Tessie Copner:
CLASS OF 1977
Ceres High SchoolClass of 1977
Ceres, CA
Tessie's Story
Life
Hello! I finally got married in 1996 and had my first child in 1998 at the age of 39! I didn't want to rush anything! Nick is now 6 years old - very headstrong and independent, I wonder where he got that. I have two stepchildren, a boy age 15 and a girl age 13. The boy has lived with us off and on over the years and the girl just came every other weekend (and holidays to pick up her goodies). Now that she is a teenager, we don't see her that much (that and having to deal with her mother if we do). Anyway, the week before Christmas, 2004, we adopted two retired greyhounds. What a trip! Two 70 pound lab dogs (they are in-door doggies) have been quite a challenge. We are all adjusting.
Workplace
After graduating from Fresno State (that is what they called it back then), I got a job with a Third Party Administrator who performed recordkeeping and compliance services for companies that set up retirement plans for their employees. The Principal's, Merrill Lynch's, etc. go after the big companies but none of them want the 10 employee company that starts out with a few thousand dollars in the plan. That is where TPA firms come in. Because companies get a deduction for the money that goes into a plan, th...Expand for more
ere are lots of laws and regulations that they must follow - including filing an annual return with the government. There must be a legal document detailing how the plan will be operated, who will be eligible to participate, when you can get your money, etc. TPA firms provide all of the services and then some.
Anyway, back to my career path. I worked for that first TPA for one year, then was offered a chance to manage an office in Salinas, CA by a different TPA. I took that challenge and was there for 4 1/2 years. Two years in to that part of my life, the parent company was having problems and sold the business to the employees - me included. It was a great experience being an owner, but I learned why it is important to have the majority of the stock ownership. In 1988, a friend from my first job had gone out on her own in 1986 and was looking to add a new - full - partner. I was ready to return to Fresno and sold my stock in the Salinas company. Retirement Plan Consultants the Partnership was formed in November 1988. In 2002, 10 employees later, we incorporated and allowed two of the employees to buy minor shares in the company. We are up to 13 employees and need to add on but we will need to move first!
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