Special Coverage
Measuring Managed Accounts’ Appeal Across Age Groups
Managed accounts might seem more attractive for older demographics with more complex finances, but younger participants may see different benefits.
Can Managed Accounts Help Solve Decumulation?
As with many products, retirees who are disengaged from their accounts may end up paying a higher price.
Which Metrics Best Define Success in Managed Accounts?
When assessing managed accounts, advisers and sponsors may want to consider all the services involved.
Past Special Coverage
Expanding Coverage – PEPs, Startups and Micro Plans
How advisers are supporting the expansion of retirement plan availability.
Why Employers Are Choosing PEPs
Advisers say transitioning into a pooled employer plan often resembles a traditional recordkeeper conversion, but there can be complications if...
Small Retirement Plans, Big Opportunities
Advisers cite talent development, operational efficiencies and long-term growth potential as reasons to serve micro-plan clients.
Why It’s So Hard to Get Gig Workers to Save for Retirement
Lawmakers have floated new retirement plans, portable benefits and federal incentives for independent workers, but more options might not mean...
Do State Auto-IRAs Act as Small Plan Stimulators?
Experts say state mandates initiate conversations, rather than competition.
Recordkeeper Data on PEP Adoption
Three dozen recordkeepers give insights into their strategies with pooled employer plans.
PEP Efficiency: Well Worth the Customization Limits
The reduced administrative complexity and fiduciary responsibility in pooled employer plans often outweigh any perceived loss of control.
DCIO and Investment Menu Innovations
Fresh perspectives on defined contribution investment menus and investment-only plan strategies.
Personalization Takes Front Seat in Investment Menu Trends
Advisers say target-date funds and managed accounts are gaining attention as plan sponsors seek more personalized participant outcomes.
How ‘Nimbler’ Investment Menus, Benchmarking Tackle Complexity
The chief product officer of Fiduciary Decisions shares his views about, among other trends, how investment fiduciaries are impacted by...
Rethinking Diversification in an Interconnected Global Market
Some experts argue that retirement plan fiduciaries should not look merely at investment returns, but also consider how much risk...
CIT Adoption Ticks Up as Providers Focus on Transparency, Growth
Collective investment trusts are becoming a staple of defined contribution plans, driven by flexibility and lower costs.
A Concentrated Market
As DCIO competition intensifies, can smaller investment managers and providers keep up?
The Evolving ‘Face’ of Investment Models
Industry professionals continue to look for ways to personalize investment products for retirement plan participants.
Provider Relationships
Retirement plan advisers and providers benefit from strong, effective partnerships.
How Plan Advisers Smooth Communications Between Providers, Clients
Advisers are increasingly the central hub for the multi-provider ecosystem, connecting recordkeepers, third-party administrators, investment providers and clients.
Recordkeepers’ Service Models, by the Numbers
Three dozen recordkeepers give insights into what they offer plan advisers, sponsors and participants.
What Makes a Provider Partnership Truly ‘Fiduciary-Ready’?
All parties need to connect effectively and document relevant processes.
The Reality of ‘Frenemies’ in Provider Relationships
How recordkeepers may encroach on plan advisers’ client lists—and how both sides can best navigate that tension.
Putting Clients at the Center of Provider Strategy
Selecting and maintaining provider relationships has become increasingly complex, but experts say client needs should remain constant.
Measuring Recordkeepers’ Distribution Through Advisers
While most recordkeepers work with advisers, PLANSPONSOR’s latest Recordkeeping Survey reveals a wide range of adviser relationships.
Roth and Tax Diversification
Roth contributions impact the decisions and designs of retirement plan advisers, sponsors and participants.
Nuts and Bolts: When Do Roth Contributions Make Sense?
While Roth contributions are often conflated with after-tax contributions, experts say it may help to think of retirement assets going...
DC Plan Roth Contributions, by the Numbers
Defined contribution plan sponsors share whether they offer Roth contributions and in-plan Roth conversions.
In-Plan Roth Conversions: Complicated, yet Appealing
While the transfers are mostly used by experienced workers, there are reasons for advisers to recommend them for younger workers,...
Rollover Rules for Roth 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) Account Assets
There are advantages to a Roth account, but rollover flexibility is not one of them.
Roth Accounts’ Rise Brings Opportunity, Uncertainty for Savers
A tax policy expert shares how Roth contributions are impacting congressional priorities and decumulation strategies.
Tax Diversification: Keep It Simple
Plan participants should know the ‘what’ and ‘why’ behind their tax selections to maximize their contributions.
Lifecycle of Financial Advice
How retirement plan advisers tailor advice across generations and prepare for generational wealth transfers.
How to Build on Gen Z, Millennial Interest in Retirement Planning
If advisers engage early and authentically, they can build lasting relationships with up-and-coming asset owners.
The Retirement Vision for Clients Without Children
A financial planner discusses the specific planning needs of adults without children.
Advising Generations, by the Numbers
A Nationwide study found advisers were willing to facilitate family financial discussions that clients often reported avoiding.
Common Pitfalls Can Endanger Retirees’ Finances
Debt and risky investments can frequently lead to long-term retirement consequences.
How Advisers Can Help Modern Families Navigate Wealth Transfers
Family conversations about wealth transfers are typically the hardest when they happen too late.
Making Plan Communication Relevant for Multiple Generations
Advisers can take several approaches as they vie for different demographics’ attention and participation.
Practice Management
Gain insight into how retirement plan advisers are strategizing their advisory practices’ growth, efficiency and seamless succession.
Modern Succession Planning: Less Transactional, More Emotional IQ
As advisory firms increasingly invest in artificial intelligence, experts say the next generation of leaders will have to remain human-centered.
Plan Management, by the Numbers
Nearly one-quarter of surveyed plan sponsors last renegotiated fees with their current adviser more than 5 years ago.
Entering the Era of Hyper-Personalization
Artificial intelligence is turning the advisory goal of scalable, individualized financial planning into a reality.
How to Recruit Next-Gen Advisers
As departing advisers far outnumber new hires, firm leaders and recruiters have become strategic in capturing attention from incoming talent.
Top-Rated RIA Firms Often Trail in Brand Originality, per Study
An assessment of financial advisory firms’ branding found that about 40% used website copy that lacks distinction, a communication firm...
The Right Mindset for Organic Growth
Marketing and psychology know-how can help advisers gain more clients, according to growth strategists Dan Allison and David DeCelle.
Health Care and Holistic Benefits Advising
Retirement plan advisers help participants prepare for future medical needs and educate plan sponsors on the fiduciary requirements of health plans.
22% of ERISA Lawsuits in 2025 Involved Health Plans
Analysis by Encore Fiduciary breaks down financial outcomes and trends to watch from ERISA court cases.
Long-Term Care Planning, Without the Emotional Charge
Even when advisers know the importance of preparing for such health care costs, they may lack the confidence to address...
How Advisers Can Help Businesses Address Caregiving Needs
The surge of unpaid caregiving is leading to labor turnover and decreased retirement readiness.
Increased Scrutiny of Health Plans Leaves Advisers Racing to Keep Up
Congress’ recent appropriations act and proposed Department of Labor guidance both push for greater transparency from pharmacy benefit managers.
Financial Wellness Inextricably Linked to Employee Wellness
Employees who lack financial wellness benefits and advice from their employers are more likely to experience burnout and job turnover.
How Retirement Fiduciaries Can Help Health Plan Fiduciaries
Advisers’ deep knowledge of the fiduciary process can aid employers making sense of new disclosures from pharmacy benefit managers.
Artificial Intelligence
As artificial intelligence continues to disrupt the retirement advisory space, firms are integrating AI-driven information and navigating technological, ethical and practical concerns.
Why Data Security Is a ‘Shared Responsibility’ for Advisers
Artificial intelligence raises the stakes in the ongoing responsibility to monitor data access and review third-party vendors.
Advisers Using AI, by the Numbers
While 87% of surveyed advisers said they planned to use artificial intelligence-powered tools in the following 12 months, accuracy remained...
Past the Bots: How to Implement AI for Efficiency
Now that generative artificial intelligence tools have been widely implemented in retirement planning, experts suggest advisers turn to embedded AI...
AI: From ‘in the Loop’ to in Control
Artificial intelligence’s rapid advancement presents ongoing occasions for financial advisers to assess its ethical use and best practices.
How Advisers Can Improve AI Prompts
The effectiveness of artificial intelligence often depends on the quality of one’s prompts and following proper guidelines.
How AI Is Changing Fund Management
Artificial intelligence is impacting all facets of advisers’ work, right down to the explanations they share with clients.
Retirement Income Planning
From managed accounts to insurance products to distribution options—here are some strategies and solutions advisers use to secure lasting retirement income for their clients.
Simplifying Annuities Could Lead to Increased Take-Up
Guaranteed streams of income may seem a ‘no-brainer’ for retirees and sponsors, but hesitation to embrace one form of guaranteed...
How Income Floors Save Retirees From Underspending
Underspending is a common habit among retirees, but a minimum income with additional guaranteed sources can help retirees overcome fear...
Expanded ABLE Account Eligibility Could Provide New Source of Retirement Income
Thanks to SECURE 2.0, people with disabilities acquired before age 46 can potentially take advantage of the savings account vehicles...
Longevity Risk Requires Accurate Measurements, Adequate Solutions
Advisers can guide clients to find appropriate income options for a potentially lengthy retirement.
Guaranteed Income in Target-Date Portfolios Boosts Retirement Spending
Target-date portfolios with guaranteed income could effectively manage retirement risks, according to BlackRock and TIAA.
Retirement Income Strategies, by the Numbers
Nearly half of 2025 PLANSPONSOR Plan Participant Survey participants reported having less than $100,000 in total retirement savings.
2025 Year in Review
This month’s special coverage series reviews impactful developments and growing trends from this year that are influencing the retirement plan advisory space.
Private Markets for DC Plans: Evolution or Revolution?
Workers deserve diversified portfolios for their defined contribution plans, according to financial commentator Anne Lester, who identified adding private assets...
PE Drives Multiple Advisory M&A Records in 2025
Aging advisory firm owners are relying on mergers and acquisitions to determine the next phase of their practices.
A New Age for PEPs
Pooled employer plans have grown significantly over the last four years, as larger employers are increasingly drawn to the plans’...
Nuts & Bolts: Where Advisers Can Start With AI
Advisers can turn their reluctance to use artificial intelligence into self-assured exploration of time-saving tools.
Preparing for 2026 ERISA Plan Compliance
A calendar to help plan fiduciaries track important due dates for their retirement plans, given annual updates and changes.
Getting Gen X Back on Track for Retirement
As the first members of Generation X enter their 60s, experts recommend they reevaluate their savings and consider a ‘second...
Workforce Management and Succession Planning
This month’s special coverage examines best practices for managing advisers, adopting workplace technology and preparing the next generation of leaders.
Succession Planning Beyond the C-Suite
Advisers discuss how they are identifying and developing future leaders across departments.
Next-Gen Advisory Leaders Focus More, Wear Fewer ‘Hats’
Gary Wagner, president of the Carnegie Investment Counsel, shared his thoughts on the need for specialization by advisers.
How to Train Your AI ‘Coworker’
OneDigital’s AI-powered consultant, ‘Ben,’ is not just surfacing knowledge about employee benefits, but a collaborative equal to team members.
Do Advisers Ignore AI at Their Peril?
Strategic Retirement Partners’ Jeff Cullen talks about how to use the technology in plan practices, during a PLANADVISER 360 Conference...
National Practices, Local Advisers
Centralized support teams and regional advisory offices are finding ways to balance best practices with customized workflows.
Turning Family Bonds Into Advisory Firm Continuity
Parents and children who work in the same retirement plan practice find strength in numbers.
Roth and Retirement Plans
Roth contributions are reshaping retirement plans, offering employees options while presenting plan sponsors and advisers with important design and communication decisions.
Making Roth Real
How plan advisers are helping participants understand Roth contributions to retirement plans.
Advisers ‘Playing ‘Quarterback’ as IRS Changes Roth Rules
Defined contribution plan advisers and sponsors need effective teamwork as the Roth compliance deadline grows closer.
Availability of Contribution Options Across Plan Sizes
Adoption of Roth, after-tax and catch-up contribution options varies, sometimes dramatically, across plan sizes.
Roth Catch-Up ‘Playbook’ Can Guide Advisers Through Compliance
Plan advisers can be crucial guides who ensure plan sponsors, recordkeepers and payroll providers understand Roth catch-up contributions.
Roth’s Role in Plan Distributions
The retirement industry can still make big strides to help participants realize tax-advantaged strategies when taking plan distributions.
Understanding Distribution Taxes and Penalties
Knowing how participants will, or won't, be taxed on their DC plan distributions