2019 PLANSPONSOR Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year
The 2019 PLANSPONSOR Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year finalists and winners* stand out for their commitment to their plan sponsor clients and participants—as observed in their courses of action to improve plan metrics and outcomes.
This year, the award recognizes 16 practices in four categories: individual, small team, large team and mega team. To qualify as a finalist, advisers were selected using a qualitative and quantitative methodology. Those who are selected as finalists must have a significant majority of business revenue derived from employer-sponsored retirement plans; serve as a fiduciary—either 3(21), 3(38) or both; have regular service delivery and client contact; and be committed to fee-based compensation.
The advisers who rise to the top in this awards program are evaluated based on their use of specific outcome-based metrics of plan success with clients and accomplishment of client progress toward those metrics. These finalists are also advisers who embrace the trend of offering financial wellness and encourage clients to use the best of automated plan design, follow trends the industry currently considers best practices, and implement future best practices ahead of the curve.
Judges were also looking to see if practices provided fiduciary training to plan committees.Of course, when assessing the strides that the following retirement plan advisory practices have made with their clients, the judges weigh the level of client service provided and look for evolution of practices and creative solutions as well as innovative approaches for plan sponsors and participants.
Each year, the entrants continue to raise the bar and surprise us with their dedication to their role in helping Americans retire successfully. The following profiles highlight some of the best that the industry has to offer and, we hope, will serve as an inspiration.
*Advisers were nominated online last September and October. Anyone receiving this honor had to accept the nomination and enter the process before the end of last year. To enter officially, nominated advisers were required to explain various details of their practice and answer essay questions via an online form.