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Presented by Svetlana Gherzi, Ph.D.
Vice President, Behavioral Economist

Half of Americans do not have access to a retirement saving plan. Of those who do, about a third fail to join. And those who do join tend to save too little and often make unwise investment decisions. In short, the 401k world is in crisis, and employees need help. This talk, based on the ground-breaking book of the same name, provides that help by focusing on the behavioral challenges that led to this crisis - inertia, loss aversion, limited self-control and myopia - and transforms them into behavioral solutions or tools to help people save, save more and save smarter.  A prime example of behavioral finance in action!

Key Lab Takeaways

• 20 Best Behavioral Practices
• SAVE: Increase Participation Rates (6 Actions)
  SAVE MORE: Increase Deferral Rates (6 Actions)
  SAVE SMARTER: Invest Wisely (8 Actions)
• Recap of Behavioral Challenges and Best Behavioral Practices

Ms. Gherzi is a behavioral economist and a vice president with Allianz Global Investors, which she joined in 2014. Working with the Allianz Global Investors Center for Behavioral Finance, she provides specialist knowledge in behavioral finance, and is responsible for transforming academic research into actionable ideas and practical tools that financial advisors and plan sponsors can use to help people make better financial decisions. Ms. Gherzi has nine years of investment-industry experience.

She previously sold fixed-income products and credit derivatives at Troika Dialog and Bear Stearns. Before that, Ms. Gherzi worked at Financial Dynamics and Lehman Brothers International, both in London.

She has a B.A. in economics from Boston University, a master's degree in international business and economics from City University, London, and a Ph.D. in behavioral science from The University of Warwick, United Kingdom.