We’ve just returned from IMI’s latest conference, “Spring 2018 Consultants’ Retreat”, and I’d like to thank them for the work that they do to support the asset/liability consulting community.  KCS has benefited tremendously from the many conference providers in our industry (Opal, IMI, FRA, P&I, II, Markets Group, etc.), but no conference organization dedicates as much time and energy to the asset consultants than IMI’s Russ Mason.

Why is this important? The retirement industry is going through a critical and transformative phase, and the asset/liability consultants are still prominently involved in many of the critical decisions.  However, I believe that many of the consulting firms have been slow to evolve their thinking on how to tackle today’s retirement issues. The move to OCIO is meaningful, but the focus for these firms remains on the asset-side of the equation, which has been the focus for the past 50 or so years.

The opportunity to sit among our peers, both large and small, in an intimate setting, provides for outstanding dialogue and idea sharing, and this past event was certainly no exception. There is no one way to tackle this problem and no firm has the only secret sauce, but the willingness on the part of consultants to openly share ideas benefits the entire industry.

I want to thank IMI for arranging these bi-annual events, and to my fellow consultants for their willingness to discuss critical retirement-related matters so openly.  At the end of the day, we all have a responsibility to the beneficiaries of the plans for whom we consult. Challenging the common wisdom in a forum such as IMI’s may ultimately lead to necessary reforms. Great job, Russ and team!