We have asked subject experts in the Audit, Financial Consulting and Actuarial fields to educate us on the trends they feel are facing the industry today. This multi-topic program will allot 30 minutes to each member of the panel. Many analysts are predicting inflation rates in the single to even double digits. How are defined contribution plans monitoring their investment line-up to address this issue? Retirement plan are required to be audited by an independent auditor. But how are the auditors audited by the DOL’s Office of the Chief Accountant’s? Defined benefit plans are faced with low interest rates and investments that have not kept up with actuarial assumptions. How are defined benefit plans dealing with this increased liability and market risks?

Insights into Defined Benefit Plan De-risking Strategies

Presenter: Laura Dalzell, Senior Consulting Actuary, Towers Watson

Laura C. Dalzell, FSA, EA, MAAA
Laura Dalzell is a senior consulting actuary specializing in employee retirement benefits and actuarial services in Towers Watson’s San Francisco office. With over 12 years of experience as a consulting actuary, Laura has been involved in a wide range of employee benefit projects. Laura has worked extensively on the design, funding, cost, administration and communication of retirement and other employee benefit plans for various types of plan sponsors in the Bay Area. This includes work with defined benefit/pension plans, defined contribution plans, non-qualified plans and post-retirement medical plans. Laura graduated from the Union College in Schenectady, NY and holds a B.S. in mathematics. Laura is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a member of the American Association of Actuaries and an Enrolled Actuary.

Inflation Protection: It’s not just about TIPS

Presenter: Linda Ruiz-Zaiko, President, Bridgebay Financial, Inc.

Linda Ruiz-Zaiko, President, founded Bridgebay Financial, Inc. an independent, institutional investment consulting firm in 1987. Bridgebay advises institutional clients including defined contribution retirement plans, corporations, not-for-profits, foundations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). As a registered investment advisor, Bridgebay serves as an ERISA 3(21) fiduciary to its retirement clients and pursues a policy of full disclosure, adhering to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics.

Linda has presented at the WP&BC Conference in Seattle, EuroFinance Conference in Barcelona, Money Market Expo (MMX), and Association of Financial Professionals (AFP) National Conferences. She recently conducted a Pension & Investments webinar on vendor RFPs. She has been published in Treasury Management International and AFP Magazine. She holds a MBA in Finance from University of California Berkeley, a BA from Case Western Reserve University, and attended University of Madrid, Spain.

The DOL’s Chief Accountant’s Office: An Auditor’s Perspective
Presenter: Bertha Minnihan, Moss Adams

Bertha has 15 years of experience in public accounting and serves as the National Practice Leader for Moss Adams’ Employee Benefit Plan Group. She has extensive experience directing all phases of audits for a variety of benefit plans including 401(k), 403(b), pension, employee stock ownership, health and welfare benefit plans. She has also worked with a number of 11(k) clients. Her ERISA expertise includes the specialized knowledge required for audits, Form 5500s and related filings. Bertha provides various consulting services related to the ERISA industry nationwide and dedicates her time to staying on top of the Department of Labor requirements while they are still in the proposal and discussion stage.

Bertha serves on the AICPA’s Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center’s Executive Committee. She was named by the Business Journal as one of the “2008 Women of Influence in Silicon Valley.” Bertha has chaired the annual national AICPA Benefit Plan conference for several years and has served on the AICPA’s Technical Standards Subcommittee, which assists with the Department of Labor’s review of ERISA audits and auditors. She is frequently called upon to speak at local and national organization events dedicated to the Benefit Plan Audit specialty and her acumen is widely recognized by many of the third party administrators, trustees and investment custodians utilized by companies in Silicon Valley and beyond.