PUBLISHER’S LETTER
confero
A quarterly publication by Westminster Consulting
A quarterly publication of fiduciary ideas by various
contributors within the industry.
Publisher
Westminster Consulting, LLC.
Editor-In-Chief
Gabriella Martinez
Contributing Editors
Sean Patton, AIF®
Thomas Zamiara, AIFA®
Creative Director
W
elcome to 2014 where most
of us are in the midst of cold
winter days. Despite the frigid
weather outside, our dedicated team has
produced this edition of Confero which
has as its featured discussion the topic,
“EDUCATION vs. ADVICE”.
We open our discussion with an interview
with Mary Ellen Whiteman who is Head
of the Individual Investor Experience at
T.Rowe Price. Gabriel Potter and Mary
Ellen discuss the challenges employers and
plan providers face when trying to educate
a workforce on their retirement plan and
its benefits.
Gabe Potter looks at education and advice
for participants by referencing Prof. James
Choi of Yale and his whitepaper on how
participant savings and engagement habits can
be improved simply by effective messaging
and verbal cues in participant communications.
Further in this issue, we leave the discussion
of participant education and take up the
topic of pension funding relief from MAP
21. Larry Peters, CPA, EA provides an
overview of this recent funding option and
its features.
Please enjoy the other contributions to
this issue of Confero and your continued
feedback is both welcomed and important.
Scott George, who is President of the
Retirement Plans Division of M. Griffith Thanks again for your continued support.
Investment Services in Utica, NY offer us
an insight on a successful methodology for
engaging participants and achieving p