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Plan Sponsor Advisors Honored with 401(k) Advisor Leadership Award

admin | March 18, 2012 | 0 Comments

Will Marquis (Morningstar), Don Stone (Plan Sponsor Advisors) & John Rekenthaler (Morningstar)

Recipient Selected by Morningstar and ASPPA

NEW ORLEANS (Mar. 18, 2012) –The American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) today announced the team of Plan Sponsor Advisors (PSA) from Chicago, Ill., received the 2012 401(k) Advisor Leadership Award. Don Stone, managing partner and CIO of PSA received the award on behalf of the team during a session of the 11th annual ASPPA 401(k) SUMMIT in New Orleans, La.

Finalist Joshua Itzoe (Greenspring Wealth Management) & Don Stone (Plan Sponsor Advisors)

The 401(k) Advisor Leadership Award recognizes a leading financial advisor or team for contributions that exemplify leadership, experience, and expertise in the retirement plan industry. Sponsored by Morningstar, Inc., a leading provider of independent investment research, and ASPPA, the leader in retirement education and advocacy—the award reflects the multi-faceted efforts of advisors to serve their clients (plan sponsor and participants), act as mentors, maintain high ethical standards, and innovate in the retirement industry. Within these criteria, finalists were also judged on how they employ this expertise to help working Americans build their retirement future through the employer-based retirement plans.

“Don Stone and his team at PSA represent an advisory team committed to innovation—seizing initiatives to better the marketplace and being proactive in serving their clients’ need,” said Brian Graff, executive director/CEO of ASPPA. “Since the firm’s founding in 2002, PSA’s core mission is to assist plan sponsors raise participant outcomes through better plan design, investments, and strategies in governance and communication aimed to change behaviors. As a result, we believe PSA has enhanced the ability of American workers to achieve a secure retirement.”

Plan Sponsor Advisors’ team—Jennifer Flodin, Don Stone, and Angelo Auriemma, and finalists Joshua Itzoe, partner and managing director at Greenspring Wealth Management Inc. in Towson, Md., as well as finalist James Phillips & Patrick McGinn, president & vice president (respectively) of Retirement Resources Investment Corp., in Peabody, Mass., were selected from more than 80 nominations submitted by peers and colleagues in the retirement plan industry.

Finalists: Joshua Itzoe (Greenspring Wealth Management), Don Stone (Plan Sponsor Advisors) and Jim Phillips & Patrick McGinn (Retirement Resources Investment Corp.)

“Plan Sponsor Advisors uses proven methods to modify participant behavior, by utilizing auto features in plan design, targeted messaging and periodic measurement of projected income replacement,” said Will Marquis, defined contribution and retirement product manager for Morningstar and a member of the selection committee. As a result, PSA nets approximately 90 percent participation for clients who adopt auto features and savings rates in excess of 10 percent. They are committed to producing the best results with the best research and participant techniques available.”

Based in downtown Chicago, PSA provides fiduciary and non-fiduciary consulting services to clients. Since 2002, PSA has worked with plans representing more than $65 billion in retirement plan assets. The firm’s clients include both publicly traded and privately-held companies including family-owned businesses, global corporations and major healthcare systems. The team’s dedication to learning and sharing industry knowledge is manifest in their combined 15+ years of experience and credentials such as Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst™ (AIFA), and also service on industry committees such as the Executive Committee of the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA), an industry advocate for better participant outcomes.

Previous leadership award recipients include Michael Malone of MJM401(k), Sean Waters of Cook Street Consulting (2010), Fred Reish of Drinker Biddle & Reath, and Bill Chetney of National Retirement Partners.

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ASPPA: The American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) is a national organization of more than 8,500 retirement plan and benefits professionals that serves as the educator, voice, and advocate for the employer-based retirement system. ASPPA members are administrators, actuaries, advisors, attorneys, accountants, and other financial services professionals who provide consulting and administrative services for qualified retirement plans. www.asppa.org

Morningstar: Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company offers an extensive line of products and services for individuals, financial advisors, and institutions. Morningstar provides data on approximately 330,000 investment offerings, including stocks, mutual funds, and similar vehicles, along with real-time global market data on more than 5 million equities, indexes, futures, options, commodities, and precious metals, in addition to foreign exchange and Treasury markets. The company has operations in 26 countries. www.morningstar.com