SIFMA thanks the following sponsors for supporting the 2007 Savings & Retirement Symposium

Tote Bags Compliments of the Davidsohn Group

Wall Street Journals Compliments of Dow Jones Newswires

Lunch hosted by TD Ameritrade

Reception hosted by John Hancock Financial Services

Thursday, MARCH 1, 2007

 

7:30 a.m.

 

 

Registration

Registration Room, Ballroom Level

Continental Breakfast

Salons A/B Foyer, Ballroom Level

 

8:00 a.m.  - 10:15 a.m.

General Session

Salons A/B, Ballroom Level

 

Introductory Remarks

 

Laura A. Grogan-O’Mara

Chair, SIFMA 2007 Retirement and Savings Committee

Vice President, Regulatory and Legislative Initiatives

Merrill Lynch & Co.

 

Marc E. Lackritz

Co-Chief Executive Officer

Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association

 

Keynote address:

 

David M. Walker

Comptroller General

Government Accountability Office

 

General Session

Retirement Crossroads: Will DC Plans Provide a Secure Retirement?

 

Defined contribution plans can be a powerful tool for retirement asset accumulation.  Yet, many workers do not participate in these plans, or participate in a minimal fashion.  Studies suggest that workers are now entering retirement relying more on savings in IRA and 401(k)-type plans than in defined benefit plans.  This panel will explore the challenges facing workers, employers and retirees as well as potential policy prescriptions to address the gaps in coverage and replacing income in retirement.

 

Stephen P. Setterlund

Vice President, Retirement Services Marketing

Fidelity Employer Services Company

 

Karen Friedman

Director Conversation on Coverage and Policy Director

Pension Rights Center

 

10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Refreshment Break

Salons A/B Foyer, Ballroom Level

 

10:45 a.m. - 12:00 Noon

Concurrent Workshops

 

A Health Savings Accounts Primer

London II, Ballroom Level

Proponents of Health Savings Accounts argue that giving people a greater say in their medical care will reduce medical expenses.  Critics argue that these arrangements have not been embraced by higher income candidates and large high-deductible policy premiums make them unattractive.  What do the experts say?  What is the political future of HSAs?

 

Gary R. Pitkofsky

Moderator

Vice President

Morgan Stanley

 

Peter Bacon

Vice President, Business Alliances

Assurant Health

 

Reggie Karas

Senior Vice President, Health Savings Accounts

Millenium Trust Company

 

Darren Willcox

Principal, Director of Health Care Strategies

Dutko Worldwide

 

 

Alternatives to Mutual Funds:  The World of ETFs, Collective Funds and Separately Managed Accounts

Salons A/B, Ballroom Level

An important trend in retirement plan investments is the increased availability of ETF's, pooled collective trusts, and separately managed accounts in defined contribution plans.  In this session, participants will hear perspectives ranging from recordkeeping to the potential value to plan sponsors and participants on these mutual fund alternatives.

 

Laura Gough

Moderator

Director of Corporate Benefits

Robert W. Baird & Co.

 

Steve Ferber

Executive Vice President, Collective Investment Trusts

AST Trust Company

 

Patrick J. Kendall, FCA, EA

Vice President, National Practice Leader, Defined Benefit &401(k) Markets

Diversified Investment Advisors

 

Stuart Odell

Director, Retirement Investments

Intel Corporation

 

 

12:15 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

Luncheon

Salons C/D, Ballroom Level

Coming of Age: Best Practices for Serving Affluent Retirees and Pre-Retirees

 

David Irwin

Senior Director, Financial Services

The VIP Forum

 

2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Concurrent Workshops

 

Beneficiary Designations: Satisfying Clients

and Managing Beneficiary Paperwork

London II, Ballroom Level

Beneficiary designations are becoming increasingly complex.  This session will explore how financial services firms accommodate client requests while maintaining an efficient operational structure and the types of policies and procedures that can protect beneficiary designations from being contested.

 

Susan Lee Pepsin

Moderator

Vice President

Wedbush Morgan Securities, Inc.

 

Tonia Bottoms

Director and Senior Counsel

Merrill Lynch & Co.

 

Carol Gransee

Assistant Vice President, Retirement Plans/Compliance

OppenheimerFunds, Inc.

 

Edwin Leavitt-Gruberger

Partner

Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf, LLP

 

 

Preparing for Automatic Savings Arrangements

Salons A/B, Ballroom Level

This session will update participants on the latest developments in automatic savings arrangements – default investment guidance, enrollment issues, and other recordkeeping dilemmas that must be managed as plan sponsors begin to utilize automatic savings arrangements.

 

Gregory J. Reynders

Moderator

Manager, Retirement Plan Compliance

Edward Jones

 

Edward Ferrigno

Vice President, Washington Affairs

Profit Sharing/401K Council of America

 

Judy Miller

Senior Benefits Advisor

U.S. Senate Committee on Finance

 

Erin M. Sweeney

Senior Benefit Law Specialist, Employee Benefits Security Administration

United States Department of Labor

 

 

3:15 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Refreshment Break

Salons A/B Foyer, Ballroom Level

 

3:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

General Session

Managing Retirement Income Streams

 

As Americans age, the financial services industry is working to provide new tools to help manage investments and generate income in retirement.  This session will highlight approaches from a diverse set of industry stakeholders.

 

Charles D. Robinson

Moderator

Senior Vice President, Investment Products and Services

Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC

 

Frederick Conley

President, Institutional Retirement Income Group

Genworth Financial

 

Garth Bernard

Vice President Product Strategy, Retirement Strategies Group

MetLife

 

Thomas P. Meehan

President

Edgemoor Capital Management, Inc.

 

 

 

5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Reception

Salons C/D

Hosted by: John Hancock Financial Services

 

Friday, march 2, 2007

 

7:30 a.m.

 

Registration

Registration Room, Ballroom Level

Continental Breakfast

Salons A/B Foyer, Ballroom Level

 

8:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

 

General Session

Salons A/B, Ballroom Level

Investment Advice Exemptions:  Challenges and Opportunities

With the passage of the Pension Protection Act, a potential framework for advisory services offered by diversified financial services firms now exists.  This session will update participants on the regulatory and business climate for offering advice services. 

 

 

Patrick Rieck

Moderator

First Vice President, National Sales Director 401(k) Products

Smith Barney

 

Taylor Hammons

Director, Retirement Consulting

Morgan Keegan & Co.

 

Melanie Nussdorf

Partner

Steptoe & Johnson

 

 

 

9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

Concurrent Workshop Sessions

Retirement Plan Fee Disclosures:  Getting Ready For Change

Salons A/B, Ballroom Level

Regulators are placing increased importance on fee disclosure through the proposed 5500 revisions and other regulatory initiatives, as well as litigation against plan sponsors for paying unreasonable fees.  This panel, including DOL staff, will discuss recent developments and provide insight on the continuing evolution in fee disclosure.

 

Liz Varley

Moderator

Vice President and Director, Retirement Policy

Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association

 

Lynn Dudley

Vice President, Retirement Policy

American Benefits Council

 

Eric Serron

Partner

Steptoe & Johnson

 

Kristen L. Zarenko, Esq.

Senior Pension Law Specialist, Employee Benefits Security Administration

United States Department of Labor

 

 

IRA Regulatory Developments

London II, Ballroom Level

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 contained a host of changes for IRA custodians and account holders.  Panelists in this session will update participants on developments in the IRA arena.

 

Laura A. Grogan-O’Mara

Moderator

Chair, SIFMA 2007 Retirement and Savings Committee

Vice President, Regulatory and Legislative Initiatives

Merrill Lynch

 

W. Thomas Reeder

Benefits Counsel

United States Department of Treasury

 

Theresa Fry

Vice President, Manager, IRA and Distribution Planning

A.G. Edwards

 

10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Refreshment Break

Salons A/B Foyer, Ballroom Level

 

10:45 a.m. - 12:00 Noon

General Session

Product Manufacturer Roundtable

The investment products, tools and services offered by product manufacturers have an enormous impact on the way brokerage firms and other third party vendors provide services to retirement plan investors.  This session will focus on the innovations and other new strategies being implemented by these leading firms.

 

James Cahn

Moderator

Senior Vice President, Director Institutional Trust Services

M & I Trust

 

James Brockelman

Executive Vice President, National Sales Director

John Hancock Retirement Services

 

Steve Ulian

Senior Vice President, Investment Only

Fidelity Institutional Retirement Services Company

 

James McCarthy

Managing Director, Retirement Solutions

Morgan Stanley

 

 

12:00 Noon

Conference Concludes