Retirement and Investment Services Specialist

Retirement and Investment Services Specialist

The Retirement and Investment Services (RIS) Specialist is a registered financial services representative who provides excellent customer service to existing and potential WEA Member Benefits (Member Benefits) members. The RIS Specialist is responsible for providing, evaluating, and improving program administration services for the WEA Tax Sheltered Annuity Trust 403(b) and WEA Member Benefits Individual Retirement Account (IRA) programs; providing technical expertise to associates who directly serve members and ensuring forms, brochures, web content, programs, processes, and procedures comply with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules and regulations.

The incumbent responds to inquiries from members about retirement and investment questions, takes and enters mutual fund trade orders, provides calculations, processes death and beneficiary claims, and enrolls members into 403(b) and IRA programs. Accuracy, timeliness, and dependability are expected and must be routinely delivered without significant ongoing supervision or technical assistance.

60%—RIS Member Service

• Respond to member inquiries about mutual funds, investment allocation, regulations relating to contributions to and distributions from 403(b) and IRA programs, Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs), and death distributions.
• Execute financial planning calculations, investment portfolio analysis, Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) benefit calculations, and Social Security (SS) benefit estimates.
• Complete mutual fund orders for trades and fund allocations at the request of members.
• Calculate earnings/losses for adjustments.
• Identify and educate members on potential 403(b) and IRA exchanges, transfers, rollovers, and Roth conversions.
• Inform and educate potential members about the benefits of Member Benefits’ retirement savings programs and services via telephone and personal consultations.
• Determine whether members meet eligibility guidelines.
• Enroll interested individuals in 403(b) and IRA programs.
• Consult with existing members about their retirement savings needs by reviewing the programs in which they currently participate and recommending changes.

30%—RIS Program Administration

• Assist RIS Manager with quarterly investment and model portfolio reviews. Perform semiannual investment reviews and analyses, IRS research and compliance reviews, and update forms and brochures to reflect changes in the programs and to ensure compliance with regulations.
• Assist RIS Manager in 403(b) and IRA program retention and growth initiatives.
• Review beneficiary and QDRO required distributions schedules.
• Recommend changes to processes, procedures, and programs to ensure compliance with IRS laws and regulations and improve the administration and delivery of services to members.

10%—Projects

• Participate in projects to evaluate and/or improve RIS programs and services.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business or Personal Finance or related field or commensurate experience.
• Knowledge of at least one of the following:
  Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 403(b) and 408(a) and the pertinent regulations, WRS, SS, or retirement planning concepts and techniques.
• Experience utilizing personal computers and word processing and spreadsheet software, including either financial software programs or online record-keeping systems.
• Excellent performance in present and past positions.
• Commitment to providing excellence in customer service and other Member Benefits values.
• Effective leadership that results in achieving desired results, including collaboration and team building, objective establishment and implementation, and project work.
• Current Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Series 6 or 7 and 63 securities and State of Wisconsin (additional states also required) life licenses or the willingness and the ability to gain within six months of appointment.

• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to compose clear, concise, and persuasive correspondence and narrative reports that communicate messages consistent with Company policy using appropriate tone, grammar,…