Not every employee walks into a retirement seminar with the same questions. A 24-year-old just starting their career has very different concerns than a 61-year-old trying to determine the best time to claim Social Security. Yet many companies still approach retirement education the same way for everyone.
That’s the challenge Maureen hopes to address.
An HR Manager at a 120-person company, Maureen spoke with TPSU Founder and CEO Fred Barstein following a recent TPSU program at Rollins College. With a workforce spanning multiple generations, she believes the traditional one-size-fits-all approach to retirement education isn’t effective.
Her plan is to organize retirement education by age group, working with the company’s retirement plan advisor to develop more targeted guidance. Younger employees need encouragement to begin saving early, while those nearing retirement benefit from education around Social Security timing, income strategies, and preparing for life after work.
Still in the early stages, the initiative reflects Maureen’s broader view that HR leaders should provide more than just benefits. Financial wellness, healthcare considerations, and the realities of aging are areas where employees increasingly need support — and the workplace is one of the few places that support can reach people at scale.
Read the Full Transcript Here:
Fred Barstein:
Greetings. My name is Fred Barstein, CEO and Founder of TPSU. We just completed a program here in the Orlando area at Rollins College, and I’m here with Maureen. Welcome, Maureen. Can we ask you a few questions?
Maureen:
Of course.
Fred Barstein:
Before we start, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Maureen:
My name is Maureen, and I’m the HR Manager at a company with about 120 employees.
Fred Barstein:
Great. One of the things you mentioned is that you’re considering doing education by age band. What does that mean?
Maureen:
Yes. We have a wide range of ages in our company. We have younger employees in their early 20s, and we also have more seasoned employees who may be retiring within the next five years.
I think it’s important that we prepare them for what’s next. For younger employees, it’s about helping them start their savings journey early. For our more seasoned employees, it’s about preparing for Social Security and retirement and making sure they’re ready for that transition.
Fred Barstein:
Who will help create that education? Will you do it yourself, or will your recordkeeper or advisor help?
Maureen:
I’ll work on it together with our advisor.
Fred Barstein:
Are you ready to implement this now, or where are you in the process?
Maureen:
We’re just in the beginning stages. We’ll be meeting with our advisor in the next couple of weeks to start planning.
Fred Barstein:
Why is this important to you?
Maureen:
I think it’s important for HR professionals to provide not only financial benefits for employees, but also educational benefits. Education around wellness, health, and aging is a key part of supporting employees as they move through different stages of life.
Fred Barstein:
Final question—what were a couple of things you learned today, and would you recommend TPSU?
Maureen:
Yes, I would recommend TPSU. It’s great to get out of the office for a few hours, meet other people in the community, and share both pain points and wins.
Fred Barstein:
Right, that peer-to-peer learning.
Maureen:
Exactly.
Fred Barstein:
Well, thanks for your time.
Maureen:
Thank you.
Fred Barstein:
And thank you for watching 401kTV.
