September 20, 2010

If you want to get employees to take control of their retirement planning, you have to make connections. That's what city leaders in Atlanta learned from the success of a recent retirement expo for public safety officers.

For more than 30 years, the United States Conference of Mayors has worked with Nationwide to offer the program as a way for city employees to supplement their pension and social security benefit when they-re ready to retire. This past June, Atlanta's public safety department hosted its first-ever Public Safety Retirement Expo, exclusively sponsored by Nationwide Retirement Solutions. The event took place over two days, which gave officers ample opportunity to hear from industry experts discussing the financial markets and strategies for investing in seminars and one-on-one.

"Our officers came away from the event extremely excited about it," said Sgt. Janice Sturdivant, a 27-year veteran of the city's police department. "They were talking about our deferred comp program. They want to know more, and two months later, they-re coming to us asking really good questions about the plan and investing through deferred compensation. That's what really surprised us."

For Fire Chief Joel Baker, the event was more than just a retirement expo. "It was a chance for our firefighters to figure out where they are, where then need to be and how to get there. I have firefighters five years out from retirement tell me, -I have a Plan A and Plan B.- I tell them they need to think about Plan C and Plan D. That's what the expo let them do, to think about their options and put things in place that may help them get there. It was very, very informative, especially for those who are getting near retirement."

A prime example is Emma Fallins, a 25-year city employee. "I wasn-t sure at first that I wanted to go to the seminar, but I'm glad I did. I listened to what the Nationwide guy said and I realized that I should take a look at how I'm investing for my retirement. I could tell that it wasn-t about getting another account; it was about helping me ... It made a personal connection with me. It helped me make the decision."

Nationwide actively supports mayors and city leaders when they promote their deferred compensation plan, says Monty Robinson, Nationwide Program Director for the Conference of Mayors Program sponsored by Atlanta. "The more we can do to help city leaders to make connections with employees, to get them thinking about their future and to take control of it, the better it is for the city and their employees," he said.

As Human Resource Director, Sturdivant is looking to the future, too. "We need to target our younger people. They-re not thinking about retirement. That's so far off. But if they get in while they-re young, they can really set themselves up for life.

"It's important for people like me, those who are getting ready to retire, to help younger officers understand the long-term. In fact, I don-t even use the word 'retirement'," Sturdivant says. "I just try to get them to look ahead, by telling them: -This is where I was when I was in your shoes. This is where I am now. You may think that's a long time off, but it happens fast, believe me!- "

Mayors and city leaders who want to make connections with their employees and get them to take control of their future now can start by using events such as National Save for Retirement Week, October 17-23, to promote their deferred compensation plan. "When mayors set the tone, city workers often respond. They often just need to see the mayor's commitment to deferred compensation," Robinson said.

City leaders should know that finding creative solutions for employers has been a hallmark of Nationwide's service to the public sector, and especially the Conference of Mayors. For more information on what Nationwide is doing to help city employees, even during difficult economic conditions, contact Louie Watson, Vice President of Strategic Relationships at WatsonL2@Nationwide.com or call 614-854-8895, or contact Kathryn Kretschmer-Weyland with the Conference of Mayors at 301-460-5251 or kweyland@usmayors.org.

Nationwide Retirement Solutions (Nationwide) works together with the Conference of Mayors to provide members with a competitive deferred compensation program. As part of this partnership, Nationwide makes payments to the Conference of Mayors in exchange for Conference of Mayors- exclusive sponsorship of Nationwide products made available under the program. For more information, including amounts paid, Nationwide encourages you to visit NRSforu.com.