Angela Shim
For the last five years, PLANADVISER’s sister publication, PLANSPONSOR, has tried to answer that question, both quantitatively and qualitatively, through our Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year award. From the quantitative part of the evaluation, we have compiled a list of “most successful’ retirement plan advisers—advisers whose practices stand out in terms of a series of quantitative measures. Consider that, among the 33 advisers and 60 advisory teams that passed our first threshold of review, the median individual adviser has $250 million in assets under advisement (AUA), while the median AUA for adviser teams in that group is $763 million.
In the pages that follow, we highlight the quantitative standouts from this year’s award entries in terms of dollar value of qualified plan assets under advisement and number of plans. This year, 21 advisers and 46 adviser teams were eligible to be included on these lists. Collectively, the adviser individuals and teams represent $23 billion and $297 billion in assets under advisement, respectively, more AUA than last year with fewer advisers. Among those practices listed as having the most plans under advisement, the individuals serve 643 plans, while the teams have 1,949 plan clients.
There is a reason these firms are successful—and their success stands out on these pages.
Individual Advisers with $500MM or more in Retirement Plan AUA
Adviser Teams with $1B or More in Retirement Plan AUA
Individual Advisers with 50 Plans or More Under Advisement
Adviser Teams with 100 Plans or More Under Advisement
Advisers with 10% or More of Their Business from Defined Benefit Plans
Advisers with 10% or More of Their Business from 403(b) Plans
Advisers with 10% or More of Their Business from Nonqualified Plans
Advisers with 10% or More of Their Business from 457 Plans
METHODOLOGY
The advisers listed here are taken from complete entries for the PLANSPONSOR Retirement
Plan Adviser and Adviser Team of the Year awards. Nominations were
solicited online from retirement plan advisers, their employers and/or
broker/dealers, and plan sponsors, as well as from working partners of
these advisers, including investment vendors, accountants and
attorneys, and pension administrators (advisers who have attained the
PLANSPONSOR Retirement Professional (PRP) designation receive an
automatic nomination). To enter the awards process, nominees must
complete a form providing various details of their practice, including
the details displayed here. These lists are based solely on
quantitative factors, while the PLANSPONSOR Retirement Plan Adviser and
Adviser Team of the Year awards consider both qualitative and
quantitative factors, including factors not considered in determining
the most successful lists.
*Due to the differences in evaluation factors, finalists for the PLANSPONSOR Retirement Plan Adviser and Adviser Team of the Year awards are not necessarily included on the “most successful” listing.