Success Full

However, this is the perfect time for advisers to be showing the value they can add to help manage plans and participant expectations.

There are, of course, many ways to gauge success—some objective and quantifiable, others less precise perhaps, but no less meaningful. In 2004, as an outgrowth of the evaluation of nominations for PLANSPONSOR’s Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year, we began to recognize some of the nation’s “most successful” retirement plan advisers. Initially, that recognition was extended only in terms of assets under advisement but, over the years, we have expanded that acknowledgement to take into account other measures—such as number of plans under advisement—as well as some accomplishments in areas beyond 401(k)s, such as defined benefit, nonqualified, 403(b) plans, as well as 457 plans. This year’s list is, as you might imagine, an impressive list of advisers that spans the country and encompasses all types of retirement plan practices. Those lists begin here.

Research in Review

In this special Year in Review issue, we also bring you—in one convenient volume—the PLANADVISER research that was presented throughout the year. For research you can use with clients, “Added Value” shows some of the statistical differences between plans that work with an adviser and those that do not. “Room To Grow” shows statistics for plans that have less than $5 million in assets, since ­benchmarking a micro-plan to a mid-size plan often will show some discrepancies.

Among adviser-focused surveys, we took a significant one completed this summer and divided it into three key components. When determining how to position your practice, it is helpful to know what types of firms you are competing against. See how your practice compares with those surveyed in “Benchmarking Your Practice.” You also can compare adviser evaluations of recordkeepers and investment managers with your sense of the market in “A Matter of Perspective” and “The Right Pieces.”

We also have provided two special listings: one that details a sampling of what broker/dealers are doing in the retirement plan space (here) and another that illustrates how much business various recordkeepers do through intermediaries (here).

Looking ahead to next year and beyond, we plan to expand the breadth and depth of PLANADVISER’s research to address some of the regulatory and technological developments, and understand how those affect your practices. My goal is for this magazine to enhance its value by running a survey or buyer’s guide in every issue next year. If there is a particular area in which you would like to see a research study, please let me know.

Of course, the research presented here and our plans for the future are only possible thanks to your cooperation. I appreciate your willingness to participate in our questionnaires, and look forward to expanding our partnership next year.