Highlights from Aon’s 2019 Retirement and Investment Client Conference
Aon’s 2019 Client Conference highlighted challenges in the investment world and provided expert insights related to the markets, investment innovation, and plan design. The two-day event offered fresh perspectives, creative solutions, and actionable ideas from industry thought leaders on the following topics:
Responsible Investing
No matter where you are or what type of investor you are, responsible investing is on the rise. The conference kicked off with an overview of Aon's 2019 Global Perspectives on Responsible Investing survey results. The opening discussion covered how it is evolving, why investors are engaging in responsible investing, and future trends an organization needs to know to maximize growth and performance.
Guide to the Markets
Dr. David Kelly from J.P. Morgan Asset Management presented a short- and long-term economic and market update, highlighting major themes and concerns impacting investors today. While recession risks have risen as uncertainty weighs on business sentiment, long-term predictions signaled slower growth and lower inflation.
Investment Innovation and Opportunities
Innovation is paramount in today’s new investing world. Our panel shared bold new ideas, trends, and case studies surrounding topics such as late-stage real estate investing, new products in private equity, and a custom target date plan with an annuity feature to help guarantee defined contribution/403(b) participants a lifetime retirement income.
Cyber Security for Investors
Aon’s leading expert on cyber security and former head of the FBI’s Cyber Division answered attendees’ pressing questions on cyber security, cybercrime, and potential threats. The discussion included how Aon is building a holistic and integrated approach to cyber strategy, lessons learned from recent cyber attacks, key areas of focus for investment clients, and best ideas for execution.
Beyond Retirement: Recognizing Employee Financial Challenges
Based on Aon’s proprietary research, panelists discussed financial challenges employees face and provided ideas on how employers can help employees overcome obstacles to save for retirement. The discussion also included a case study on Abbott Laboratories’ program to help employees with student loan debt.
Governance Best Practices and Fiduciary Training
Investment success requires good governance. Our fiduciary experts led a training session on governance best practices, key fiduciary duties, how fiduciary responsibilities affect the operations of plans, and common fiduciary pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Plus, concentrated breakouts sessions:
Interactive roundtables focused on important themes relevant to the needs of corporate defined benefit (DB) plans, defined contribution (DC) plans, public funds, non-profits, and Taft-Hartley Plans.
- Corporate DB - Strategies to Navigate the Changing Pension Terrain
- Corporate DC - One Size Fits All? Constructing a DC plan for a Diverse Workforce
- Public Funds - Governance: The Foundation for Success
- Non-Profit - Alignment of Mission and Investment
- Taft-Hartley - Navigating Regulatory Guidance on Economically Targeted Investing
"It’s a privilege to be here and serve our clients. At Aon, we are passionate about helping our clients see opportunity where others see risk."
—Greg Case, CEO
To learn more about our retirement and investment solutions, please reach out to your Aon consultant.