2025 Top Retirement Plan Adviser: Jake Connors

Jake Conners

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 Jake Connors of Compass Financial Partners in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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

Connors: A commitment to service beyond client expectation. While there are many aspects of what we deliver for clients that we believe are unique differentiators, ultimately what clients want is someone who addresses their questions and problems quickly and effectively, and someone who proactively tries to help them see around the corner.

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

Connors: Existing clients will always be my priority. I’ve found that exceptional client service is the best business development tool, as the HR, finance and legal leaders I work closely with share openly with their networks. If you do a good job, a client might tell one person. If you do a bad job, they’ll tell 100.

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

Connors: It’s a very long sales cycle, at least in the market segment we serve (typically organizations with between 250 and 5,000 employees). We have to keep the top of the funnel full and just know that over time, new business will come out the other side. We seek to consistently provide value for prospective clients so we’re the place they go first when the time is right to make a change – sometimes that’s six weeks, sometimes six months, sometimes six years

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

Connors: For me, time management is the biggest challenge. There always seems to be more to do than time to do it, so ensuring my team and I are on the same page about who is handling what is important, as is trying to look ahead to what we can proactively be working on, rather than being reactive or just in time.

The best aspect of my job is the people. I’ve found the clients that hire me do so because of our shared communication styles and commitment to delivering better outcomes for their employees. So I’m always happy to get a call or email or walk into a client meeting because it’s going to be with someone I appreciate, respect and genuinely enjoy.

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

Connors: We strive to make the complex simple. Our clients are running businesses, not just benefit plans. Our job is to keep them out of trouble with the DOL and IRS, ensure their plan aligns with their organizational objectives, and help their employees achieve financial freedom. My team and I love what we do, and I think that passion comes through in the way we serve our clients.

Click to see the list of 2025 Top Retirement Plan Advisers

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