PLANSPONSOR - October/November 2018 - 6

Issue Intro
Fruitful Exchanges
I
love my job, but explaining to friends
or acquaintances that I'm an editor and
writer for PLANSPONSOR magazine
INSIGHT ON PLAN DESIGN & INVESTMENT STRATEGY
OCTOBER- NOVEMBER 2018 | $29 | WWW.PLANSPONSOR.COM
2018 DC SURVEY: PLAN BENCHMARKING
often elicits blank stares. I've learned to
accept those and take a deep breath before
explaining further. After all, most people
don't understand what a plan sponsor is.
Granted, it's not an easy to term to get a
handle on as it can refer to either a company,
an individual or a committee. Once I elaborate,
describing this national publication
accessed by qualified employers who run the
retirement plans that these friends may be
saving their money in, people tend to launch
into their own retirement planning woes-a
topic they do understand-at which point I
ask about their job or interests.
Oftentimes, I find myself thinking that our articles may be of value not just to
LOOKING
CLOSER
Don't miss these less obvious variables
for improving retirement readiness
you on the front lines of retirement plans, but to these friends and acquaintances
trying to make sense of their own retirement future. This issue's cover story is one of
those times. " Looking Closer " (page 34) offers five ways for plan sponsors to get an
early indication of a participant's future retirement savings success, by using predictive
analytics with less obvious determinants. For example, does the participant
possess a balanced portfolio if not using an age-based fund?
This article is a bit of an introduction to the 2018 PLANSPONSOR Defined
Contribution (DC) Survey: Plan Benchmarking report. Readers tell us this annual
survey is one of their definitive sources for gauging what their peers are doing with
their plans. Most years, trends continue and the survey results hold few surprises,
but this year several data points indicate a change in plan sponsor behavior. You can
read about this in " Rising Above " (page 40), the survey's accompanying article.
According to a TD Ameritrade analysis, Americans saving in defined contribution
plans have lost, to date, an estimated $2.5 trillion in wealth potential versus
what they would have saved if not experiencing income disruptions. Another source
defines these as " a reduction of 10% or more of income due to health crises, job losses
or other life transitions such as divorce " and says 96% of Americans suffer four or
more such disruptions by the time they turn 70. In the last in the series of Behavioral
Finance stories (page 66), John Manganaro, managing editor of PLANADVISER
.com, reports on how plan sponsors can assist these participants.
We get back to basics with a PS Coach article (page 68) on the importance of
plan documents, highlighting those that are essential and the most common optional
ones, plus how to amend a plan. Also in this issue, Summer Conley and Michael
Rosenbaum, both of Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, take on the same topic from a legal
viewpoint in " What Does the Plan Say? " (page 70).
With open enrollment hopefully behind you, I wish you peace, happiness and
many fruitful conversations, during this holiday season!
-Judy Faust Hartnett, Managing Editor
6 PLANSPONSOR.com October-November 2018
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Alison Cooke Mintzer
alison.mintzer@strategic-i.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: SooJin Chun Buzelli, svp
soojin.buzelli@strategic-i.com
MANAGING EDITOR: Judy Faust Hartnett
judy.hartnett@strategic-i.com
MANAGING EDITOR, PLANSPONSOR.com:
Rebecca Moore, rebecca.moore@strategic-i.com
EDITORIAL STAFF: Lee Barney, John Manganaro,
Amanda Umpierrez, Karen Wittwer
CONTRIBUTOR: John Keefe
SURVEYS & RESEARCH: Quinn Keeler,
Brian O'Keefe, Jackie Scott
DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Donna Bien-Aime,
Lynn Connelly, Clarissa Liu
DESIGN CONTRIBUTORS: Alanna Jacobs,
Cherese Rambaldi
ART CONTRIBUTORS: Julie Benbassat,
Chris Buzelli, Joe Ciardiello, Marine Coutroutsios,
Jackie Ferrentino, David Huang, Claudi Kessels,
Zohar Lazar, Lars Leetaru, Doris Liou (cover),
Suharu Ogawa, Julia Vohl, Mark Wang,
Ellen Weinstein
HEAD OF MEDIA SALES: Katie Bacon, vp
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GLOBAL SALES ADMINISTRATOR: Anthony Groccia
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Lucille Velander
GLOBAL CONTROLLER: Younes Ismael-Aguirre
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ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS: Abeer Abu-Issa,
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Kristin Keeler, Ricky Kostik, Karen Kurtz, Vivian
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DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR: Justin Hoffman
TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS: Ray Lucibello, Aaron
Montecalvo, Bhakti Patel, Jigar Patel, Dexter
Reaves, Stephen Widom
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Drew Donaldson, drew.donaldson@strategic-i.com
REPRINTS: Michelle Judkins
203-595-3276 michelle.judkins@strategic-i.com
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PLANSPONSOR - October/November 2018

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