An experiment in live and on-demand digital content came to a successful conclusion with the last session of the Excel 401(k) 2020 Digital Series.
Diverging from the “virtual conference” format popular during the COVID-19 crisis, the series featured one session daily at 3:30 pm eastern and ran from September 14th through November 20, 2020.
It featured financial pundits and professionals from across the 401k industry, with a heavy emphasis on practice management and improving firm performance to benefit plan participants.
Speakers included political insider Anthony Scaramucci, tech entrepreneur Aaron Schumm, top advisors Barbara Delaney and Chad Larsen, marketing expert Rebecca Hourihan, Young Gun Jake Rushton, and many more, presented in a peer-to-peer, practical format to ensure takeaways and time well spent.
Scaramucci kicked it all off with an insider’s look at the election, correctly predicting a strong Biden performance, and adding his thoughts about what, if any, changes Biden would make to retirement plans and 401ks.
“I’ve heard [some of the rumblings], but I don’t think any of that goes through,” Scaramucci said. “I think that’s campaign rhetoric.”
Another highlight of the series was the naming of Jania Stout, managing director and co-founder of Hightower Fiduciary Plan Advisors, as the 2020 Top Advisor By Participant Outcomes (TAPO). Stout was recognized by an independent panel of judges for her innovation and creativity in the retirement plan space, as well as her outreach to younger generations for education and wellness purposes.
Other session topics included:
- Changing Participant Behavior: A Look At Behavior Design
- 401(k) Myth Busters: When Common Sense Turns Out to be Wrong
- Expand your Practice in the Governmental Retirement Plans Marketplace
- How Technology is Transforming the Defined Contribution Space
- “I Do,” and Other Things to Say After an M&A
- MEPs: Increase Scale and Profitability
- Next Level Practice Management
- Prospecting & Driving Business in a Virtual Setting
- Target-Date Fund Suitability
- Using Behavioral Finance to Improve Employee Outcomes
ACCESS THE ADVISOR2X OUTCOMES PODCAST SERIES HERE
A sad note for the series was the untimely passing of David Reich, National President, Hub Retirement & Private Wealth, just prior to its start. Reich was a member of the series’ agenda committee.
“We owe many thanks to David Reich. As an industry leader, a committee member, and a speaker, he was an integral part of Excel 401(k) and we will miss him dearly,” Advisor2X, producers of the series, said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and our entire community who has suffered such a loss.”
The live event will return OCTOBER 24-26, 2021 in NASHVILLE, rebranded as Wealth@Work. It will feature 60 sessions and four workshops over three days.
With more than 20 years serving financial markets, John Sullivan is the former editor-in-chief of Investment Advisor magazine and retirement editor of ThinkAdvisor.com. Sullivan is also the former editor of Boomer Market Advisor and Bank Advisor magazines, and has a background in the insurance and investment industries in addition to his journalism roots.
