When I started as an independent retirement consultant, a few of my friends asked me how tough my skin was. They reminded me that the world of retirement plans is full of aggressive and single-minded salespeople, ready to go on the offensive against an independent consultant.

But those types of confrontations never have been a problem for me, and they never will be. For one thing, I've seen them all - every sales pitch, and virtually every investment vehicle presented to a qualified retirement plan, over the last 15 years.

In the beginning the various interests - the benefits lawyers, the fund managers and other vendors - can be wary of a fee-only consultant. But over time - a few months, perhaps - they come to respect me and my expertise, and we work fairly well together on behalf of the plan.

I know what questions to ask for my clients. And there is a certain leverage in that. Once the vendor knows you understand the financial underpinnings of their product, they generally lay their cards on the table. That's a healthy exercise: It's essential that employers understand the fees and expenses of their retirement plan. The costs of actively managed plan options can be substantial, and not obvious.

Beyond identifying suitable investment alternatives for retirement plans, there is also the continuous communication and education process, to management and employees alike. The truth is you can never do enough of that. Enrollment workshops, comprehensive plan materials - they are all part of it. I've always been effective at communicating what was important - clearly and simply.

But change doesn't come easily. In that respect, Einstein was wrong about one thing: The most powerful force on earth isn't compounding - it's inertia.

I worked for several large and well known companies. But it was never my desire to work for one over the long term. I've built my firm on referrals. It takes time. But I've never lost a client because they were unsatisfied with our work or with the role we play for them. And I'm proud of that.