Shlomo Benartzi served as Chief Behavioral Economist in Allianz Global Investors’s Centre for Behavioral Finance from 2010 to 2016. In this role, he developed the Plan Success System to improve 401k plans. He did this by designing a behavioral audit to assess the performance of the plan, followed by a behavioral toolbox that translated key behavioral principles into applied solutions that can increase the financial wellbeing of plan participants.

Benartzi also helped develop the certified behavioral finance analyst program for AGI. The Certified Behavioral Finance Analyst (CBFA) designation identifies those retirement-focused professionals who can implement the Center’s PlanSuccess System and perform PlanSuccess Behavioral Audits of retirement plans. Matt Gulseth participated in the CBFA program. He went on to use the PlanSuccess System among retail employees at the Mall of America. This system led to a dramatic boost in retirement plan enrollment by a factor of 3.5, from 25 to 88 percent. 

In addition, Benartzi pioneered the Retirement Goal Planning System (GPS) for AGI, an engaging process that helps people identify their retirement goals and establish a tailored action plan for a successful retirement. The Goal Planning System is a thinking architecture that consists of seven steps that encourage people to step back and ask: “What do I really want to achieve? What am I missing? What matters most to me?” By identifying these key goals, the system improves financial wellbeing, allowing people to make retirement decisions that fully reflect their values and priorities.