On Board Express Archive || E-Newsletters || Wespath Benefits and Investments Website

July 18, 2024 | Vol. XXIII, Issue 31

Register Now: Quadrennial Benefits Conference (QBC)

At the start of each UMC quadrennium, Wespath conducts a Quadrennial Benefits Conference (QBC) at two different dates and locations. We are looking forward to this year's event, which will present a valuable opportunity for us to meet with your conference's key leaders and together start planning for the work before us as we usher in a new era for the Church.

The intent of the QBC is to further familiarize our conference partners with Wespath and demonstrate how we can work alongside annual conference Boards of Pensions. To assist annual conferences, Wespath will pay two nights lodging and the registration fee for up to five attendees per annual conference at one QBC date/location. This covers hosted on-site meals—dinner on Thursday, breakfast and lunch on Friday, and breakfast on Saturday—as well as refreshment breaks and session materials.

Each conference is responsible for their attendees' travel costs (i.e., mileage, airfare, etc.). Attendees should follow their conference's policy/directions for booking and reimbursement for those travel costs. Conferences are also responsible for the total cost of any additional attendees beyond the five covered by Wespath. Conferences should decide which of the two events to attend so that their representatives can be there as a group.

Our hope is that Conference Benefits Officers/Treasurers/other conference staff will work with the leadership of their Board of Pensions to identify who could best benefit from attending one of these two events. For example, this would be a great event for key leaders or new members of the board who may take on a leadership position over the next 4 years to attend with the conference's identified staff.

Our content will focus on the existing plans, board responsibilities, Compass implementation topics, investments and some best practices in administering the benefit programs for clergy and staff in your conference.

Both events will cover the same basic content, so please choose the location and dates most convenient for your conference team. Both events will follow the general schedule below:

Thursday
1:00 to 6:15 p.m.—QBC Sessions
6:30 p.m.—Dinner

Friday
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.—QBC Sessions

Saturday
8:30 to 11:30 a.m.—QBC Sessions

Please use one of the links below to register:

September 12-14, 2024
Atlanta, GA—JW Marriott Buckhead
Registration Link

October 3-5, 2024
Chicago, IL—Westin O'Hare in Rosemont
Registration Link

Space is first come/first served. If you have questions, please contact Tony Prestipino at tprestipino@wespath.org or 224-998-8043 or your Wespath Client Relationship Manager.

June Monthly Investment Report Available

Read our June Monthly Investment Report to learn about U.S. stocks rising last month. The gains were driven by companies like Apple and Nvidia. The report also explains what drove fund performance in June, the second quarter and the first half of 2024.

Q2 Investment Insights Webinar Now Live

Our Q2 Investment Insights webinar is live! This quarter, we say goodbye to a familiar face, CIO Dave Zellner, ahead of his August 1 retirement, and hello to Wespath's new Director of Public Markets, Hoa Quach, CFA. Our team also highlights the latest in financial markets, fund performance and Wespath's shareholder engagement efforts. Watch the full webinar or view it in segments now.

Benefits Access Changes

As featured in the June Wespath Update, the Retirement Benefits Projections tool is temporarily not available for active Clergy Retirement Security Plan (CRSP) participants whose retirement date is after 1/1/2026. We will notify you and clergy once the tool has been updated for Compass. In addition, due to lack of usage, the Retirement Readiness Tool was phased out on July 17. More updates to come in future issues of On Board Express.

General Conference Items Update

Starting in July, we will conduct optional virtual meetings every other month to answer questions and provide updates on General Conference legislation outcomes that are relevant to plan sponsors. Please join us on Tuesday, July 30th from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., Central Time. A recording of the meeting will be provided if you are not able to attend.

Copyright © Wespath Benefits and Investments,
a general agency of The United Methodist Church

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