Calendar of Events

Presented by David Cottrell, Nick Eschenheimer and Shannon Edwards, ERPA, QPA, QKA 

Join us in July as we explore several areas of retirement plans and responsibilities of third party administrators.

• Don’t let your plan’s financial advisor off easy, what should you expect from your advisor.
  • Some advisors are getting by with doing too little for their plans. We will help you understand what an advisor’s role is and what to expect from them.
• 10 Best Practices for Managing a Plan & Cyber Security Issues Facing Your Company Plan.
  • The 10 best practices approach will help HR Directors understanding what industry professionals see as a successful plan. The best practices can help streamline the approach to plan management and reduce fiduciary risks. Cyber Security is an often over looked issue when it comes to the retirement plan world, we will shed some light on the risks and what actions can be taken to help manage them.   
• Common Mistakes in 401k Administration
  • This area will focus on the fact that there are a lot of complex rules that HR Directors probably don’t understand but are asked to manage. HR Directors are asked to wear so many hats and follow so many rules and regulations that it is hard to keep up with all of them. We want to talk about common mistakes that we see, why their TPA should be helping and looking out for them to reduce the potential for mistakes. We want to give them a broad understanding of being careful to make sure the information is correct vs when they should rely on their experts to make sure they are doing it correctly. We want them to leave with a better understanding of what goes on in the background, that they don’t see; so they have a better understanding of why information is important.

At this lab you will learn: 

• What is the Plan Advisor supposed to do and what should the HR Director/department expect from their relationship.
• What a successful retirement plan looks like and how does yours compare. Key actionable items that can be implemented to help make a difference.
• Mistakes commonly seen from a TPA’s (Third Party Administrator’s) perspective and why their TPA should be looking out for and helping them reduce the potential for mistakes.
• From a fiduciary perspective, you will have a broad understanding of why you should be careful to ensure information is correct vs what areas you should rely on the experts to do it correctly. You will leave with a better understanding of what goes on in the background that you don’t see to better understand why plan information is so important. 

David Cottrell, Financial Advisor with Brock and Associates
David has over 16 years of advisory experience combined with business consulting and ownership. His broad-based background allows him to understand the unique needs of businesses and their management teams. He is a relationship driven professional that has a passion for the group benefit segment of the financial industry and believes that benefits can make a crucial difference in an employee’s life. David has been married to Katrina for 19 years and is bless with two children. When not working he loves to spend time outdoors with his family and friends poolside or at the beach.

Nick Eschenheimer, Director-Retirement Services with Principal Financial
As a retirement plan sales professional for Principal®, Nick works closely with plan sponsors and financial professionals in Oklahoma and Western Arkansas to help provide services to clients, including, fiduciary support, plan investment reviews, retirement plan design consulting, plan compliance and participant education. At Principal, our Mission in Retirement and Income Solutions is to help more people save enough, protect enough, and have enough in retirement, working with advisors, plan sponsors, and Third-Party Administrators (TPAs). Together, our organization and representatives are responsible for managing numerous local client relationships. Our organization can help you with your needs including 401(k), 403(b), ERISA 403(b) 457(b), 457(f), 457 Governmental, Non-Qualified, Defined Benefit and ESOP.

Shannon Edwards, ERPA, QPA, QKA – Founder and President of Tristar Pension Consulting
Shannon has been working in the retirement plan industry for over 30 years. She built TriStar Pension from the ground up, and in January of this year, TriStar celebrated its 20th anniversary. Shannon and her team have served over 100,000 plan participants nationwide, and many of her clients have been with her for 20 years or more.

Shannon has been a credentialed member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) for more than 20 years. She currently serves as a member at large on the American Retirement Association (ARA) Board of Directors in addition to co-chairing the ARA Women in Retirement Conference and the ASPPA TPA Growth Summit. Shannon is also a credentialed member of the National Institute of Pension Administrators (NIPA). 

Shannon was honored by OKC Business Magazine as one of Oklahoma’s “40 Under 40” award winners. She is passionate about community service. She has served on several fund-raising committees, and supports several non-profits locally such as Infant Crisis Services, Make a Wish Oklahoma and Cleats for Kids.

Shannon and her husband of more than 25 years, Corey, have three children ranging in age from 12 to 23. They are all die hard Sooner fans, but thanks to her middle son, they are now adopted Fightn’ Texas Aggies as well. When she is not working to empower participants and guide them down the road to a successful retirement destination, Shannon enjoys spending time with her family in the mountains, on the beach or at the golf course.