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PLANADVISER: Tell us about your role at your firm and how you contribute to its growth and progress.
Pedrick: I’ve been a part of the SFP Wealth team since 2015, and we have grown from a two-person retirement plan team that advises 40 retirement plans to now advising more than 270 retirement plans with eight team members dedicated to the retirement plan space. My primary focus lies within the realm of private equity. We have cultivated robust relationships with PE firms, engaging us in their retirement plans to help ensure compliance, cost-effectiveness and strategic success. Our involvement spans from initial due diligence through organic growth and retirement plan merger-and-acquisition consulting and integration support. Over the past decade, the retirement plan industry has undergone significant regulatory changes. Our clients trust us to navigate these updates, ensuring their plans remain compliant and optimized for future growth.
Another fundamental passion of mine is education. While we dedicate substantial efforts to educating our plan sponsors and their participants, it’s equally crucial to offer continuous education and training for team members. Fostering a supportive, secure and collaborative team environment ensures consistent opportunities for all team members to learn and benefit from each other’s growth.
PLANADVISER: Where do you hope to take your career in the retirement industry in coming years?
Pedrick: My goal is to propel our firm forward with continued substantial growth over the next decade, solidifying our position as a leader in the retirement plan industry. We’ve strategically structured our team for scalability and success. While acquiring new clients remains crucial each year, maintaining exceptional service for our existing clients is equally vital to me. As HR and finance leaders transition to new roles, many have returned to us for assistance with their new company’s retirement plans and executive benefits. Receiving calls from former business leaders seeking our expertise on new projects is immensely gratifying, as it underscores the value of our high-touch service approach and ongoing education efforts.
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)?
Pedrick: One critical area where I believe the U.S. falls short is in providing sufficient financial education, particularly concerning retirement plans and overall financial planning. Often, employees don’t contribute to their retirement accounts because they don’t understand the benefits of investing in their employer’s plans. Moreover, many employers miss out on the opportunity to maximize employee participation by not offering or adequately promoting employer matches.
To address these issues and enhance participant outcomes, we prioritize strategic participant education seminars. These sessions, offered both virtually and onsite, cater to the diverse needs of our clients and empower all employees to educate themselves on the mechanics of retirement plans. We also offer financial wellness seminars on topics like Social Security, managing college debt and other relevant areas.
Following these seminars, each employee has the opportunity to schedule an individualized, one-on-one session with a specialist to discuss their unique financial planning circumstances. This personalized approach ensures that every participant can make informed decisions and take proactive steps toward achieving their financial goals.