The 401(k) Champion® Competition Announces 2025 Winners, Celebrating Peer-to-Peer Retirement Savings Advocacy
STAMFORD, CT, UNITED STATES, September 9, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The 401(k) Champion® Competition today announced its 2025 winners, recognizing exceptional individuals who have distinguished themselves as champions of retirement savings. The 401(k) Champion® title honors people who not only save diligently in their own workplace plans but also encourage colleagues, friends, and family members to participate and maximize their 401(k) benefits.
The 401(k) Champion® initiative spotlights the powerful influence of everyday Americans in spreading financial literacy and modeling good saving habits. Winners are selected through a nationwide competition open to any current 401(k) participant who submits a personal essay. Submissions are judged based on participants’ ability to articulate the value of 401(k) savings and inspire others with real-life examples of peer encouragement and advocacy.
Four winners were chosen as 2025 401(k) Champions® on Friday, September 6, National 401(k) Day:
• Dr. Cesira Farrell, The Fred S. Keller School, NY
• Jodi Gutierrez, George Comfort & Sons, Inc., CT
• Michael Jerdan, HG Insights, CA
• Fred Yager, Morgan Stanley, FL
Each receives a $1,000 prize and, more importantly, recognition for their service as community role models demonstrating that retirement readiness begins with individual initiative.
“The 2025 winners exemplify what the 401(k) Champion® award is all about: sharing real stories and inspiring others to secure their financial futures,” said Julie Jason, founder of the 401(k) Champion® Competition. “Our Champions prove that encouragement from a peer or co-worker can often be more impactful than advice from a professional—because it’s grounded in lived experience and authenticity”.
About the Judges:
The applications were judged anonymously by an independent panel of four experts:
• Joe Aiken, Partner, Aiken Warner PLLC, CPAs, a full-service CPA firm providing accounting, consulting, taxation and litigation services based in Fairfax, VA.
• Adam Berkowitz, Chief Operating Officer of New Heights Youth, Inc., a non-profit sports-based youth-development and educational organization in New York City.
• Manny Bernardo, retired Human Resources Benefits Executive, former Director of Employee Benefits Tax Services for Deloitte & Touche Tristate, and former Benefits Specialist Attorney.
• Christopher Bruhl, Chief Strategist at nextSource Inc., a national professional services firm specializing in contingent workforce advisory and management services.
About the 401(k) Champion® Competition
The 401(k) Champion® Competition was founded to raise awareness of the benefits of tax-advantaged retirement savings and to underscore the role of peer influence in promoting financial wellness. By recognizing individuals who spread the 401(k) message, the competition highlights the importance of consistent participation, employer match maximization, and long-term commitment to retirement goals.
Winners are chosen from across the United States. Past Champions have been featured in financial media outlets and local press, further amplifying their efforts to educate and encourage broader participation in retirement plans.
About the Sponsor
The creator and sponsor of the 401(k) Champion® Competition, the only national essay contest for 401(k) participants, is financial literacy proponent, Julie Jason, JD, LLM, founder and CEO of Jackson, Grant Investment Advisers, Inc. of Stamford, CT. Jackson, Grant’s dual mission is to provide wealth management services to high-net-worth families while helping educate individuals of any financial means through pro bono initiatives such as the 401(k) Champion® Competition. The firm’s website is www.jacksongrant.us
To learn more about the 401(k) Champion® Competition and to read the winning essays, please visit www.401kchampion.com.
Dan van Rooyen
401k Champion® Award
+1 203-322-1198
dan@401kchampion.com
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