2019 TOP 100 Retirement Plan Advisers
Again this year, PLANADVISER is pleased to present its annual “Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisers.”
The list includes advisers at the top of their respective peer groups in terms of assets under advisement (AUA) or number of retirement plan clients—including sponsors of defined contribution (DC), defined benefit (DB) and nonqualified plans.
To become eligible for this quantitative listing, advisers must complete the annual PLANADVISER Retirement Plan Adviser Survey, fielded each September. Respondents are divided into categories for evaluation—these categories are defined by the number of advisers, plus support staff, in the practice. This year, as last, the firms fall under the following headings: individual adviser—meaning one adviser and support staff; small team—a group of two or more advisers and support staff, the total not exceeding 10; large team—a group of 11 through 35 advisers and support staff; and mega teams—36 or more team members in all. This year’s list includes 21 individuals, 33 small teams, 30 large teams and 16 mega teams.
In the pages that follow, we highlight the quantitative standouts according to the dollar value of qualified plan AUA as well as the number of plans under advisement. The eligibility standards continue to change each year, to reflect the ever-improving qualifications of those submitting in each category. This year, individuals needed a minimum of 100 plans or $1 billion in retirement plan AUA; small teams had to advise at least $1.7 billion in retirement plan assets or 115 plans; large teams needed $3.5 billion or more in retirement plan AUA or 200 or more plans; and mega teams had to oversee at least $12 billion in retirement plan AUA or 300 plans. Congratulations to all of those advisers listed!
METHODOLOGY
The “PLANADVISER Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisers” list is compiled from responses to the PLANADVISER Retirement Plan Adviser Survey. The list is drawn solely from a set of quantitative variables and information in the survey supplied by the advisers themselves. For an adviser to be eligible for recognition in the 2019 Top 100, he had to submit a completed entry to our 2018 Retirement Plan Adviser Survey, which was fielded this past September. A sub-segment of the questions was used to determine eligibility for the Top 100.
For any advisers who missed the 2018 Retirement Plan Adviser Survey, signing up for the daily PLANADVISERdash newsletter is the best way to keep track of our various awards programs and their respective surveys or nomination forms.