We’re not sure if Fi360 finds the issues, or the issues find Fi360, but the timing of its annual conference always seems to coincide with major announcements on the fiduciary front.
The company’s annual confab was the center of the retirement plan universe in 2016, when the Obama Administration announced its intention to institute the fiduciary rule at the same time, turning industry eyes, and ears, towards the conference.
On the second day of its 2017 conference, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta confirmed the rule’s implementation date for June of that year, which of course, had everyone again buzzing.
In 2018 in San Diego, it was all about the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to strike down the fiduciary rule, and what would come next.
This year will feature quite a bit of talk about the SEC’s Reg BI, and if history is a guide, we can expect more surprises to come.
But what, specifically, do the hosts see as front and center for the agenda?
John Faustino, chief product and strategy officer with Pittsburgh-based Fi360, points to another record level of attendees, having broken through the 800-person threshold.
“We pride ourselves on keeping the advisor to sponsor ratio high, to maximize benefits to both of those groups,” Faustino notes. “This year, that ratio will be around seven to one (advisors to sponsors).”
New this year is a session specifically for those clients who came to Fi360 as part of its acquisition of the Center for Fiduciary Management, which will focus on familiarizing “our new friends” with Fi360’s offerings and organization, as well as taking direct feedback on their needs.
“We received a tremendous response to a webinar we did last year on stable value funds, one of the most challenging investment vehicle types upon which advisors must perform due diligence,” Faustino says. “One session that’s received a good deal of initial interest is a panel discussion we’re holding with leaders from three stable value fund providers; MetLife, PIMCO, and T. Rowe Price.”
Speakers
In addition to returning well-known presenters including Michael Kitces, Fred Reish, Zvi Bodie, and Jason Roberts, based on advisor demand, an increasing number of sessions will be run by advisor practitioners.
Examples include the stable value panel, which will be run by Blue Prairie Group’s Matt Gnabasik, and a session with Northwest Capital Management’s Brent Petty is running on fiduciary due diligence of managed accounts.
“There will also be IPX and the Standard co-sponsoring a 403b/457 certificate training class on Tuesday,” Faustino concludes. “This will represent the initial roll-out of this new Fi360 training program.”
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.
