No Winding Down

As the last issue of PLANADVISER went to press, we were heading off to PLANADVISER’s inaugural National Conference. There are many ways to measure the success of a conference: how many are there, who’s there, the number and quality of panels, the food, the information, the networking, the ratio of advisers to the firms interested in selling to advisers. Although I could reasonably be accused of a certain bias, by all accounts from those who were in attendance (and more than 350 were), it was a smashing success on all fronts. You can read more about what you missed in this month’s issue in “Great Expectations” on page 36. Plan ahead to attend in 2008, again in Orlando at the Ritz Carlton, from September 15 through 17. You won’t want to miss it.

As we go to press this issue, we are deep into the process of selecting PLANSPONSOR’s Retirement Plan Adviser and Retirement Plan Adviser Team of the Year. Part of that process is our recognition of the industry’s “most successful’ advisers, both in terms of number of plans and assets under advisement—as well as those accomplishments in areas beyond 401(k)s. You’ll want to check out those lists beginning on page 20. Be sure to check back next issue when we introduce our finalists.

Looking to join those lists? Unfortunately, for many advisers, trolling for new clients is much easier said than done. See “Coming Out of the Cold (Call)” (page 54), in which advisers share some of their strategies for successful prospecting. They offer some great ideas that are sure to win you new business faster than the traditional cold call. 

When serving clients, are you active with the participants? Do you expect that might change in light of automatic enrollment? Well, most advisers we spoke to in “Meeting of the Minds” (page 58) said the prevalence of automatic enrollment does not mean the end of participant meetings—they will still exist, perhaps just called something else.  

For the investment side of your practice, we have three articles. Looking for information about the final regulations issued by the Department of Labor for qualified default investment alternatives? See “Choose Your Designated Hitter” (page 68) and “Default Vault” (page 84) for more information about the regulations and some insights from advisers about how they are going to use the new rules in their practice.  

Also, in “The Best IPS” (page 76), industry professionals share some of their best practices in designing and implementing an investment policy statement (IPS), knowing that, whether or not a plan sponsor has an IPS or has let it fall into disuse, it is often up to the adviser to help get the statement back in order.  

This has been a remarkable year for PLANADVISER and for our industry. I continue to have high aspirations for our magazine, Web site, and conferences division. I wish you a happy and healthy new year and I’ll see you in February with the first of our eight 2008 issues.