Investment Advisory Roundtable Recap

Recently, we hosted a spirited roundtable meeting with a select group of advisors who specialize in retirement plans. Our objective was to delve into pertinent industry topics and trends, share fresh ideas, and explore how we can further help you and our mutual clients, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges we face. Below is an overview of some key focus areas.

• Advisor Feedback
  Prior to the meeting we surveyed the attendees and asked them to describe their experience with Alliance. The responses mentioned:
  • Transparency and accountability
  • Call Alliance for the right answer
  • Alliance continues to evolve
  • A willingness to work with complex situations

1. SECURE 2.0
   While there are myriad provisions, the group keyed in on:
   1. Roth Catch-Up Contributions – consensus was that over complexity of these rules required a deadline extension, and fortunately the government issued such guidance to alleviate potential issues.
   2. Mandatory Automatic Enrollment – while not required to be effective until 2025, this provision affects new plans being established today. The group discussed the importance of conveying this topic and working with diligent payroll and record keeper partners to ensure successful implementation.
   3. Matching of Student Loan Payments – this is a hot topic that creates a number of challenges, from gathering loan data to properly identifying match recipients and ensuring calculations and compliance are accurate.
   4. For more information: Check out our SECURE 2.0 webpage

1. Advisor-Based Managed Account Solutions
   What is the most effective solution? Our discussion focused on a few key factors:
   1. No cost to plan sponsors
   2. Seamless integration and utilization of data from our system to create custom, auto-rebalanced allocations
   3. Low-cost, high value – providing a solution that doesn’t burden participants with smaller balances
2. Retirement Income Solutions
   Advisors showed enthusiasm for the future.
   Recent law changes permit a more portable, more affordable version of traditional insurance offerings, providing a retirement income strategy within a retirement plan that:
   1. Delivers guaranteed retirement income and security
   2. Offers direct integration of a guaranteed income portfolio within a participant’s account
   3. Both maintains liquidity as well as portability for rolling into an IRA or another plan

Effective Software and Access to Data
Gain insights into your clients and their participants.
Alliance can empower advisors to drive better outcomes for employees by strategically utilizing the data within our system. Our ability to generate insightful reports enables advisors to identify individuals who could benefit from additional services that they may offer.

Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs)
Interest is Low
We found that this topic revealed underwhelming interest due to the limited use cases that this new construct may serve. We will continue to monitor developments in this space and inform the community of any changes.

As always, your team at Alliance is here to help you navigate challenges and opportunities while assisting clients with their retirement plan requirements. Contact us to arrange a discussion centered on how we can help you build your retirement plan practice.

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