About Our Team

PENSION SPECIALIST
Mark L. Shaffer RHU, a certified pension planner, entered the financial services industry with the Equitable Life Assurance Society, now AXA Advisors, in 1979. He is a member of the National Institute of Pension Planners, the Financial Planning Association, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, and the National Association of Health Underwriters. His background consists of over 25 years of financial marketing experience. A founding principal of Executive Benefit Plans, Inc. in 1983, he also is a principal of several financial marketing organizations operating throughout the U.S. He has held several field and home office positions throughout his career. Licensed in thirty-four states his discipline is in the practice of pension and retirement plans.

mshaffer@benefitplans.com
MARK L. SHAFFER
EXECUTIVE BENEFIT PLANS INC
1186 HWY 56 E – SUITE 1188
APOLLO PA 15613-9725
|
ACTUARY
John S. Agatston, CFA, FSA, EA, MAAA, MSPA, is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, an Enrolled Actuary and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries and the American Society of Pension Actuaries. John is also a Chartered Financial Analyst. He has also previously been a Certified Public Accountant in New York State. A graduate from Carnegie-Mellon University, John first worked as an actuary for Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. in New York City. As a senior consultant at PMM & Co., he audited the five retirement systems and developed the pension accounting procedures where PMM & Co. performed the first outside audit of the City of New York. Prior to forming his own company, John S. Agatston Actuarial Services, John was a Vice-President for Halliwell & Associates, Inc. and Chief Actuary & Senior Consultant for Johnson & Higgins, both in Pittsburgh.

johna@praticalactuary.com
JOHN S. AGATSTON, CFA, FSA, EA, MAAA, MSPA
JOHN S. AGATSTON ACTUARIAL SERVICES
5704 ELGIN STREET SUITE 300
PITTSBURGH PA 15206-1636
|
ERISA ATTORNEY
F. Jefferson Bragdon is of Counsel to the Firm. Prior to joining the Firm on February 1, 1998, Mr. Bragdon was Corporate Counsel at Federated Investors, one of the 10 largest Mutual Fund complexes in the world. Mr. Bragdon was responsible for Employee Benefit matters; in particular, the retirement plans He served as counsel to Federated's Defined Contribution Plan Administration subsidiary, the Director of Human Resources regarding employee benefits matters, and the Trustee of the Federated Investors Employee Profit Sharing 401(k) Plan.

F. JEFFERSON BRAGDON JD
WILLIAMS COULSON ATTORNEYS AT LAW
TWO CHATHAM CENTER - SUITE 1500
PITTSBURGH PA 15219

ERISA ATTORNEY

Mike Hughes is a veteran ERISA and Employee Benefits lawyer with over 30 years of experience counseling clients in all aspects of employee benefits and ERISA law, including the design, drafting, implementation and administration of qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, flexible compensation programs, welfare benefits plans, and fiduciary law aspects of ERISA. Mr. Hughes’ practice has involved him in extensive plan compliance work on behalf of clients, including plan compliance audits, submitting plans for correction under the IRS' Employee Plan Compliance Resolution Program, and determination letter and private letter rulings from the Internal Revenue Service.

planwiz@erisa.com
MICHAEL D. HUGHES, JD
ERISA.COM
1424 FIRST ST N
ST PETERSBURG FL 33704

TPA/RECORDKEEPING SERVICES

Southeastern Employee Benefit Services, Inc. (SEBS), was founded in 1971. Since its inception, SEBS has been a quality provider of retirement plan administrative services to customers throughout the United States. SEBS has over 2000 customers in 38 states. Our home office is in Winston-Salem, NC where our staff of over 60 employees includes 20 experienced pension analysts. SEBS administers a wide variety of plan types including: defined benefit, 401(k), 403(b), profit sharing, ESOP, and cross-tested. SEBS services cases with balance forward and daily accounting. Our daily customers have access to a voice response line and a participant web site to do inquiries and make changes to their accounts.

MARY CUTLER
SOUTHEASTERN EMPLOYEE BENEFIT SERVICES
723 COLISEUM DRIVE SUITE 200
WINSTON SALEM NC 27106

Information is provided for review and consideration only. Please consult legal and tax advisors for practical advice pertaining to your business and personal situations.

This page was last reviewed and/or updated on Friday, June 26, 2009 11:42 AM