Jack Towarnicky joins 401(k) Champion Competition as adviser

The 401(k) Champion Competition has added former winner Jack Towarnicky as an adviser as the national essay contest opens applications for its 2026 title. The program is accepting entries through Aug. 28 and will name three winners on National 401(k) Day, Sept. 11.

Why it matters: - The 401(k) Champion Competition is trying to widen participation in workplace retirement planning by spotlighting participants who help themselves and their coworkers build retirement security. - Towarnicky brings both plan-sponsor and legal experience, plus firsthand experience as a 2021 401(k) Champion, which the program says will help expand its reach. - The contest offers winners cash awards and public recognition, which can help drive more people to share retirement-saving stories.

What happened: - The 401(k) Champion Competition announced that Jack Towarnicky has been appointed as an adviser. - Towarnicky joins Dave Wray in the adviser role. - Both advisers are former executive directors of the Plan Sponsor Council of America, a nonprofit trade group that supports employers offering workplace retirement plans. - The announcement was made in Stamford, Connecticut, on Aug. 17, 2026.

The details: - The 401(k) Champion Competition is a national essay contest. - The program recognizes 401(k) participants who understand the benefits of 401(k) plans and work to help others achieve retirement security. - Towarnicky has held plan-sponsor leadership roles at four Fortune 500 employers, worked as an ERISA attorney, and contributed as an educator, author and public-policy participant. - Julie Jason, who created the competition, said Towarnicky's background and his perspective as a former champion will strengthen the effort to help more Americans get value from workplace retirement plans. - Towarnicky described the competition as a way to recognize people who make thoughtful retirement-saving decisions and inspire colleagues to do the same. - Towarnicky is an ERISA and employee benefits compliance and planning attorney. - He spent 25 years leading the benefits function at a Fortune 100 corporation, overseeing retirement, health and welfare programs. - Towarnicky is currently Of Counsel at Koehler Fitzgerald LLC. - He holds the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist designation, has taught CEBS courses and has served on the corporate board of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. - Towarnicky has spoken at national conferences on financial wellness, retirement income, behavioral economics, phased retirement and the role of 401(k) plans in long-term financial security. - Towarnicky has authored numerous articles and publications on retirement and employee benefits issues. - He has testified before the U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration and was twice appointed to the Department of Labor's ERISA Advisory Council.

Between the lines: - The adviser addition pairs two people with deep retirement-plan credentials, suggesting the competition is leaning on industry expertise to add credibility as it tries to attract more entrants. - The focus on participant stories points to a broader message: workplace retirement plans are not just financial products, but tools for financial education and peer influence. - The program is also positioning itself as both an awards contest and a pro bono financial-literacy effort tied to Jackson, Grant Investment Advisers.

What's next: - Applications for the 2026 401(k) Champion title are open at the competition site through Aug. 28, 2026. - Three winners will be named 401(k) Champions and each will receive a $1,000 cash award. - Winners will be announced on Sept. 11, 2026, National 401(k) Day. - The competition is asking applicants to share their stories and inspire peers to make better use of their 401(k) plans.

The bottom line: - The 401(k) Champion Competition is using a new adviser and a 2026 application push to turn retirement-saving stories into a broader financial-literacy campaign.