Measuring Recordkeepers’ Distribution Through Advisers

While most recordkeepers work with advisers, PLANSPONSOR’s latest Recordkeeping Survey reveals a wide range of adviser relationships.
Reported by Edward Rueda

As recordkeepers increasingly offer services also provided by advisers, including one-on-one financial counseling, how many are working with advisers, and what features do they provide? The 2026 PLANSPONSOR Recordkeeping Survey, published by PLANADVISER’s sister publication, aggregated information from 36 recordkeepers.

Features can vary widely, depending on the provider. Only 30% of surveyed recordkeepers gave advisers a choice of which relationship managers could support a client or case. Nearly one-quarter (24%) said their recordkeeping systems do not accommodate advisers’ managed accounts.

Most recordkeepers provide to advisers’ tools or platforms a data feed of plan holdings, but the frequency of updates is not uniform. Fewer than one-quarter (24%) of recordkeepers provided live or on-demand updates, while 45% offered daily updates. Another 42% said data could be acquired through “other” means, including 12% that said the adviser had to request it.

Twenty-seven responding recordkeepers had various levels of distribution through intermediaries. On average, 79.1% of surveyed recordkeepers reported working with advisers, but only 33.8% of respondents reported worked with TPAs. Read the full responses below.   


Recordkeeper

Percentage of DC Plans Employing an Adviser or Consultant

Percentage of DC Plans Employing a TPA

Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., United States

100%

50%

Ascensus

100%

11%

Capital Group

100%

98%

EPIC Retirement Plan Services

100%

20%

Equitable

100%

42%

Milliman, Inc.

100%

5%

July Business Services

99%

99%

Voya Financial

99%

78% (Counting small to medium plans only)

NWPS

98%

4%

The Standard

97%

22%

Lincoln Financial

96%

87%

Correll Co.

95%

0%

The Pangburn Group

95%

0%

Transamerica Retirement Solutions, LLC (Transamerica)

90%

58%

Principal Financial Group

86%

42%

TIAA

80%

22%

T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc.

79%

69%

ADP

65%

10%

J.P. Morgan Asset Management

63%

21%

The Vanguard Group

63%

37%

BOK Financial

56%

0%

Fidelity Investments

55.2%

15%

Vestwell

52%

28%

Nationwide Financial

46%

40%

TruStage

43%

16%

Human Interest

9%

0%

Corebridge Financial

4%

40%

Source: 2026 PLANSPONSOR Recordkeeping Survey

Tags
Recordkeepers, Recordkeeping, Survey,
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