Grow Retire Ready Clients

Blake Barnes, lead generation and pre-set appointment expert with Lead Gen 4, shares his journey from professional poker player to becoming a trusted resource in the 403(b) and federal employee markets. In this discussion, Blake shares insight into lead purchasing, understanding your niche, and why patience, consistency, and trust are essential for long-term success. He also discusses how Lead Gen 4 became a leader in the industry by helping advisors connect with educators and federal employees through proven marketing and appointment-setting strategies focused on quality conversations and relationship building.

Josh Richardson explains how discovering and adopting TRAK transformed his pension-focused retirement planning practice—from manual, Excel-based calculations to interactive, professional, and efficient client meetings that drive better understanding and higher sales. He describes how TRAK has become a required core tool for his team at Sterling National Financial Group, significantly improving client experience, referrals, and his own career trajectory, especially with educators who previously didn’t understand their pensions

Russell Telfer, a financial advisor based in Denver, discusses his career journey in financial planning, focusing on public employees like teachers and first responders. He highlights how adopting the TRAK financial planning software transformed his client interactions. The conversation showcases the importance of technology in modern financial planning and how the right tools can enhance client relationships and business productivity.

Nancy Zhang, from State Pension Advisory out of Sacramento California shares her passion and heart for helping university employees and those in the 403b market by giving them the information they need to succeed in retirement. Listen in as he shares her strategy for battling client skepticism and her success in her pursuit of growing her business to all fifty states. 

Lindsay Waltower shares his passion for working with 403(b) participants and some key fundamentals of using TRAK while engaging clients. Lindsay is with Sovereign Retirement Group out of Atlanta Georgia and has over 20 years of experience in the business.

Matthew Monroe, an LPL Advisor from Syracuse, NY discusses the joys of managing 401(k) plans and working with participants. He shares his passion and keys to the growth of his business through participant education, stating "small streams make a big river."   

In this exciting new podcast hear how Wade's Murphy's simple mission has not only changed their company name but impacted how they reach and interact with clients and ultimately grown their business. Wade Murphy has over 30 years of experience in the 403b space and has valuable advise on how to differentiate yourself in this niche market. 

In this follow-up interview hear how Eric Stevens continues to grow his business in the 403(b) market post Covid with virtual meetings, an integrated benefit analysis, and a passion for relating to teachers where they are at. 

Listen in as Sharon Pivirotto shares with us strategies and insights for getting started and succeeding in the 401k market. Also learn about Sharon's website 401kBestPractices.com and the excellent resources it has to offer.  Sharon is a veteran with 25+ years experience in the finance business. She has a passion for research and helping advisors in the 401k marketplace.  

Listen in as Richard Nevins shares the value of listening, keeping it simple and personable to grow your business in the 403(b) marketplace. Richard Nevins is a successful advisor with 14+ years of experience out of DeSoto Texas.  

Listen in as we are excited to welcome back Jonathon Schultheiss, Managing Director with Strategic Retirement Partners out of Greensboro, NC. In this podcast hear Jonathon's passion as he shares how to  bring value to employee education and some key insights to being successful in the 401k marketplace. 

Hear how Galen Mizuguchi shifts his focus amidst the pandemic to reach teachers in Hawaii and grows his business  by sharing his appreciation and building trust. 

In this podcast Ed Dressel interviews Cassie Knight, founder of Fed Options out of Nashville, Tennessee. Cassie shares some of her insights on the complexities and misunderstandings of the federal plans along with an opportunity her company can provide to advisors working in the federal marketplace. 

In this podcast we interview Tom Walker, founder of Walker Capital Preservation Group, Inc. out of North Carolina where they strive to educate and empower today's federal employee to maximize their retirement through proper positioning and seamless coordination of their federal benefits and personal assets.  We are excited to have him share some of his insights on growing a thriving retirement counseling business in the federal market place. 

In this podcast we are excited to interview Don St Clair with St Clair Financial as he shares his insights on the power of the paycheck illustration in financial planning.  Don St Clair is a successful financial planner out of Norther California. He has been in the business since 1991. He started off in the 403(b) marketplace and later found his niche with small business owners. 

Alberto Gaglianese is a financial planner for Lincoln Investment, based out of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. He has had a successful practice in the 403(b) and the 457 marketplace since 1986.  Listen in as Alberto shares his experience on helping clients reach their retirement goals and growing a thriving practice. 

Deann Cross is Chief Operating Officer at Integrity Financial Corporation. She has over 20 years of experience in the financial service industry and helping others reach their wealth management goals. Listen in as she shares some of her experience of how not to overwhelm and add stress to a client but encourage them as they pursue retirement readiness. 

Terry is an Associate Director RICP - Retirement Income Certified Professional at Transamerica out of Columbus Ohio. He has 12 plus years in finance and leads a team of 15 other advisors.  Listen in on some of his pro-tips for web calls, building trust, and helping clients reach retirement readiness. Also, check out his non profit Educational Retirement Advisors, whos goal is to get every teacher in front of a fiduciary advisor, and have a documented retirement plan completed. www.ed-advisors.org 

Jim Westrum is the executive director of finance and business with the Wayzata Public Schools located in Minneapolis St. Paul, Minnesota. His primary role is to act as the district's CFO and assist in making sure that they are aligned with their mission and vision when looking at employee compensation strategies. Jim has had success with TRAK while working with collective bargaining to educate, bring clarity and ultimately buy-in from employees.  With his position, and not being an agent himself, he brings a different perspective to 403(b) advisors.  

Charlie is the principal of Epstein Financial Services, an independent RIA providing corporate retirement plan consulting, as well as wealth management services in East Lyme Meadow, Massachusetts. He has more than 40 years of experience in the financial services industry and is the founder of the 401(k) Coach Program. He is the Author of  “Paychecks for Life: How to Turn Your 401(k) into a Paycheck Manufacturing Company” and “Save America, Save! The Secrets of a Successful 401(k) Plan”. He is highly influential in the 401(k) industry.In this Podcast you will hear powerful insight for engaging the 401(k) market as Charlie shares myths people have about retirement and their money, opportunities advisors have amidst the COVID-19 crises, and what can set you apart as we come though this crises. 

Jane Hagen is the Senior Vice President, Director of Retirement Plans & Senior Relationship Manager at Tri-Star Trust Bank out of Michigan. With over 25 years experience in banking and trusts/investments directly related to employee benefit plans and personal trust accounts she is a veteran in the 401(k) market. In this podcast she shares some of her creative and profession tips on engaging plan sponsors, running successful annual participant meetings and growing assets under management. 

Adam San Juan is the Regional Sales Director at Ameritas for the greater Detroit area. With over 20 years of experience helping financial advisors and TPA’s to establish 401(k) retirement plans for their small business clients and prospects. Kristen Abell is a Regional Client/Relationship Manager at Ameritas with over fifteen years of professional experience in the Financial Services industry, focusing on retirement planning and client relationship management.In this podcast hear pro-tips on navigating obstacles for success, getting hired, and differentiating yourself in the 401(k) market. Simple reports that make a differenceExperience TRAK for yourself with a free trial!

Eric Stevens is the National Educators Association (NEA) retirement, specialist at Clarity Financial Advisors in Mill Creek, Washington. In this podcast, he shares his passion for working with teachers and how he has found success amidst social distancing in the 403(b) market.  Experience TRAK for yourself with a free trial!

Ann is an experienced advisor, sought after trainer, and SEO of Retirement Planning Strategies based in Denver, Colorado. With over 18 years working with federal employees and their complex retirement plans, she shares some of the obstacles, key insight, and strategies of her success working within this niche market. Like, the crucial shift in how she uses TRAK that not only has her business growing but her client's engagement in reaching their retirement goals. Simplify Complex Federal Retirement PlansExperience TRAK for yourself with this Free Trial

Shawn McCoy is the owner of Federal Employee Benefits Advocates, an educational company for both financial advisors and federal employees based out of Louisiana. With over 20 years as an advisor and being successful in the federal market place for about a decade now, he has a wealth of knowledge on navigating the obstacles and seizing the opportunities that come with this market. In this podcast get a glimpse of what he offers as a trainer and how he brings clarity to a complicated retirement system. Simplify Complex Federal Retirement PlansExperience TRAK for yourself with this Free Trial

Steve Wylam, CFP®, AIF®, is one of the founding partners of Shepherd Financial. He has worked exclusively in the financial services profession throughout his career, serving both wealth management clients and corporate retirement plan trustees and participants. A majority of Shepherd Financials $2 billion in assets is from corporate retirement plans, serving around 32,000 participants.With ten years of using TRAK to produce reports and engage participants, it has become a cornerstone of the services they provide. He shares some of their processes of working with participants, plan sponsors, and how it makes a difference in how they are received by potential prospects. Simple reports that make a differenceExperience TRAK for yourself with a free trial!

Kevin Hocker exclusively works within the federal market. With over 8,000 one on one meetings with federal employees, he brings a wealth of knowledge to our podcast. He stresses the importance of education when it comes to helping people understand their benefits and their overall retirement outlook. Hocker shares how he interacts with clients, some of the challenges he faces, and what he sees as difference makers in people's lives.Simple reports that make a differenceExperience TRAK for yourself with a free trial!

Alex Dancy is the managing director with Saxony Securities. He has been in the business since 2003 and has built his practice up to managing 31 companies. His book of business is over 100 million dollars, with average plans around 3 million dollars and 75 participants. When asked what he would tell an advisor who hasent heard of RetireReady Solutions Alex says, "I work with 18 different record keepers. You know, all the big ones--the Fidelitys, the Empowers, John Hancocks, the Cunas, Mass Mutual, Trans America, you name it. No one has this software and it's software that requires precise data because you have to go into the payroll, but once you get that, it's worth its weight in gold. So I would encourage other advisors to start using that as part of their practice and make time for it."

Marc and Michelle Lippincott are a husband and wife team out of Tulare California. With 20 years of experience, a majority of their business is in the 403(b) space. In this episode they speak to the challenge of finding new clients, how TRAK helps them in reaching teachers, and some of the processes they have used in building a successful business. Representatives are registered with and offer securities and advisory services through Ministry Partners Securities LLC, a registered broker dealer, investment advisor and member of FINRA, SIPC. Lippincott Financial & Insurance Services is a DBA operating through Ministry Partners Securities LLC. 

James Brewer, CDFA, AIF, CFSLA, CFP® is the founder of Envision Wealth Planning and is regularly featured in the media for his financial expertise and support of socially responsible investing. In this episode he explores the ways he engages his clients, giving helpful examples and a glimpse into how he uses RetireReady Solutions to educate and prepare people to retie ready. 

Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through CSi Advisory Services, a registered investment advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial.This information is not intended as authoritative guidance or tax or legal advice.

Bob Newton and Michelle Cannan share how their focus on Plan Sponsors and participant education lead to considerable growth in deferrals with those they had the opportunity to meet with. Beltz Ianni & Associates experienced a 16% increase in deferrals in 2016, 26% increase in 2017, and a 40% increase in 2018. This information was developed as a general guide to educate plan sponsors, but is not intended as authoritative guidance or tax or legal advice. Each plan has unique requirements, and you should consult your attorney or tax advisor for guidance on your specific situation. In no way does advisor assure that, by using the information provided, plan sponsor will be in compliance with ERISA regulations. Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. 

Gerald Wernette draws upon 35 years of experience at Rehman to share how they have used TRAK to distinguish themselves from competitors. He shares stories and strategies of how they justify higher fees that are valued by plan sponsors and trustee members.  

As head of corporate retirement plans, Jonathon Schultheiss shares how their 401(k) management feeds into their wealth management services. He highlights the success they have had with participants and plan sponsors, particularly through the use of TRAK's one page Gap Analysis Report.