In this episode of "Gray to Great," Dan Dal Degan speaks with Steven Puckett, Managing Partner of Fiduciary Pension Partners, about the evolving landscape of corporate retirement planning. They discuss the importance of personalized, 1:1 consulting, especially during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic, and how proactive communication can lead to business growth. Steve shares his effective lead generation strategies, including the use of webinars and maintaining a human touch in an increasingly automated retirement ecosystem. He emphasizes the significance of client education and storytelling in building trust, as well as the importance of mentorship for young professionals entering the finance industry. Fun fact: Steven arrives before the rest of his office to maintain best practices of seemingly "old-fashioned" cold calling to gain new business.

More About Steven Puckett:
Steve manages and consults on retirement plans in the areas of investment advisory services, fiduciary services, forensic plan audits, fiduciary risk mitigation solutions, compliance assistance, and fee audits for 403(b) plans, 401(k) plans, 457 plans, Defined Benefit plans, and Non-Qualified Plans. With over 30 years of experience in the retirement plans industry, Steve has assisted and consulted with hundreds of companies with their retirement plans concerns.

Prior to joining FPP, Steve held senior level positions at HANYS Benefit Services, Gallagher Retirement Services, MetLife, Oppenheimer Funds, and Nicholas Applegate Capital Management. Steven has been a featured retirement plans speaker at the American Bar Association (ABA), Securities Industry Association (SIA) conference and the National Tax Sheltered Accounts Association (NTSAA) national conferences.

Steven has been named as one of the Top 100 retirement plan advisors in the United States by Plan Sponsor Magazine in 2015 and 2016. He was also named as one of the Top Retirement Advisers by The Financial Times in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.  Steve was also named one of the Top 300 in the years 2008, 2009, 2010.

Steven has been awarded his Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation (AIF®) from the University of Pittsburgh, the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisors (CPFA®) from the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA), and the Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist (CRPS®) designation from the College for Financial Planning. Steve earned his Bachelor’s Degree (BBA) in Finance from the University of Iowa. Steven resides with his family in Westfield, New Jersey.

Disclosure: Steven Puckett is the managing member of Fiduciary Pension Partners.  Fiduciary Pension Partners is a registered investment adviser with its principal place of business in the State of New Jersey. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training.  The content provided herein is not intended to provide specific legal, tax, financial or other professional advice. Mr. Puckett was not compensated for his participation in this program.