The 20 Rising Stars of Retirement Plan Advisory 2008

5. JASON CHEPENIK participants of retirement plans and discussing the importance of their company’s retirement plan and how it can help them meet their retirement needs. In addition, I love being able to provide a service that is of great need to most people.” During his years in the administration business and as a benefits consultant, Chambers saw firsthand how people were not adequately preparing for retirement.“When I was provided the opportunity to be able to make a difference, I did not hesitate to jump at it – and I have enjoyed every minute of it,” he said. Calling his promotion to associate his biggest professional accomplishment, Chambers hopes to be a partner at Plante Moran within 10 years and ultimately the lead partner of the corporate retirement plan practice. However, he sees that his work will be cut out for him as retirement planning becomes increasingly high profile in the United States. “With Americans not saving for retirement and life expectancy increasing, we are on a path for a complete disaster,” he said. “Given the lack of savings outside of qualified retirement plans, this industry will have an impact on nearly every American as they will be relying completely on their savings within their employer’s retirement plans. Therefore, the industry needs to step up and do everything it can to help people meet their retirement needs.” million in assets to roughly $1 billion. Chepenik first decided that he wanted to work with his father when he was just seven years old, but it wasn’t until 1999 that he followed through on those aspirations. “I had to create my own start from nothing,” he said.“When I ended up joining him in 1999, I had lots of opportunities on the Street. I could’ve taken a bite of one of those apples, but I chose to join my father in his practice.” Chepenik started his professional life just 10 days after graduating from Tulane in 1991, taking a job with IBM Business Partners as a mid-range computer systems salesman in New Orleans. In 1995, he joined Legg Mason in New Orleans as an investment professional and started to evaluate corporate retirement plans. In 1998, he transferred to Legg Mason’s Orlando office and then left to join his father the following year. Nearly 10 years later, Chepenik is a fixture of the family business, which is a National Retirement Partners member firm. He has grown Chepenik Financial’s business by going after larger plans, moving from the $20 million range to ones as big as $300 million. A Certified Financial Planner and an Accredited Investment Fiduciary, he regularly appears on the local NBC affiliate out of Orlando and is involved in various trade associations and industry events. Earlier this year, he testified in front of the Department of Labor, lobbying against use of the word ‘guarantee’ in retirement plan products. Although he hopes to have slowed his pace somewhat 10 years from now, Chepenik sees big changes on the horizon for the retirement industry. “This past year and a half is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “Every 10 seconds there’s something new.” However, he is optimistic about these changes, maintaining that employers genuinely want to see their workers saving for retirement.As 30- to 40-year-olds get closer to retirement, they will begin to demand more from their financial advisors and raise the expectations of their retirement plan programs, he predicted. JASON CHEPENIK 5. 5. Managing Partner Chepenik Financial, Winter Park, Fla. Age: 37 Education: Tulane University (B.S. in Management) Mentor: Barney Chepenik, Managing Partner, Chepenik Financial; William Chetney, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Retirement Partners Chepenik is a managing partner at Chepenik Financial, which was started by his father in 1972, and is responsible for the firm’s corporate retirement plan business – one he’s built up from $50 SEPTEMBER 2008 RETIREMENT PLAN ADVISORY RISING STARS 25

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The 20 Rising Stars of Retirement Plan Advisory 2008 Contents Doing Well By Doing Good The Post-PPA Bounce Automatic Enrollment vs. Managed Account Unfair Advantage? You Bet The New World Order 20 Rising Stars of Retirement Plan Advisory Mentors’ Page

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