribution strategies to meet the demands of regulatory requirements as well as today’s consumers. Learn about these strategies from various viewpoints — wire houses, banks, independent broker dealers, and independent marketing organizations. We will discuss how the retirement income industry needs to evolve to meet these demands including new fee-based solutions, simplicity, and transparency.
MAGALI BARBIERI, Associate Director, Human Mortality Database; JERRY HOLMAN, FSA, MAAA, Principal, RJH Integrated Solutions LLC; THOMAS RHODES, FSA, MAAA, FCA, Assistant Vice President & Actuarial Director, MIB; Moderator: R. DALE HALL, FSA, MAAA, CERA, CFA, Managing Director of Research, Society of Actuaries
Recent population studies, news releases and technical research have shown a variety of new insights on current world trends in mortality, with much of the focus on the United States. This session will highlight recent work from the Society of Actuaries and its research partners on insured and population mortality trends, and work from the Human Mortality Database on U.S. causes of death. Results from these studies can help give participants growing insights on how future trends will evolve for insured populations and the impact of new underwriting techniques.
KELLIE DESROSIERS, Vice President, Marketing, Head of Sales and Client Engagement, Voya Financial; ADARSH GARG, Vice President, Lifetime Engagement Strategy, Fidelity Investments; STEPHANIE O’DEAR, Assistant Vice President, Head of Marketing, RSG, Empower Retirement; Moderator: MATTHEW DRINKWATER, Ph.D., FLMI, ASRI, AFSI, PCS, Assistant Vice President, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute
As the industry undergoes dramatic changes, what strategies are retirement plan providers pursuing with their distribution options and asset retention programs? In this panel discussion, hear how companies are adjusting to best meet the future needs of customers in this new and challenging environment. Topics will include contact center procedures, training, investments, marketing, and participant retention expectations, as well as the implications of the DOL fiduciary rule. Highlights from recent LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute research on plan distributions will also be shared.
PETER KELLY, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Employee Benefits Counsel, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association; JEFFREY RUSSELL, Partner, Bryan Cave; Moderator: ANDREW PETERSON, FSA, EA, MAAA, Senior Staff Fellow, Retirement Systems, Society of Actuaries
Defined contribution (DC) plans have been introduced by employers en masse as the low cost and, theoretically, low risk alternative to traditional defined benefit (DB) pension plans. Unfortunately, as DC plans have matured over the years, one lesson that has emerged is that positive outcomes for members in a DC environment are not always easily achieved. As DC plans have experienced challenges, litigation surrounding their shortcomings has increased. Could the so called risk free retirement solution for employers be fraught with peril? This session will review current litigation trends in the DC area and explore the underlying fiduciary responsibilities.
This luncheon and interactive session will focus on current retirement topics impacting the Canadian market and is open to all attendees interested in Canadian-specific issues.
TODD GIESING, Assistant Research Director, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute; JOSEPH MONTMINY, ASA, MAAA, Assistant Vice President, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute
Individual retail annuity products are used to meet many different retirement savings objectives. Join us to learn about sales trends for accumulation and income focused retail annuity products, the similarities and differences in buyer profiles, and our assessment of the impact the DOL fiduciary rule will have on the annuity market.
MICHELE LABOUFF, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, LOMA BRANDON YOUNG, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Moderator: ALISON SALKA, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Research, LIMRA
A cross-industry, cross-IRA panel of Defined Contribution (DC) plan sponsors shares what keeps them up at night...and what their priorities are in managing their plans and employees for 2017. A moderated panel discussion will be followed by a question and answer opportunity for attendee engagement. Attend this session to hear directly from the DC industry’s most important stakeholders: the individuals responsible for selecting vendors and managing their organizations’ plans.
CAROL BOGOSIAN, ASA, President, CAB Consulting; TIMOTHY LEIER, FSA, EA, MAAA, Actuary, Consultant, President, TRL Consulting, LLC; BONNIE-JEANNE MACDONALD, FSA, Ph.D., Academic Researcher, Dalhousie University; Moderator: R. DALE HALL, FSA, MAAA, CERA, CFA, Managing Director of Research, Society of Actuaries
With
the increasing focus on potential changes to U.S. Social Security and Medicare
programs, and the recent expansion of the Canada Pension Plan, what will that
mean for consumers in the years ahead? This session will review ways to
evaluate how well these programs deliver retirement income adequacy, highlight
the current environment of retirement security programs, review trends of
individual retirement risks and decisions, and discuss future employer and
financial institution products and services.
TED LESLIE, Analyst-in-Charge, U.S. Government Accountability Office MARK SHEMTOB, FSA, MAAA, EA, MSPA, CFP, Owner, Abar Retirement Plan Services Inc. Moderator: ANDREW PETERSON, FSA, EA, MAAA, Senior Staff Fellow, Retirement Systems, Society of Actuaries
Americans often save for retirement today with 401(k) plans and IRAs focused on wealth accumulation. However, they face complex challenges, including longevity, interest rate, inflation, and cognitive risks, when turning an account balance into secure retirement income. Recognizing these risks and challenges is key in improving outcomes. Without improvements designed to convert retirement savings accounts into an income stream, participants face an increased risk of running out of money during retirement. This session will feature both public and private sector speakers, including a Government Accountability Office (GAO) perspective on how regulatory changes can improve 401(k) plan retirement income options and a discussion of other possible initiatives that could lead to enhanced retiree lifetime income outcomes.
JEFFREY BETTERMAN, RFC, Senior Financial Advisor, SunCoast Trust and Investment Services DANIEL M. KEADY, CFP®, Senior Director, Advice and Planning Strategy, TIAA Financial Services Moderator: PAUL HENRY, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, LIMRA LOMA Secure Retirement Institute
In this session, panelists will share innovative approaches to retirement income planning. Learn how these are helping financial professionals, and the financial institutions that they represent, to capture, consolidate and retain assets, as well as provide better outcomes for clients. Innovation is taking place against a backdrop of shifting demographics, new technologies and regulation, making retirement income planning a new imperative.
FAISAL HABIB, President, QWEMA Group, CANNEX Financial Exchanges; JOHN HYDE, CEO, CapitalRock; CURT OLSON, Head of Institutional Sales, PIEtech, Inc., Creator of MoneyGuidePro® Moderator: JOEY PUDENZ, Director, Annuity Product Systems, Athene Annuity and Life Company
While the final outcome of the DOL Fiduciary Rule remains unclear, opportunity exists for technology to significantly enhance advisor and client relationships. This session will feature thought leadership presentations from representatives of organizations that have successfully developed product analysis and needs analysis tools as well as financial planning tools that effectively establish and maintain a fiduciary status. Attendees in this session will learn why these types of tools are necessary for their organization to thrive in the new fiduciary world.
MATT MCDANIEL, FSA, EA, CFA, Partner, Mercer; GLENN O’BRIEN, Managing Director, Pension and Structured Solution, Prudential Financial; DANIEL N. SMITH, III, National Sales Director, Institutional Investment Products, Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company; Moderator: MATTHEW DRINKWATER, Ph.D., FLMI, ASRI, AFSI, PCS, Assistant Vice President, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute
Sales in the pension risk transfer market have increased dramatically the last few years. Many corporate pension plan sponsors no longer want the responsibility of managing and funding a DB plan and are looking for ways to shed this risk. This session will focus specifically on pension risk transfer options by providing attendees with an overview of the current landscape, new and innovative risk transfer strategies and trends, and expectations for the future. Attendees will also hear firsthand accounts of insurer experiences in the small and large marketplaces.
RONALD KLEIN, FSA, MAAA, Director of Global Ageing, The Geneva Association BENNETT KLEINBERG, Vice President, Prudential Financial, Inc. Moderator: ANDREW PETERSON, FSA, EA, MAAA, Senior Staff Fellow, Retirement Systems, Society of Actuaries
The U.S. is struggling with increased life expectancies and low old-age support ratios caused by decreasing fertility rates. This puts pressure on the government to fund significant social insurance programs such as Social Security and Medicare. It also has put pressure on privately funded pensions causing outsourcing of pension plans and even company bankruptcies. As bad as this sounds, European and Asian countries may even be in more dire situations. But not all is bad. There are practical mitigating solutions that can be initiated if politicians and industries work together. Learn about the global pension gap epidemic and possible vaccines.
Learn how older Boomers are transforming their next stage of life in an informative, entertaining, and insightful keynote from the nation’s leading authority on marketing to Boomers, Matt Thornhill. He will share what drives their behavior today, how to better connect with them, and what messages resonate with them at this new life stage.
Today’s retiree needs to fund a longer lifespan within a challenging low return environment. Drawing on recent academic research, Dr. Finke will discuss the implications of high asset prices and increasing longevity on retiree spending risk. Strategies discussed will include product allocation strategies compared with traditional investment portfolios.
ARI LINDNER, FSA, MAAA, Senior Vice President, Munich American Reassurance Company; ROGER OFFERMANN, FSA, MAAA, Senior Vice President and Chief Actuary, Security Benefit Life; MARY SIMMONS, FSA, MAAA, Vice President and Actuary, Protective Life; ROBERT WINAWER, FSA, Senior Vice President and ERM Actuary, Global Atlantic Financial Group; Moderator: TIMOTHY PARIS, FSA, MAAA, Chief Executive Officer, Ruark Consulting, LLC
Attend this session to hear perspectives on business, product, and analytical leadership for individual retirement savings and income products, including insights into recent changes in policyholder behavior across the industry, benchmarking versus peers, and outlook for the future. Also learn about the speakers’ experience in improving communication processes between actuaries and other business leaders, particularly with the increasing utilization of predictive modeling techniques.
GEOFFREY GIBSON, Director, Investment Marketing and Product Development, Retail Investment Products and Marketing, Empire Life JOSEPH POWELL, Director, Client Solutions, MetLife Moderator: BRETT UPWARD, Director, Product Development, Sun Life Financial
In a world of evolving regulation, taxation, and products, hear how these changes have impacted annuity product design and led to some interesting trends in product development in Canada and the United States. Differences between the countries will be discussed, including rate adjustable products, contract structure, taxation and distribution strategies — and how they impact new product design.
CHRIS EBERLY, Vice President, Research and Consulting, Novarica
McIsaac will provide an overview of the latest trends in technology including how and why carriers should rely more on technology to both serve existing clients and attract new clients while concurrently reducing costs. This session will also feature insight on carriers’ initiatives on the modernization and management of administration systems, agent and broker portal functionality, and other 21st century technology solutions carriers should be leveraging. Attendees in this session will learn about the technology trends their company should adopt to avoid getting left behind.
ANDREW HEIGES, CFP, Group Manager, Retirement Income and Advice, T. Rowe Price MARK SINGER, CRP®, President and Founder, The Financial Literacy Toolbox MARSHA WHITEHEAD, Vice President, Marketing, Retirement Services, OneAmerica Moderator: PATRICIA LEWIS, Member Relations Director, Retirement Clients and Products, LIMRA LOMA Secure Retirement Institute
What is financial wellness? How do you make the decision to include financial wellness into your offerings? Where do you start and how can it accurately be measured? For some companies financial wellness has been part of the fabric of their organization, but many are just starting to think about incorporating such offerings. This session will look at the different elements of a truly successful financial wellness initiative and the tools that can make it happen. Our panel of experts will discuss what brought them to the point of implementing such a program, its challenges and successes, as well as thought leadership from an esteemed author on this topic.
JON BREYFOGLE, Principal, Groom Law Group; THOMAS ROBERTS, Principal, Groom Law Group
The outcome of the DOL Fiduciary Rules remains unclear. During this panel, representatives from Groom Law Group will provide an update on the future of the rule, how it might change, and continued questions on how new regulatory oversight will affect compensation paid to brokers and financial advisers.
SANDY MACKENZIE, Consulting Economist and Editor, Journal of Retirement; Moderator: MARK PARACER, FLMI, ASRI, Assistant Research Director, LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute
For many Americans, the amount of debt they are carrying has significantly increased. This stems from a number of sources including loans for higher education and real estate. Clearly, workers nearing retirement with significant debt can be impacted by this financial burden. Recently, the SOA sponsored a research paper examining the impact of increasing personal debt on retirement security for individuals throughout their working lives. The paper includes a special focus on the impact of student loan debt which has seen unprecedented increases in recent years. This session will present the results of this paper and related studies.
MARK DENNIS, DBA, CFP, Resident Financial Planner, Financial Finesse, Inc., ANDREW PETERSON, FSA, EA, MAAA, Senior Staff Fellow, Retirement Systems, Society of Actuaries
As the retirement system has continued to shift from a paternalistic environment to a participant-focused environment, individuals are increasingly being asked to understand and manage multiple risks in retirement. One of the most challenging risks for a participant to manage on an individual basis is longevity risk. Simply planning for average life expectancy is planning to fail when it comes to longevity. This session will discuss key aspects of understanding longevity risk and provide ideas and tools for helping participants.
11:45 a.m.
CONFERENCE ADJOURNS
Registration
Registration Fees
Early Registration Rates (Register by March 24, 2017): LIMRA, LOMA, and SOA Members: $1,225 Non-member: $ 1,725
Standard Rates (After March 24, 2017): LIMRA, LOMA, and SOA Members: $1,425 Non-member $ 1,925
Group Discount If five (5) or more individual employees from the same member company register for this meeting, each individual registrant may take advantage of a group registration discount of $100 by entering the promo code GROUP100. Individuals using this
registration option must register for the full conference registration.
Presenter registrations and individuals utilizing any other discounts do not
qualify towards the required five registrant per company minimum. Please note
that if a registrant's company does not ultimately meet the aforementioned
eligibility criteria (e.g. there are fewer than five registrants from a company
who paid the qualifying full conference fee), registrants will receive a notice
of any balance due based on the difference between the regular applicable rate
and the group discounted rate.
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
Rosen Shingle Creek 9939 Universal Boulevard Orlando, FL 32819
The Rosen Shingle Creek is now sold out.
Please contact A Room With A View for information on the designated Retirement Industry Conference overflow hotel. They will secure the lowest available rates near the Rosen Shingle Creek.
In the event that rooms become available at Rosen Shingle Creek due to cancellations, A Room With A View will notify conference attendees and help transfer reservations back to Rosen Shingle Creek in the order in which they were booked.
A Room With A View can be reached at 1-800-780-4343.This is a FREE SERVICE for all Retirement Industry Conference attendees.
Plan to utilize Uber or taxi service from the airport to your hotel.
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 $4,600 - includes: (after February 24th, Exhibitor fee is $5,000)
10’ x 8’ exhibit space – including electrical outlet
Two full-conference registrations
A limit of one Additional attendee per Booth will receive the member
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 25, 2016 to be included)
Listing on the conference organizers websites and mobile app
Listing in the On-site Program; contract and payment MUST be received by March 13, 2017
EXHIBIT REGISTRATION FEE:
After February 24, 2017 – Exhibit Space $5,000
Organizations exhibiting at the Retirement Industry Conference may also exhibit at The Life Insurance Conference being held just prior (April 24-26) at the same hotel and receive a discount of $500 off each event. If you are Exhibiting at both, please use this PROMO CODE (BOTH17) when registering for both events.
