The Standard's Theodore Schmelzle, JD, CIPP, vice president of Retirement Plans Service, was interviewed in a recent USA TODAY story with retirement tips for readers. Ted emphasized that successful retirement saving is less about hitting a specific dollar target and more about building early, consistent habits, noting that “time is the most precious” factor in long‑term financial growth.
Starting in 2026, catch-up contributions for high earners must be Roth. PLANSPONSOR Magazine asked Ted Schmelzle, vice president of Retirement Plan Services at The Standard, to lend his perspective.
The IRS has given employers until the end of 2025 to address any unused forfeiture funds — don’t miss this one-time opportunity to “clean the slate.” The Standard's Angela Trefethen, senior director of Retirement Plans Service, shared with PLANSPONSOR how to use forfeiture funds to pay for any remaining employer match contributions, profit sharing contributions or participant allocations.
Amy Malagamba, The Standard's assistant vice president of Marketing, spoke with PLANSPONSOR recently about new Gen Z research from The Standard: “What the research found was: Instead of matching up with the sensibilities of Millennials, Gen Z is matching much more closely to the sensibilities of Gen X.” Read the full article for more insights.
Ted Schmelzle, The Standard's assistant vice president of Retirement Plan Services, spoke with PLANSPONSOR recently about fees associated with retirement plans and some key points to keep in mind: “The benefits to all of us, as individuals, of saving and starting early far outweigh the risk of not doing so." Read the full article for more insights.