2025 Top Retirement Plan Adviser: Douglas Bermudez

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 Douglas Bermudez of Strategic Retirement Partners in Los Angeles, California.

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

Bermudez: Balancing growth with keeping clients happy starts by never losing sight of why we do this work in the first place—helping people achieve their dreams. My team and I take the time to truly understand each client’s unique story, whether it’s a company striving to support its employees’ retirement goals or a family planning for their future. Growth is important, but it only matters if we’re growing in a way that deepens trust and strengthens relationships. That means delivering thoughtful, personalized advice; being present for our clients through life’s changes; and making their journey as easy and meaningful as possible. Our success is measured not just by numbers, but by the confidence we help create—one relationship at a time.

PLANADVISER: What is something you or your team learned the hard way about this business?

Bermudez: One thing our team learned the hard way is that it’s not enough to simply design a great retirement plan—you have to make sure employees actually understand and engage with it. Early on, we put a lot of energy into building strong fiduciary processes and compliant, well-designed plans for organizations. But we realized that if the employees don’t feel supported, educated or empowered to use those plans to build their futures, then we’re missing the mark. That experience shifted how we work: Now, we put just as much emphasis on participant education, access and readiness as we do on plan design and administration. Because at the end of the day, our success is measured by the lives we help change, not just the plans we help manage.

PLANADVISER: What are the most challenging aspects of the job? What are the most enjoyable?

Bermudez: One of the most challenging aspects of this work is helping people navigate uncertainty, whether it’s market volatility, regulatory changes or personal financial stress. Employers want to do right by their employees, and individuals want to make smart decisions for their futures, but both are often overwhelmed by complexity. Guiding them through that with care, clarity and consistency is not easy, but it’s where we know we make the biggest difference.

The most rewarding part, by far, is seeing the impact of that guidance. Whether it’s helping an employee feel confident enough to retire with dignity or supporting an organization in creating a retirement plan that truly serves its people, those moments remind us why we do this work. Building trust, easing burdens and watching our clients move forward with confidence is what brings the greatest fulfillment.

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?

Bermudez: The retirement plan industry is changing quickly and will keep evolving in the next decade. We expect more personalization, better technology and wider access to plans for all types of workers. New rules will focus on transparency and helping people prepare for retirement.

Our practice will grow with these changes. While our commitment to trusted relationships stays the same, we’re embracing tools like Peopled—an AI chat that gives employees fast, accurate answers about their benefits anytime. This helps employees feel supported and frees HR to focus on other priorities. Partnering with Pretekt also lets us support employee well-being, because health and financial wellness go hand in hand.

By blending technology with personal care, we aim to help employers and employees feel confident and prepared for the future.

PLANADVISER: For those plan sponsors looking for a new plan adviser, describe what makes your firm stand out.

Bermudez: For plan sponsors looking for a new adviser, what makes our firm stand out is our deeply personalized and relationship-driven approach. We take the time to truly understand your organization’s unique culture and goals, then design retirement plans tailored to meet those specific needs. Our team brings strong expertise in fiduciary responsibility, plan design and administration, combined with a genuine commitment to clear, compassionate communication and ongoing support.

We believe that participant education is essential, so we focus on empowering employees with easy-to-understand resources and proactive guidance that help them feel confident about their retirement decisions. Our goal is to make the complex simple and to be a trusted partner for both employers and employees. Ultimately, our success is measured by the lasting trust we seek to build and the meaningful impact we create for your organization and its people.

Click to see the list of 2025 Top Retirement Plan Advisers

View Other Top Retirement Plan Adviser Profiles Here