PLANADVISER: How do you define excellence in retirement plan advising today, and what factors do you use to measure or evaluate your effectiveness with clients?
Assaley: The first thing I ask when evaluating a retirement plan isn’t about fees or fund performance. It’s whether employees are actually using it. We look at participation rates, contribution levels and whether employees are on track for their goals. But we also pay attention to engagement. Are employees showing up for coaching sessions? Are they asking better questions over time? Those signals tell us whether the plan is working as a real benefit or just existing on paper.
On the employer side, we measure effectiveness by how well the plan design aligns with the organization’s workforce and objectives. A great plan for one company may not be right for another.
The best indicator of excellence is trust. When a retirement committee trusts your guidance, when employees feel confident about their future, and when an employer sees the plan as a competitive advantage, that’s when you know you’re doing it well.
PLANADVISER: In what ways has your practice evolved in recent years in response to client needs, market conditions or industry developments?
Assaley: The biggest shift has been the growing expectation that a retirement plan adviser does more than manage investments and monitor compliance. Employers want a partner who can help their workforce with the full spectrum of employee benefits. At HUB, we like to call this total workplace wellness.
We have invested heavily in financial wellness coaching and education. Our team regularly meets with employees one-on-one to help with budgeting, cash flow, emergency savings, debt reduction and retirement readiness. These conversations go well beyond the 401(k). They address the foundational challenges that, if left unresolved, prevent people from saving in the first place.
We have also adapted how we communicate. Our Money Hacks video series reaches employees with short, practical guidance on topics they care about. Simple, direct communication can outperform polished, heavily designed materials.
On the plan design side, we are paying closer attention to retirement income solutions and managed account offerings. The conversation is shifting from “how much have I saved” to “will this be enough,” and our practice has evolved to help employers and employees answer that question.
PLANADVISER: What professional experience or lesson has had a lasting impact on how you approach advising or leadership?
Assaley: Early in my career, I was doing one-on-one financial coaching sessions at a client site. It had been a long day of back-to-back meetings. My last session was with Ronnie, the office receptionist. She was quiet and almost didn’t meet with me, but decided to stay.
We started going through the usual conversation about her 401(k), contribution rates, investment mix and making sure she was getting the full employer match. Then she paused and told me she had just found out she was being let go. She was a single mother with two kids, and she was worried about her future.
That moment shifted something for me. I asked her what kind of positions she was looking for, and the next morning she sent me her resume. I forwarded it to six or seven other client contacts. Within a few weeks, she called to tell me she had a new job, starting the Monday after her last day. She hadn’t missed a single paycheck.
That experience taught me that retirement plan advising is about more than investments and compliance. It’s about the people on the other end of the plan. Every decision we help an employer make touches real lives. That lesson has shaped how I approach every client relationship since.
PLANADVISER: What aspects of retirement plan advising present the greatest challenges, and which aspects do you find most professionally rewarding?
Assaley: The greatest challenge is engagement. Even with advancements in technology and user-friendly platforms, many employees are still disengaged from their retirement plans. They have access to great benefits but are not fully using them. Bridging that gap between access and action is the hardest part of this work.
Another challenge is misinformation. We see it constantly in coaching sessions. Someone watched a video on social media telling them their 401(k) is a bad idea or that they should drain their retirement savings to buy a house. Much of this content comes from people who are not registered financial professionals. Helping people separate credible guidance from noise takes patience and consistency.
The most rewarding part is when someone tells you that your guidance made a real difference. When an employee walks into a coaching session unsure about their financial future and walks out with a clear plan. When a retirement committee sees participation rates climb because the plan design and communication strategy are working together. Those outcomes remind you why this work matters.
For nearly two decades, I have had the privilege of sitting across from thousands of employees and helping them make better decisions. That one-on-one connection is still the most impactful part of what we do.
PLANADVISER: What industry trends or developments do you believe will most influence retirement plan advising over the next five to 10 years, and how are you/your firm preparing for them?
Assaley: Three trends stand out. First, artificial intelligence is going to reshape how employees interact with their retirement plans. AI can be a powerful thinking tool, helping people organize their finances and model scenarios. But it is not a decision tool. The human element—asking the right questions—understanding someone’s full picture, is something technology cannot replace. We are learning how AI can support our work while keeping the adviser relationship at the center.
Second, retirement income solutions are gaining real momentum. For years, the industry focused on accumulation. Now the conversation is shifting toward how employees will turn savings into sustainable income. Products like guaranteed income options inside 401(k) and 403(b) plans are becoming more common, and we are helping clients understand how these solutions could fit into their plan design.
Third, financial wellness is becoming a core expectation, not an add-on. Employers recognize that retirement readiness does not happen in isolation. Employees need help with budgeting, debt management and emergency savings before they can meaningfully engage with long-term investing. We have built our practice around that holistic support, and we expect demand for it to keep growing.