Together we have over 60 years of combined industry experience. Michelle's insurance and annuity career is complemented by Mark's many years at Barclays Global Investors and other top asset managers.
We're tireless advocates for those who don't understand Wall Street, have little experience with insurance and annuities, and/or just can't figure out how to budget for a secure retirement at all. They don't stand much of a chance on their own against industry business models which too often profit through misinformation and hype, or omission and exclusion.
We first collaborated in a pro bono retirement advice think tank called The Open Architecture 2020 Group. The mission was to translate post-2006 pension plan best practices to new retirement planning process for individuals. The finished work was published as a free e-book online in 2022, called "LDI for Individual Retirement Planning: A Good Fit".*
This work continues to inform ARC's educational content.
Michelle Richter-Gordon, AIF
®
Co-Founder
As a Co-Founder of ARC I'm hoping to lead by example toward process standardization in best practices for the financial advice profession.
I was born and bred to advise upon prudent risk mitigation and believe that America’s retirees would be better-served by integrating an income-oriented worldview into asset management business models. Since current regulatory standards for advisory services are most often billed through the lens of asset maximization, there is no scalable framework to charge for intellectual property and advisory services that minimize liabilities or smooth income (the functions that insurance performs).
Adding annuities inside DC plans offers an opportunity to innovate here, under the guidance of ERISA prudent process standards. I also have a successful strategic consulting practice advising insurers and financial services companies about how to integrate liability-minimizing services that only insurers can provide.
EXPERIENCE:
Primarily Insurance Industry-Based Since 2000
Fiduciary Insurance Services LLC
Milliman
Aetna
Columbia University, MBA 2005
Wesleyan University, BA 2000
Series 65 Investment Advisor
Insurance Consultant
Publications:
1. The Time to Define Insurance Advising is Now - Articles - Advisor Perspectives https://www.kitces.com/blog/weekend-reading-for-financial-planners-jan-21-22-2023/
2. The Difference Between Asset Management and Wealth Management | Wealth Management
3. https://www.wealthmanagement.com/insurance/rias-sell-verbs-agents-and-brokers-sell-nouns
4. https://www.wealthmanagement.com/retirement-planning/case-plan-retirement-income
5. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/new-retirement-law-paves-way-for-insurers-to-tap-your-401k
Mark Chamberlain
Co-Founder
I'm passionate about improving financial security for Middle Class Americans. I grew up in the small town of Exeter, NH the son of a nurse and a public-school teacher.
As a boy, the large boarding school down the street was a constant reminder of what's often called "the two Americas." Some people are lucky to be given advantages by birth, while most have to fight their way up the ladder.
I like to play for underdog teams. The average Middle Class American does not have a degree from a business school and may not have much experience with insurance and investments. But they are honest, hardworking people like my parents, and they deserve true open architecture retirement guidance.
I want to have their backs.
PRIOR EXPERIENCE:
Primarily Asset Management-Based Since 1986
The Open Architecture 2020 Group
Barclays Global Investors
Beutel, Goodman Capital Management
Kayne, Anderson Investment Management
Alliance Capital
Prudential-Bache
Occidental College, BA 1983
Series 65 Registered Investment Advisor
Publications:
LDI For Individuals
Changing The Retirement Advice Conversation, SOA
A New Retirement Advice Process, IMCA
OUR MISSION
We provide research and consulting as part of a complete fiduciary process for investigating and monitoring guaranteed retirement income solutions.