A ‘Father's' Wisdom: An Interview With Ted Benna

As part of our 90th anniversary, Workforce Management is talking to some of the people and organizations that helped influence today's workplace. In this installment, Workforce Management contributor Patty Kujawa speaks with Ted Benna, the "father" of the 401(k). In the early 1980s, Benna, a benefits consultant saw an opportunity in the tax code that ultimately made 401(k) plans flourish. It earned him the "father" title. Benna says at the time there wasn't a strong incentive for employees to contribute. So in 1981 he asked the Internal Revenue Service to change certain rules, which led to today's 401(k)s. Benna is currently the president of the 401(k) Association and chief operating officer at Malvern Benefits Corp.