Decoding Growth

Modernizing Retirement: Tech, Data, and Wealth Convergence

The retirement industry is entering a new phase of innovation—and the old playbook isn’t working anymore. Technology is changing how retirement platforms are built, how record keepers modernize legacy systems, and how advisors connect retirement planning with wealth management. Instead of massive platform overhauls, the industry is shifting toward modular modernization, orchestration platforms, and embedded retirement infrastructure. In this conversation, Will Prest sits down with Mahesh Natarajan, Chief Revenue Officer at Congruent Solutions, to unpack the forces reshaping the retirement ecosystem—from the rise of retire-tech startups to the role AI will play in operational efficiency and participant outcomes. They explore how record keepers are modernizing without replacing legacy systems, why retirement and wealth management are converging faster than expected, and what embedded finance means for the future of retirement platforms. The discussion also dives into retirement income solutions, enterprise technology strategy, and the growing role of AI in improving plan administration, data workflows, and participant experiences. For founders, advisors, and retirement industry leaders, this conversation offers a clear view of where the industry is heading—and how to position for the next wave of growth. Key Discussion Points 00:55 – Mahesh Natarajan’s background and industry perspective 02:11 – What it means to be a “techno-business leader” 03:49 – Congruent Solutions and its role in the retirement ecosystem 05:07 – The rise of orchestration platforms in retirement technology 07:36 – Why record keepers are shifting to modular modernization 10:00 – How firms prioritize modernization initiatives 13:03 – Micro-transformation strategies for large enterprises 14:40 – Retirement income and the decumulation opportunity 18:33 – The convergence of retirement and wealth management 21:20 – Why data ownership will shape advisor relationships 26:00 – Build vs. buy vs. partner in enterprise technology strategy 29:00 – Why large enterprises struggle to innovate quickly 31:40 – The growth of retire-tech startups and partnerships 35:00 – Embedded retirement and new growth rails 39:26 – How TPAs and record keepers are evolving 43:00 – Where AI will actually impact retirement operations 47:00 – Enterprise AI, infrastructure, and industry implications 50:00 – Personalization at scale and the future of financial wellness 55:12 – Advice for retirement-tech founders 56:16 – Industry risks and opportunities ahead   When you watch the episode: 👍 Follow the show if you enjoy conversations about how innovation is reshaping financial services 💬 Share your biggest takeaway in the comments 🔁 Pass this along to someone thinking about the future of retirement technology   #RetirementIndustry #Fintech #RetirementPlanning #AIinFinance #WealthManagement #FintechInnovation #RetirementTech #EmbeddedFinance #FinancialServices #DecodingGrowth

The Hidden Intelligence in Plan Documents: Inside PlanPort

Plan documents hold more intelligence than most people realize—if you know how to unlock it. In this episode of Decoding Growth, we explore how PlanPort uncovers the hidden logic, rules, and decisions embedded in SPDs, amendments, and other complex plan materials. Founder David Levine breaks down how AI can interpret dense plan language, reduce manual review time, and support TPAs, record keepers, and advisors with greater accuracy and consistency. We dive into the role of responsible AI, why human oversight still matters, and how PlanPort blends automation with expert judgment to support retirement service professionals at scale. From legacy system challenges to real operational use cases, this conversation reveals how AI can transform workflows without replacing the people behind them. Listen to learn how PlanPort is redefining intelligence within plan documents—and why it matters for the future of retirement services. Key Discussion Points 00:00 Introduction 00:23 Meet Your Host: Will Press 01:09 Guest Introduction: David Levine 02:28 The Origin of PlanPort 03:54 Innovations in the Retirement Industry 05:46 Real Use Cases of PlanPort 14:14 Accuracy and Flexibility in AI 25:34 Industry Staffing Challenges 29:26 Why Human Oversight Matters 33:17 PlanPort’s Middleware Approach 36:41 Advice for New Ventures 45:36 Customer Feedback & Iteration 50:47 Future Trends & Final Thoughts 54:19 Closing Remarks   #PlanPort #FinTech #RetirementServices #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #DocumentAutomation #TPA #Recordkeepers #FinancialAdvisors #B2BTech #RetirementTech #HumanInTheLoop #DecodingGrowth #Podcast

Bridging the Gap: Lori Hardwick on Connecting Wealth and Retirement

The retirement industry keeps talking about convergence. Lori Hardwick breaks down what it actually takes to make it real. This conversation cuts straight into the structural issues—America’s savings gap, advisor confidence, platform integrations, valuation pressures, and the technology finally capable of scaling access. Lori brings decades of experience as an operator, board member, and founder to explain why this moment is different, what’s newly possible, and where firms are still holding themselves back. You will hear what most leaders learn only after expensive trial and error: * 00:00 — The real retirement access crisis in America * 04:20 — The savings gap, Social Security challenges & bipartisan urgency * 08:45 — Why wealth advisors hesitate: risk, regulation & confidence * 12:30 — The time-management dilemma: 25 employees, one advisor * 15:50 — The Sater model: specialists, referrals & shared revenue * 20:55 — Swell’s turnkey infrastructure & chatbot-powered onboarding * 25:10 — Tech rails: the new path from payroll → recordkeeper → asset mgmt * 29:35 — Emergency savings, student-loan matching & plan design innovation * 34:18 — What retirement can learn from wealth—and vice versa * 37:45 — Where retire-tech platforms can plug in * 41:20 — Early-stage founders vs. enterprise due diligence reality * 45:12 — Riding the rails: integrations with Orion, InvestNet, Pershing * 49:05 — Founder traits: execution vs. ideas * 53:25 — Build, buy, or partner? Lori’s framework from inside the big firms * 56:12 — The legacy tech debt problem nobody wants to talk about * 01:00:40 — How firms can modernize without breaking the enterprise * 01:03:50 — Final challenge: who will actually bridge the gap? * This isn’t industry commentary. It’s a strategic field guide for enterprises, advisors, founders, and retirement innovators who want to bridge the gap without burning years—or budgets—doing it the hard way. If this episode gave you a new lens on convergence and growth: 👍 Hit like 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations that cut through the noise 💬 Tell us the insight that hit home for you 🔗 Share this with someone who needs a clearer view of where the industry is headed #RetirementTech #WealthManagement #Fintech #FinancialInnovation #AdvisorGrowth #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfFinance #401k #RetirementPlans #SaaS

Owning the Friction: The 401Go Story | Dan Beck | Decoding Growth | EP 108

Welcome to Decoding Growth, where unfiltered conversations and bold ideas are reshaping retirement. In this episode, hosts Lisa Kottler and Will Press sit down with Dan Beck, co-founder and CEO of 401GO, to explore how innovation, empathy, and a customer-first mindset are transforming the small business retirement market. While others talk about serving small employers, Dan and his team are actually doing it. From tackling legacy systems to designing technology that reduces friction and humanizes finance, this episode breaks down what it truly means to modernize an industry that’s been slow to evolve. If you’ve ever wondered why so many small businesses still struggle to offer 401(k) plans — and what it takes to fix that — this conversation is your roadmap. ⏱ Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to Decoding Growth: The new playbook for retirement innovation 00:33 – Introducing Dan Beck, co-founder and CEO of 401GO 01:40 – From e-commerce to fintech: Dan’s journey into retirement innovation 03:08 – The origin story: when solving his own 401(k) problem sparked a startup 05:20 – Why curiosity drives entrepreneurship and change 07:14 – Lessons from e-commerce: reducing friction and building better experiences 10:08 – Understanding the small business pain point — why complexity kills adoption 13:22 – How 401GO’s “own the friction” philosophy reshapes advisor relationships 16:18 – Building for small businesses: empathy over industry jargon 18:45 – Real-life impact: helping employees save their first dollar 21:10 – Human design + tech innovation: the secret to long-term engagement 25:04 – Redefining advisor partnerships and distribution models 29:28 – Why automation and relationships must coexist 32:00 – The danger of legacy thinking and the power of outside perspective 35:46 – Bootstrapping vs. venture capital: building for growth with integrity 38:25 – Lessons on innovation from startups and legacy firms 42:14 – How big companies and fintechs can collaborate instead of compete 46:00 – Innovation inside risk-averse industries: how to make it work 50:27 – The mindset shift: experimentation, autonomy, and innovation 55:19 – What incumbents can learn from startups — and vice versa 59:00 – The surprising truth: this industry wants to change 1:02:00 – Closing reflections: curiosity, empathy, and the future of 401(k)s 💡 Key Takeaways • “Own the friction” — make complexity your responsibility, not your client’s. • Real innovation starts with solving real problems, not chasing shiny tech. • Empathy + automation = sustainable business transformation. • Small businesses deserve better access, clarity, and care in financial services. • The retirement industry is ready to evolve — it just needs better tools. 🔔 Join the Movement If this episode inspired you: ✅ Subscribe to Decoding Growth for more unfiltered conversations on innovation. 💬 Comment your biggest takeaway — how do you “own the friction” in your business? 📢 Share this episode with a colleague ready to rethink how retirement works. Because innovation isn’t about technology — it’s about courage, curiosity, and care. 💬🚀

Peopled’s Bold Bet on Hyper-Personalized Benefits | Anthony Bunnell and Tom Bishop | EP107

Welcome to Decoding Growth — where unfiltered conversations and bold ideas are reshaping the future of retirement and benefits. In this episode, hosts Lisa Kottler and Will Prest sit down with Anthony Bunnell and Tom Bishop, co-founders of Peopled, to unpack how their company is building the new front door for employee benefits. With backgrounds as executives and startup founders, Anthony and Tom bring unique insights into how AI, personalization, and trust can transform how employees engage with their benefits. From solving the problem of benefits confusion to reimagining the advisor’s role in an AI-driven world, this episode cuts through the noise to reveal what true innovation looks like in financial wellness. ⏱ Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to Decoding Growth 01:15 – Meet the co-founders of Peopled 04:10 – The problem Peopled is solving in the benefits space 07:45 – How AI is transforming employee engagement 10:32 – “The new front door” for benefits explained 14:55 – Hyper-personalization and trust in financial decisions 19:40 – Scaling the advisor relationship through technology 24:05 – Why alignment—not assets—should define industry success 29:12 – Lessons learned from past startups and regulated industries 33:25 – Building partnerships with recordkeepers and healthcare providers 37:58 – The real future of integration and collaboration 42:10 – Final thoughts: redefining success in financial services 🎧 Tune in to explore how “Peopled” is using technology to help individuals make smarter, more confident financial decisions—one conversation at a time. 📢 Watch more episodes of Decoding Growth 💬 Subscribe for fresh insights from innovators transforming the retirement landscape.