Business of Benefits : Employee Benefits Lawyer & Attorney : Law Office of Robert J. Toth, Jr. : 403(b) Plans, Annuity & Insurance Law : Business of Benefits Blog

Bob Toth has practiced employee benefits law since 1983. His practice focuses on the design, administration and distribution of financial products and services for retirement plans, one which combines elements of ERISA, tax law, insurance law, securities law and investment law for both 401(a) and 403(b) plans. Bob's experience includes implementing 403(b) programs under the new regulations; designing investment products for 401(k) plans; annuitization programs for defined contribution plans; advising on prohibited transactions issues related to retirement plan products and services and their distribution, development of open architecture programs for 403(b) plans and writing and implementing standards for fiduciary and advisory practices.

Bob was a partner at Baker and Daniels and spent 17 years in the legal division of Lincoln National Corporation, where he was Associate General Counsel managing the legal affairs of LFG's employer market division. Prior to joining LFG, Bob was a Senior Attorney at Kellogg Company in Battle Creek, Michigan, where he provided in-house counsel for all benefit law issues related to the company.

Bob is a Fellow of American College of Employee Benefits Council, and an Adjunct Professor at John Marshall School of Law’s Employee Benefits LLM Program, teaching the 403(b) and 457 plan courses. He graduated from Wayne State University Law School in 1983, and from the University of Michigan in 1978.

Bob is licensed to practice in Indiana and Michigan, and is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

His professional associations have included the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (Member; Board Member of ABC of Northern Indiana; Great Lakes Benefits Conference Executive Committee; Vice Chair, Tax Exempt Plan Committee); EP Program Chair of the IRS Great Lakes TE/GE Council; Co-founder of the Institute for Pension Plan Mgt, Purdue University; Past member of the Advisory Board of the American Benefits Council; Past Chair of the American Council of Life Insurance's Pension Committee; and a member of the American Bar Association. He is licensed to practice in Indiana and Michigan and is an Adjunct Professor at John Marshall School of Law.

Practice Areas

• 403(b) plans
• Annuity and Insurance Law
• Retirement Plan Products, Services and Distribution
• Fiduciary, Fees and Prohibited Transaction issues

Professional Associations

• ASPPA (American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries)
• Great Lakes TE/GE Council
• American College of Employee Benefits Counsel
• Indiana State Bar Association
• Michigan State Bar Association
• Allen County Bar Association
• American Bar Association

Education

• Undergraduate: University of Michigan
• Law School: Wayne State University Law School

Bar Admissions

• Michigan
• Indiana

Conni Toth, co-founder and managing consultant for Applied Pension Professionals, LLC, brings more than 25 years of experience in retirement planning to the financial services industry.  Conni applies her experience toward assisting fiduciaries with finding solutions for plan design, compliant processes and documentation for retirement plans.

Prior to her current role, she was the head of Internal Account Management for Lincoln Financial Group in Fort Wayne, IN.  During her 23 years at Lincoln Financial Group, positions held include Regional Vice President of Key Accounts, Second Vice President of New Business and Plan Administration, management and administrative roles in customer service supporting registered and non-registered annuity and mutual fund products.  Prior to Lincoln, she spent 8 years in customer service and commercial lending with banks located in Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, IN.

Conni holds FINRA series 6, 7, 24, and 26 registrations.  Industry memberships and activities include the American Society of Pension and Professional Actuaries  (ASPPA) since 1993 maintaining designations as a qualified plan administrator (QPA) and qualified 401(k) plan administrator (QKA); the IRS Great Lakes TE/GE Council; graduate class presenter for the John Marshall School of Law’s Employee Benefits LLM Program; the ASPPA Technical Committee; and Co-authored Thompson Publishing’s “The 403(b) and 457 Handbook”.

Attending Indiana University and University of Indianapolis, she focused on her BS of Business Administration while furthering her education at Indiana Wesleyan University in Fort Wayne, IN.