MassMutual Retirement Services Unveils 2014 RetireSmart(SM) Seminar Series

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Feb. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- MassMutual's Retirement Services Division is kicking off 2014 with an entirely new lineup for its RetireSmart(SM) interactive participant education series. The program, now in its fifth year, is designed to be informative, convenient, and action-inspiring, giving participants an opportunity to learn on their terms.

MassMutual will host six seminars in 2014, each presented by an industry expert. The series opens Feb. 26 with returning guest speaker Dr. Jerry Webman, Ph.D, CFA and Chief Economist for OppenheimerFunds Inc. For more than 20 years, Dr. Webman has been involved in the investment and economic markets – as a researcher, financial advisor, and portfolio manager. In his presentation, "After a record year for the market, what is next?," Dr. Webman will focus on helping participants better understand the financial implications of the stock market, fiscal policy, and the global economy as they affect retirement planning. Specifically, Dr. Webman will:

• Review 2013's market performance
• Discuss factors driving the global economy
• Identify key economic indicators to watch for retirement investors

The RetireSmart seminar series will continue bi-monthly throughout 2014 as follows:

• April 9: Retirement Planning for the Ages. Presented by Farnoosh Torabi, independent Generation Y money coach, best-selling author and personal finance journalist.
• June 11: Strategies for Pre-Retirees. Presented by Black Rock Investments.
• Aug. 6: The Art of Negotiating a Deal. Presented by Farnoosh Torabi.
• Oct. (exact date to be announced on www.retiresmartseminars.com): Calculating your Social Security Retirement Benefit. Presented by a representative from the U.S. Social Security Administration.
• Dec. 3: Maximizing your Workplace Benefits. Presented by Farnoosh Torabi.

Each MassMutual RetireSmart seminar is free of charge and includes a 30-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute Q&A session with the speaker. Space is prioritized to retirement plan sponsors and participants on MassMutual's platform. MassMutual retirement plan clients can pre-register for any upcoming seminar as well as access on-demand replays to past seminars at www.retiresmartseminars.com.

"MassMutual's RetireSmart seminars are designed to educate participants across a variety of financial– and retirement–related topics to help them achieve their personal financial goals, and ultimately, help them better prepare for a successful retirement," says E. Heather Smiley, senior vice president and chief marketing officer with MassMutual's Retirement Services Division. "We are pleased to bring in industry experts like Farnoosh Torabi, Dr. Webman, Black Rock and the Social Security Administration to directly address the most important topics to our participants as identified through post-event surveys," adds Smiley.

Last year alone, more than 13,000 retirement plan participants registered for the series. Twenty percent of participants, on average across the seven presentations, were encouraged to increase their deferral rate as a result of what they learned, and 4% of those not enrolled in their plan were encouraged to take the first step and enroll. "We will continue to offer participants access to industry experts and proven solutions to help them increase their overall financial health," adds Smiley.

For more information about MassMutual's Retirement Services Division, please contact your financial professional or call MassMutual at 1-800-874-2502, option 4.

Event dates, subjects and speakers are subject to change. The information within these presentations is solely the opinion of the speakers, who are independent orators and are not employees of MassMutual (excluding February's seminar with Dr. Webman of OppenheimerFunds Inc.). OppenheimerFunds Inc. is part of the MassMutual Financial Group family of companies owned by MassMutual.

About MassMutual
Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyholders. The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyholders consistently since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and annuities. In addition, the company's strong and growing network of financial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long term.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

MassMutual's Retirement Services Division has been serving retirement plans for more than 65 years. It offers a full range of products and services for corporate, union, nonprofit and governmental employers' defined benefit, defined contribution and nonqualified deferred compensation plans. It serves approximately 3 million participants.

For more information, visit www.massmutual.com or find MassMutual on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Google+. For information regarding MassMutual's Retirement Services Division, you may also visit massmutual.com/retire or find us on Facebook.com/RetireSmart and YouTube.com/RetireSmart.

Copyright ©2014 Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and affiliates, Springfield, MA 01111-0001. All rights reserved.

Contact: Jessica Barry
860-562-5095
[email protected]

SOURCE MassMutual Retirement Services