2025 Top Retirement Plan Adviser: Joe Weber

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 Joe Weber of Integrated Financial Solutions in Tempe, Arizona.

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

Weber: Success today requires more than investment expertise. It’s about combining fiduciary knowledge, participant-focused education and technology-driven efficiency. A top adviser needs to anticipate client needs, simplify complexity for plan sponsors and deliver measurable outcomes for employees. Most importantly, it requires a service mindset: being accessible, proactive and always aligned with the best interests of the plan and its participants.

PLANADVISER: Has the focus or character of your practice shifted meaningfully over time to respond to evolving client demands, market pressures or the emergence of new technologies?

Weber: Absolutely. When I started, our work was centered heavily on investment menus and plan fees. Over time, client demand has shifted toward financial wellness, retirement readiness metrics and technology-driven participant engagement. We’ve adopted tools that personalize education and provide sponsors with actionable data. The characteristics of our practice have evolved from more of an investment consultant to retirement plan specialist.

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?

Weber: Our most effective growth strategy has been deepening relationships with existing clients—delivering so much value that they naturally become our best advocates. Referrals from plan sponsors and centers of influence remain our strongest source of new clients. We also partner closely with accountants, benefits brokers and local business associations.

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

Weber: We’ve made a conscious choice to prioritize quality over quantity. Growth means nothing if client service suffers. We want every client, whether a new startup plan or a small business with hundreds of employees, to receive the same level of responsiveness and care. Our philosophy: take care of existing clients first, and growth will follow naturally.

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?

Weber: I expect the industry will move toward greater personalization through AI and data analytics, more automatic plan features and deeper integration of financial wellness and health care planning. Cybersecurity and data privacy will become even bigger priorities. Our practice will evolve alongside these trends.

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

Weber: We set ourselves apart by going beyond the role of a traditional retirement plan adviser. Every plan we serve benefits from our fiduciary expertise, hands-on guidance and dedicated client service. Unlike firms that focus only on investments or education, we deliver on both, while also simplifying compliance and administration for plan sponsors. Acting as an extension of your HR and finance teams, we leverage our experience to strengthen your plan and help employees achieve better retirement outcomes. Our mission is clear: make your job easier and your plan more effective.

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