READER RADAR: The Summit Topics Trending at the End of Week #4 Are…

Once again there was a lot of activity in our topic cage match this week—and some 17,000 votes later—with some late week jostling among the leaders…

As a reminder, we’ve got the location (Tampa Bay, Florida), the dates (April 3-5), and we’ve (already) begun working through a list of exciting keynote speakers, and, yes—making plans for Summit “After Dark.” 

Which brings us to that amazing, compelling, and innovative agenda that starts with you—you help set the framework for the NAPA 401(k) Summit agenda—by voting on the topic(s) you’d most like to be on that agenda! We use a unique mechanism to suss out our topics, after all—one replete with its own dynamic logarithm—and, of course your perspectives in a “cage match” format. 

This week we focused on a category of topics about team building and development—Team Esprit! And after this week’s voting, the top ideas are:

• Generations Apart—Together at Work 
• “Virtual” Realities—striking the balance between WFH and work            
• How to Build—and Keep—a Quality Multi-Faceted Team 
• Just Wait a Minute—Setting Expectations for Newer Team Members 
• Team Building, Team Binding 
• How to be—or get—a mentor 
• Establishing a Peer-to-Peer Education/Coaching Network. 
• How to Create an Environment Where Everyone Has a Voice      
• Diversifying Your Practice—and Your Practices  

You can still weigh in at http://www.allourideas.org/2022teamespirit.

Now as for our other topics focus—well, the votes continue to come in:

Practice(s) Management

As of Nov. 4, the top 10 topics are:

1. How to Run Your Practice More Effectively and Efficiently (up from #4 a week ago) 
2. How are advisors handling fiduciary duties and management of details for their 401(k) clients? (up from #6)
3. Earning Your “Keep”: Value added services to avoid sticker shock of advisor fees (slipping from the top spot)
4. Consultation beyond a (k) plan (brand new to the top 10!)
5. Key factors driving participant outcomes. What really brings success to the participant (another brand new entrant!)      
6. Coupling Education with Plan Design to Drive Improved Participant Outcomes (slipping from #5 a week ago)
7. How to Develop/Determine a Reasonable Fee for Your Services (up from #8)
8. Reframing Your Value Around Client Goals (tumbling from #2)   
9. What Are the Daily Habits and Behaviors of the Most Successful Advisers? (up from #11)
10. Guiding and Driving Plan Committees (up from #13)

You can still weigh in at http://www.allourideas.org/2020practicesays.

Business Developments

As of Nov. 4, the top 10 topics are:

1. Compensation Trends, Compliance and different revenue streams from managed accounts, rollovers, etc. (holding tough at #1, a week after gaining that spot)
2. As clear as the nose on your face—trends you’re completely overlooking (still hanging on to the #2 spot)
3. How to open doors; How to win a plan with no advisor; How to win larger plans; How to use LinkedIn to grow your business (climbing from #4)
4. What will a virtual/hybrid environment mean for fees/fee compression (no in-person meetings) 
5. Driving positive participant outcomes through personalization (up from #6)
6. What the IRS and DOL Continue to Target with Your Clients' Plans (down from #5)
7. PEPs successes, failures and trends (up from #8)
8. How to increase plan participation by offering values-aligned investment options. (brand new to the top 10!)
9. Retirement Income: How to Navigate the Investment Choices & Have Conversations with Plan Sponsors (holding at #9)
10. Plan Sponsor Perspectives (holding at #10)

You can (still) weigh in at http://www.allourideas.org/2022bizdevelopment.

As for the “Product Set” category (product/services categories), the top 10 are now:

1. Things we hate about you—Plan Sponsor confessions about their retirement plan advisors (clinging on to the top spot!)
2. Why everybody wants—and nobody takes—in-plan retirement income options (still at #2)
3. Managed Accounts—Just an Expensive Target-Date Fund? (up from #4)
4. The Fad of Financial Wellness (down from #3, slipping back to #4)
5. Rollover Realities (up another slot from #6 last week, and #7 the week before that)        
6. Industry trends—being prepared for what’s next (down from #5)
7. In-Plan Spend-down Solutions (steady at #7)
8. Retirement Income Solutions (up from its #10 entrance a week ago)
9. Building the ROI Case for Financial Wellness (down from #8)      
10. Pooled Employer Plans—An Advisor Advantage or a Threat to Your Business? (new to the top 10!)

You can (still) weigh in at http://www.allourideas.org/productset.

Remember that the list is a living thing—it works like a topics “cage match” of sorts. You’re presented with two different session topics—they rotate—all you have to do is pick your favorite or add your own idea for others to vote on. Then you’ll get two more choices—vote or add one of your own. If you don’t like either of the suggestions (though that’s not likely)—there’s even an option for that. Every time you suggest an idea, it’s added to the pool of ideas that others vote on.

You can vote as often as you’d like—and we’ll keep you posted as to which topic(s) are leading, as we near the opening of registration for the 2022 NAPA 401(k) Summit.

Thanks to everyone who has weighed in (and still may) on our topics for the NAPA 401(k) Summit!