Kenn B. Tacchino

Kenn B. Tacchino, JD, LLM, RICP

  • Boettner Endowed Professor
  • Editor of Journal of Financial Service Professionals
Media Expertise:
  • Accounting & Taxation
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Programs I Teach

Education

  • JD, Law (1982)
    Western New England University (MA)
  • LLM, Tax (1994)
    Widener University (PA)
  • RICP, Retirement Income Planning (2013)
    RICP

About Me

I am a professor of taxation and financial planning at Widener University and the three-time winner of the School of Business Distinguished Graduate Teaching Award. I also served as the chairperson of the department of economics, finance, and taxation.

I have been the editor of the Journal of Financial Service Professionals since 2001. I was formerly a full-time faculty member and a consultant to The American College. I was also a contributing author to two textbooks for the college. I was the former director of the New York Life Center for Retirement Income at the American College.

Under my leadership and with the help of leading industry experts, the New York Life Center created a popular website on retirement income and the Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP) designation. I also write a monthly column for "RetireMentors," which is a part of the Market Watch (Wall Street Journal) website. The column is dedicated to helping consumers plan their retirement.

Research Interests

I primarily research and write about retirement and pension planning topics. I have over 100 published articles. An article I authored on calculating retirement needs helped to change how people determine the amount they need to retire.

Media Expertise

MarketWatch Columns

  • “How to avoid a 10% bite when you dip into your retirement fund,” MarketWatch, June 2020 
  • “Where Should You Put Your Retirement Contributions?,” MarketWatch, May 4, 2020
  • “Should You Use the CARES Act to Access Your Retirement Funds,” MarketWatch, April 8, 2020
  • “Think Very Hard Before You Make These Six Retirement Decisions,” MarketWatch, March 31,2020
  • “Saving for Retirement Is Hard. Spending It Can Be Even Harder,” MarketWatch, March 11, 2020

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Article Publications

  • “Exploring the Financial Planning Decisions Related to Greater Access to Retirement Funds Via the CARES Act,” Journal of Financial Planning, June 2020 (Sabbatical article)
  • “401(k) Design: Participant Access,” Benefits Quarterly, Second Quarter, 2020
  • "Strategies for the Risks Associated with Aging," Journal of Financial Service Professionals, 2016, 7-11.
  • "Empowering Retirement Security by Re-engineering the Summary Plan Description," Benefits Quarterly, 2015, 45-50.
  • "25 Factors Influencing the Choice of a Client's Optimal Retirement Age," Benefits Quarterly, 2014, 39-47.

Columns in the Journal for which I am the Editor (not blind peer-reviewed)

  • "Three Ways the Tax Code Helps Low- and Moderate-Income Clients," Journal of Financial Service Professionals, September 2020
  • “Twenty-Five Examples Illustrating How 529 Plans Can Benefit Clients,” Journal of Financial Service Professionals, forthcoming, July 2020 
  • “Five Ways to Improve America’s Retirement Security,” Journal of Financial Service Professionals, May 2020 
  • “Thirty Examples Illustrating How the SECURE Act Will Enhance Retirement Security,” Journal of Financial Service Professionals, March 2020 
  • “2020 By the Numbers,” Journal of Financial Service Professionals, January 2020 

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

Society of Financial Service Professionals (FSP), Financial Planning Association (FPA), American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) 

Awards

  • Distinguished Graduate Teaching Award (1997–1998, 2001–2002, and 2006–2007)
  • Distinguished Research Professor Award (2008–2009)
  • CFP Article Award (1997)

News

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