RESEARCH |
2015
Retirement Plan Adviser Survey
Arguably, retirement plan advisers have a better—or at least
a more comparative—perspective than their plan sponsor clients about the
relative strength of products and services offered by investment and
recordkeeping providers. After all, advisers can—and usually do—work with many
of them concurrently. The 2015 Retirement Plan Adviser Survey, our eighth,
endeavors to gain insight from the adviser community about how providers and
funds are selected, and which are the favorites each year.
Reported by PLANADVISER
| Art by Jillian Tamaki
Survey Data
Top criteria used in deciding which recordkeepers are appropriate for plan sponsor clients (220 responses)
| Criteria | 1st | 2nd | 1st or 2nd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Value for price | 40% | 13% | 54% |
| 2 Fee structure for plan | 29% | 20% | 50% |
| 3 Investment options available | 10% | 28% | 38% |
| 4 Reputation | 5% | 6% | 11% |
| 5 Participant education | 4% | 8% | 12% |
| 6 Website tools for participants | 3% | 11% | 14% |
| 6 Supporting materials for plan sponsors | 3% | 4% | 6% |
| 6 Adviser support | 3% | 3% | 6% |
| 9 Brand recognition | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| 10 Adviser support/value-added adviser services | 2% | 2% | 4% |
| 11 Website tools for plan sponsors | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| 12 Recommendation by home office | 0% | 1% | 1% |
| 13 Wholesalers | 0% | 0% | 1% |
| 14 Fee structure for adviser | 0% | 0% | 0% |