Michael Castner and Larry Deatherage Invited to Join Elite Retirement Industry Thought-Leadership Roundtable Hosted bythe LPL Financial Retirement Partners Group

Roundtable Convened to Confront the Nation’s Pressing Retirement Issues

and Propose Actionable Initiatives

San Diego, Calif., November 30, 2013 – Retirement Benefits Group Principals Michael Castner, PPC, PRP®​, and Larry Deatherage, PRP®, AIF®, PPCwere recently invited to speak at a thought leadership roundtable consisting of select members of the Retirement Partners Group (RPG), an exclusive network of highly experienced LPL Financial-affiliated advisors who focus primarily on advising retirement plans. The purpose of the 2013 RPG Roundtable was to discuss “The Role of the Retirement Plan Sponsor of the Future” and to arrive at concrete steps that plan sponsors can implement today in order to confront the country’s current retirement challenges and those that will unfold in the years directly ahead.

The discussion examined a wide range of critical issues facing retirement plan sponsors and participants, and in particular addressed the severe lack of financial preparedness that could increasingly affect a large segment of America’s workers.

The discussions also focused upon helping plan sponsors access the latest thinking on the topic of the importance of retirement-related education and advice, and explored best practices – such as the variety of automation features available to 401(k) plans – aimed at increasing employee success in achieving retirement readiness.

The results of the discussion have just been published in a white paper, which can be accessed by contacting Cory McCarthy at Retirement Benefits Group.

Among its main conclusions, the roundtable proposed a variety of steps that plan sponsors and participants can immediately undertake, including:

  • Providing improved employee financial education, including ongoing career-long financial wellness programs, seminars and incentives focused on holistic financial planning;
  • Enabling plan participants to access personalized in-plan retirement-focused advice, utilizing a spectrum of online and in-person options;
  • Enlisting transition services that help employees understand the options for their retirement assets as they move through their careers and beyond, and to help keep them on track with their retirement planning;
  • Benchmarking plans against industry norms in an effort to improve performance;
  • Increasing the adoption of automation features in retirement plans, including auto-enrollment, auto-reenrollment and auto-escalation; and
  • Adopting higher compensation deferral rates in order to promote increased savings by plan participants.

Mr. Castner said, “Participating in this year’s roundtable with such an exceptionally thoughtful group of industry peers was an inspiring activity. It also gave us considerable optimism that our nation’s urgent and developing retirement planning problems can be tackled successfully, especially for those with a longer-term perspective. But we must begin to act now.”

About Retirement Partners Group

Select advisors of Retirement Benefits Group are affiliated withRetirement Partners Group, a network of advisors associated with LPL Financial who focus primarily on advising retirement plans for small to large companies. RPG was conceived and launched by LPL Financial Retirement Partners, the retirement plan-focused division of LPL Financial. Membership in RPG identifies advisors who have demonstrated significant achievement within the retirement plan arena and provides them and their clients with resources and strategies for the ever more complex field of retirement plans.

About LPL Financial

LPL Financial, a wholly owned subsidiary ofLPL Financial Holdings Inc.(Nasdaq:LPLA), is the nation's largest independent broker-dealer (based on total revenues,Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2013), an RIA custodian, and an independent consultant to retirement plans.LPL Financialoffers proprietary technology, comprehensive clearing and compliance services, practice management programs and training, and independent research to more than 13,400 financial advisors and approximately 700 financial institutions. In addition,LPL Financialsupports more than 4,600 financial advisors licensed with insurance companies by providing customized clearing, advisory platforms and technology solutions.LPL Financialand its affiliates have approximately 3,000 employees with primary offices inBoston, Charlotte, andSan Diego. For more information, please visit

Securities and Advisory Services offered throughLPL Financial. A Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC

About Retirement Benefits Group

Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Retirement Benefits Group is an institutional consulting firm. Retirement Benefits Group helps its clients manage the fiduciary requirements of employer-sponsored retirement plans. Select advisors of Retirement Benefits Group are affiliated with Retirement Partners Group, a network of retirement plan advisors associated with LPL Financial.

Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Independent Financial Partners(IFP), a registered investment advisor. IFP and Retirement Benefits Group are separate entities from LPL Financial.

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