PLANADVISER: Tell us about your role at your firm and how you contribute to its growth and progress.
Rehbehn: I’d like to think I play a critical role in my firm’s growth and progress. At HUB, I work closely with the Retirement and Private Wealth leadership within the Mid-Atlantic region, enhancing processes, procedures and deliverables so our firms can run more efficiently and produce greater results.
I also am stepping into a leadership position on the national level within the financial wellness space. Working closely with the key financial wellness team members, we are developing a competitive, robust and effective program that our clients can leverage and use to expand their current benefit offering.
PLANADVISER: How did you end up in the retirement advisory industry?
Rehbehn: I actually came to the retirement advisory industry as an English major working in the hospitality industry. I spent several years working at Virginia wineries, and while the transition to the retirement plan industry might not seem straightforward, the two roles align really well. Whether I am hosting a wine tasting or meeting with a retirement committee, the heart of what I do is the same—providing a high-touch, curated, educational experience for clients.
While I came from the hospitality industry, my interest in the retirement advisory industry first came about when I was 18 and interning at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. As a benefit, FDIC brought in its retirement plan adviser to present to the interns and help us understand how investing in the stock market works. I remember leaving the session thinking the adviser had a really fun job and that it was something I would like to do one day. I was excited when the opportunity arose to join HUB (formerly AFS 401(k) Retirement Services) and have been extremely fortunate to work with a team and leaders who have invested in my continual growth and development within the industry.
PLANADVISER: What steps do you think will help improve the retirement industry and participant outcomes in the future (particularly ways in which your firm can help with that progress)?
Rehbehn: The key to improving the retirement industry and participant outcomes is total financial wellness/well-being. People do not view their finances in silos—to have a successful retirement plan, employers and advisers need to provide employees with access to independent guidance and advice that take their full financial picture into account. As an industry, we need to acknowledge that it is OK if someone needs to prioritize paying off high-interest debt over maxing out their retirement savings. If we can help people build a strong financial foundation, that will lead to greater retirement plans and long-term financial success.
While leading the financial wellness team within my firm, we have taken a hands-on, adviser-driven approach to financial wellness. We work closely with organizations and their leadership teams to build curated programs that go beyond the retirement plan to provide support across all areas of someone’s financial life. Over the years, we’ve seen measurable positive impacts. For example, while running our program with one of our clients over the past five-plus years, we’ve seen employees increase emergency savings by more than $900,000, reduce student loan debt by more than $1.2 million, and 95% of the employees are 100% on track for their retirement income needs.