2025 PLANADVISER Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year

The PLANADVISER Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year finalists and winners demonstrate leadership and a commitment to excellence in serving retirement plan sponsors and participants and contributing to the retirement plan adviser industry.

For the fourth year in a row, the awards are being issued in multiple categories. We have separated our recognition for “Community Impact and Giving Back” into a separate program and replaced that category with “403(b) Plan Service.” We are highlighting advisers who give back by telling their stories on PLANADVISER.com and we honor them at the annual awards dinner, in May.

In addition, last year, we divided the “Closing the Coverage Gap” category into two—“Closing the Coverage Gap – MEPs/PEPs*” and “Closing the Coverage Gap – Micro/Startup Plans.” In this way, we can better recognize the different strategies advisers use to help their small-business clients provide for retirement saving.

This year, advisers are being recognized for their excellence in the following areas:

• Closing the Coverage Gap — Micro/Startup Plans
• Closing the Coverage Gap — MEPs/PEPs*
• Inclusivity and Career Development
• 403(b) Plan Service
• Plan Participant Service
• Plan Sponsor Service

*Multiple Employer Plans/Pooled Employer Plans

For the “Plan Sponsor Service,” “Plan Participant Service” and “403(b) Plan Service” categories, we accept nominations from plan sponsor clients only. For the other categories, we take nominations from adviser partners across the industry, including recordkeepers, asset managers, other advisers, product providers and more. Self-nominations are prohibited.

Nominees are judged on a mixture of qualitative and quantitative measures, including tenure in the business; retirement plan business as a percentage of practice revenue; answers to essay questions; compliance records; and willingness to serve in a fiduciary role to clients’ plans. Finalists are interviewed by judges before a winner is selected.

For 2025, we received 83 nominations, and 28 finalists were selected. The list of finalists can be seen below.

The 2025 Retirement Plan Adviser of the Year finalists will be recognized, and winners announced, at PLANADVISER’s annual Industry Leader Awards celebration in May.

Plan advisers at the 2025 Industry Leader Awards (photo: Anthony Collins)