2026 Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year Awards Nomination Period Open

PLANADVISER is asking for your help in identifying the best retirement plan advisers in the country. If you work with or know of a great plan adviser or plan adviser team, please help us recognize the best in the business.

Nominations for the 2026 PLANADVISER Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year awards are now being accepted in six categories:

Plan Sponsor Service – Nominate individuals only.
Finalists and winners in this category stand out for their innovation and dedication in the service of retirement plan sponsor clients, with a particular focus on the efficient and effective delivery of plan-level support. The Plan Sponsor Service category recognizes those advisers directly serving and working with plan sponsors and should be recognizable to the plan sponsor client. Only nominations from clients will be accepted.

Plan Participant Service – Nominate individuals only.
Finalists and winners in this category stand out for their innovation and dedication in the service of retirement plan participants, with a particular focus on the efficient and effective delivery of individual-level advice and education. Only nominations from clients will be accepted.

Inclusivity and Career Development – Nominate individuals or teams.
Finalists and winners in this category are recognized for their focus on the importance of creating equitable and fair workplaces and their commitment and success in supporting the personal and professional growth of their firm’s staff, their fellow advisers and their industry peers.

403(b) Plan Service – Nominate individuals only.
Finalists and winners in this category stand out for their innovation and dedication in the service of 403(b) plan sponsor clients. The category is intended to recognize those advisers focused on the efficient and effective delivery of plan-level support, not product sales. Only nominations from clients will be accepted.

Closing the Coverage Gap – Micro/Startup Plans – Nominate individuals only.
Finalists and winners in this category stand out for their dedication to helping more Americans save for retirement in the workplace via micro and startup plans—especially those who work for small businesses or who are members of underrepresented communities.

Closing the Coverage Gap – MEPs/PEPs – Nominate individuals only.
Finalists and winners in this category stand out for their dedication to helping more Americans save for retirement in the workplace via multiple employer plans and pooled employer plans—especially those who work for small businesses or who are members of underrepresented communities.

Nominations are welcome from plan sponsor clients, employers and brokers/dealers, as well as from working partners of these advisers, such as product and service providers, investment vendors, accountants, attorneys and plan administrators. However, self-nominations are not permitted, and only nominations from plan sponsor clients will be accepted for the Plan Sponsor Service, Plan Participant Service and 403(b) Plan Service categories.

Award recipients across all categories will be honored at the PLANADVISER Industry Leader Awards in New York City in May 2026. Finalists and winners for Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year awards will be featured online at PLANADVISER.com. Previous finalists and winners may be viewed here.

The deadline for nominations is December 31, 2025.

Questions can be directed to awards@issmediasolutions.com.

You may preview the form here before submitting your nomination.