Governance
Retirement Plan & Investment Governance
QDIA selection, fiduciary benchmarking, and the committee process that has to hold up under scrutiny.
Retirement and investment expertise, grounded in research and practice
Dr. Brian Leite, CFA, CFP, works across investment governance, behavioral finance, and retirement plan design, drawing on two decades as a financial services executive and his research today.
The one who brings research and real-world experience to investment decisions
Dr. Brian Leite, CFA, CFP
Dr. Brian Leite is an Assistant Professor of Finance and Chair of the Business & Economics Department at Salve Regina University. He spent over two decades as a financial services executive, including Deputy Chief Investment Officer and Head of Consultant Relations at Fidelity Investments.
His research examines how bias and behavior shape investment decisions, spanning behavioral finance, asset pricing, and ESG investing.
DBA
DePaul University
CFA
Chartered Financial Analyst
CFP
Certified Financial Planner
CEBS
Certified Employee Benefit Specialist
The Retirement Black Box
Decoding the Hidden Architecture of Target-Date Funds
Over $3 trillion sits in target-date funds, the default retirement investment for millions of American workers. Yet two funds both labeled "2035" can deliver very different outcomes. The book explains why, and what to look at instead of the year on the label.
What a glide path really decides. How a fund shifts risk over time, and why that shapes results more than the target year.
The choices behind the label. Asset allocation, active versus passive management, and fees, decisions that compound over decades.
How to evaluate a default. A practical framework for advisors and retirement committees comparing funds side by side.
Publishes January 5, 2027
The four subjects behind every engagement
What Brian Studies
Behavior
Behavioral Finance & Decision-Making
Why smart people misprice risk, and how bias quietly shapes allocation and plan design.
Architecture
Target-Date Fund Architecture
Glide paths, fee layers, and the structural choices hidden behind a single target year.
Research
Research, Speaking & Advisory
Peer-reviewed research, keynotes, and independent counsel for sponsors and advisors.
Salve Regina University
Chair, Business & Economics Department
Ways to work with Brian
How Brian Helps
Brian works with plan sponsors, retirement committees, and advisory firms as an independent voice, no investment products to sell, no revenue tied to the recommendation. Engagements range from a single fund review to standing counsel on investment policy and fiduciary process.
01
Investment & QDIA Review
A structural look at what your plan actually holds, glide paths, fee layers, manager choices, measured against the objectives your committee wrote down.
02
Fiduciary Process Design
A documented, repeatable review cycle, criteria, cadence, and minutes, so oversight holds up to an auditor, a regulator, or a plaintiff.
03
Committee Education & Keynotes
Plain-language sessions for boards, HR leaders, and advisor teams, translating current research into the questions worth asking at the next meeting.
Insights on retirement, governance & investor behavior
Articles from Brian
Press & Media
Objective, conflict-free commentary on retirement plan governance, investment decision-making, and target-date funds for journalists and event organizers.
Let's Talk
Questions about a fund lineup, an event you're planning, or a story you're working on. Send a note and Brian will get back to you.