This year, PLANADVISER followed up with advisers on the 2025 Top Retirement Plan Advisers listing to get to know them better. These are the responses from Anthony McCracken of Newcleus in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

PLANADVISER: What does it take to be a successful retirement plan adviser in 2025?

McCracken: Success in the retirement industry comes down to two core elements: staying ahead of regulatory changes and truly understanding fiduciary responsibility. Many plan sponsors don’t fully grasp their fiduciary duties, so our job is to help them build systematic processes that make compliance natural, not burdensome.

The top-performing advisers don’t just react to regulatory changes; we anticipate them and help clients build adaptable frameworks. It’s about creating sustainable practices that protect participants and plan sponsors while keeping the focus on secure retirements.

PLANADVISER: What are some of the most important growth strategies that have generated success for your firm? Where do you source new clients most effectively?

McCracken: Our growth strategy centers on specialization. A significant portion of our clients are financial institutions, banks, credit unions and similar organizations with sophisticated compliance teams and rigorous vendor selection processes.

We’ve invested heavily in our vendor due diligence program because we understand their regulatory environment, inside and out. When you work with financial institutions, they need confidence that you can meet their compliance standards from Day 1.

This specialization has created a powerful referral network. When you deliver exceptional service to sophisticated clients, they recommend you to their peers. That trust-based growth has been far more valuable than any traditional marketing.

PLANADVISER: How do you balance the desire to grow with the need to keep clients happy?

McCracken: They’re completely interconnected. Early in my career, I thought growth meant saying ‘Yes’ to every opportunity. That’s a recipe for mediocre service.

Now we’re strategic and selective, focusing on clients where we can truly add value. We’ve built systems and processes that allow us to scale without sacrificing quality. When we add a new client, we ensure we have the bandwidth to exceed their expectations.

Truly satisfied clients become your best growth engine through referrals and expanded relationships. Our approach is depth over breadth, exceptional work for the right clients, building long-term relationships and letting that reputation drive sustainable growth.

PLANADVISER: How do you foresee the retirement plan industry evolving in the coming decade? Will your practice look much the same in 10 years, or do you see significant evolution coming?

McCracken: Technology is transforming our industry, and we’re embracing that change. At Newcleus, staying current with technological advances is a fiduciary responsibility. The tools for participant education, plan administration and investment monitoring improve constantly.

But this remains fundamentally a people business. When someone worries about retirement or a plan sponsor faces difficult fiduciary decisions, they want to talk to a trusted person, not a computer.

The successful advisers will seamlessly blend cutting-edge tools with genuine relationships. Technology will change how we work, but the core mission—helping people achieve financial security—is timeless.

Click to see the list of 2025 Top Retirement Plan Advisers

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