Tom Palka
CFP, Founder of RIA Technology, Inc.
Workshop presenter, Thursday, December 7, 2000
Workshop Topic: 401(k): Your Hidden Income Opportunity

Tom Palka, CFP and founder of RIA Technology, Inc. discovered the need for people to understand their employer savings programs in January of 1987 as he began the process of meeting individually with over 1,000 Ford Motor Company employees to review their company savings program. Since that time RIA Technology, Inc. has specialized in working with employees of companies like GM, Ford, Detroit Edison, and GTE. We also work with education and medical professionals

Tom has dedicated his career to helping people maximize their employer savings program options and making it the centerpiece of their entire financial picture. Tom’s first interview takes on an educational format. Topics covered include wills and trusts, life insurance, company pension program, pre-tax vs. after-tax savings, retirement planning and investments.

Tom began educating representatives in the area of financial planning and strategies for maximizing employer savings programs in February 1997. Most financial professionals deal with a number of clients who typically work for different corporations. RIA Technology assists financial professionals in giving investment advice to their clients who have money in a captive 401(k) or 403(b) account. Company 401(k)’s are restricted by the employer, making it difficult for an investment professional to research and give advice in a timely manner. We make it possible for professionals to keep track of their clients’ 401(k) portfolio and investment alternatives. By using our turn-key system, investment professionals can offer a service to their clients that has been ignored by the investment community due to its complexity. We allow the investment professionals to make investment choices for their clients within their company savings program, and we implement all of the changes for them.

RIA Technology Inc.’s goal is to lead the financial services industry in educating financial professionals in the art of financial planning by centering the clients portfolio around their employer’s 401(k), and by providing the back-office support necessary for investment selection, implementation, monitoring and reporting of 401(k) and 403(b) portfolios.