Retirement Repair Shop 

Mary Beth Franklin
Author and Financial Professional

Mary Beth Franklin is one of the country’s leading experts on Social Security and Medicare. An award-winning journalist and Certified Financial Planner, Mary Beth writes a weekly column on retirement issues for Investment News, a publication for financial advisors. She is also author of the e-book, Maximizing Your Social Security Retirement Benefits.

Previously, Mary Beth served as the tax and retirement editor for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine and editor of Kiplinger’s annual "Retirement Planning Guide." Earlier in her career, Mary Beth was a Capitol Hill reporter for United Press International. She is a frequent guest on numerous radio and television programs.

Allison Schmidt

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and CPA, Higgins and Schmidt Wealth Strategies

Allie co-founded Higgins & Schmidt Wealth Strategies with Steven Higgins in 2010. She works with a select group of individuals and families to develop tax-efficient financial strategies and works closely with clients to assess their full financial picture and ensure each and every piece is working together. Their client-first based approach, the cornerstone of the Higgins and Schmidt process, has resulted in industry-wide recognition. 

Pui Kalyanamitra
Regional Vice President of Sales — Mutual Funds, Transamerica

Pui has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, joining Transamerica in 2011 after serving as a regional vice president for ING. She focuses on providing Social Security and asset protection expertise to the clients she serves. She believes the key to understanding the needs and goals of individuals is listening, and she strives to help advisors provide a remarkable experience for their clients.   
 
Pui earned her bachelor’s degree from Colorado College and studied at the Maastricht University School of Economics. She holds FINRA Series 7 and 66 registrations and a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor^SM (CRPC®) designation.

Catherine Collinson
CEO, President of Nonprofit Transamerica Institute and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies

Catherine Collinson is a champion for Americans who are at risk of not achieving a financially secure retirement. Catherine oversees all research and outreach initiatives, including the Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey. Catherine also serves as Executive Director of Aegon Center for Longevity and Retirement based in The Netherlands.

With two decades of retirement industry-related experience, Catherine has become a nationally recognized voice on retirement trends. She was named a 2018 Influencer in Aging by PBS’ Next Avenue. In 2016, she was honored with a Hero Award from Women’s Institute for a Secure Retirement (WISER) for her tireless efforts in helping improve retirement security among women. In 2015, Catherine joined the Advisory Board of Milken Institute’s Center for the Future of Aging. She co-hosts ClearPath: Your Roadmap to Health and Wealth on WYPR, Baltimore’s NPR news station.

Thomas R. Wald, CFA®
Chief Investment Officer Of Transamerica Asset Management, Inc.

Tom is the Chief Investment Officer of Transamerica Asset Management, the mutual fund arm of Transamerica. Tom has more than 25 years of investment management experience and has managed large mutual fund portfolios and separate accounts.

As a member of the senior management team, Tom heads Transamerica’s thought leadership efforts and provides perspectives to advisors, clients, the media, and general public. He writes and publishes Transamerica’s Market Outlook and other relevant commentary. He also heads Transamerica’s mutual fund sub-adviser selection and monitoring process, as well as overall product management. Tom holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Tulane University, and an MBA in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mark Halloran
VP, Managing Director of National Accounts Development for Individual Markets

Individual Markets is responsible for Transamerica’s retail and institutional distribution relationships for annuity and asset management product lines. Mark also has charge of the Industry and Regulatory Strategy team, which is responsible for development and execution of Transamerica’s strategies in response to business environment and regulatory changes.

With over 30 years of experience, Mark is a veteran of the financial services industry. He has held positions on both the product manufacturing side, as well as on the retail distribution side of the business specific to marketing mutual funds, retail annuities, and other investment products. He has worked for companies such as Metropolitan Life, Bank of Boston, INVEST, Aetna Financial Services, and ING. Mark has balanced managing and mentoring wholesalers and business development managers with developing strategic marketing plans, and traveling the country to introduce new products and speak on current industry topics.

Ryan Bertrand, CFP®, CLU®
VP and Managing Director of Advanced Markets

Ryan brings over a decade of financial services industry experience to a highly professional group that focuses on estate planning, financial planning, taxation, retirement plans, and charitable planning. By focusing on these areas, he is able to identify business opportunities through the use of advanced financial planning strategies. Ryan is dedicated to helping representatives build their businesses and helping their clients by providing effective guidance, case design, and strategies.

Ryan’s background and experience provide an essential component for Advanced Markets. Working with the rest of the group, Ryan helps create a professional department that provides assistance in financial planning, estate planning, taxation, retirement plans, and charitable giving.