Broker-Dealers + Wirehouses: Adapting & Innovating for the Future of Retirement Planning
The retirement plan environment in 2026 is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Broker-dealers and wirehouses are balancing regulatory shifts, market volatility, changing client expectations, and rapid technological advancements. For firms operating in this environment, the need for scale, consistency, and high-touch service has never been greater.
At The Asteri Collective, we believe this is a moment for leadership. By placing the Retirement Plan Consultant (RPC) at the center of the retirement ecosystem, we provide broker-dealers and wirehouses with the national reach, operational consistency, and compliance confidence they need to deliver on their promises to both advisors and clients.
Regulatory Change as a Catalyst
The implementation of SECURE 2.0 continues to shape retirement plan administration. In 2026, a major shift requires high-income earners, those making $145,000 or more, to make catch-up contributions as Roth contributions. This seemingly small change creates a ripple effect for payroll integration, participant communications, and individual tax planning.
At the same time, the expansion of access to alternative investments such as private credit inside retirement plans is opening new opportunities, but it also demands heightened fiduciary oversight and meticulous documentation. Broker-dealers and wirehouses must balance innovation with risk management, ensuring that advisors and plan sponsors navigate these changes without compliance missteps.
The Asteri Collective works hand-in-hand with these firms to translate regulatory requirements into operational processes that work in the real world. By coordinating between recordkeepers, payroll providers, advisors, and plan sponsors, we ensure compliance while keeping participant experiences seamless.
Navigating Market and Economic Pressures
Inflation and market volatility continue to challenge retirement confidence. Even with a projected increase in the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, many retirees will still feel financial strain. Advisors are responding with strategies that include portfolio rebalancing, delaying Social Security claims, and leveraging high-yield cash reserves.
For broker-dealers and wirehouses, these conditions require advisors to stay focused on strategic advice, not bogged down by operational complexity. This is where The Asteri Collective adds value. By ensuring that plan structures are designed for flexibility and resilience, we free advisors to spend more time guiding clients and less time troubleshooting administrative issues.
Technology and Innovation as Competitive Advantages
The most forward-thinking broker-dealers and wirehouses are embracing AI, data analytics, and automation to better serve clients. These tools can analyze plan data, forecast participant outcomes, and identify opportunities for engagement. At the same time, holistic financial wellness offerings, integrating retirement planning with emergency savings and debt management, are becoming a differentiator.
However, these innovations rely on clean, accurate, and timely data. The Asteri Collective’s tech-forward member firms are already aligning with emerging data standards, including the SPARK API framework, to create secure, real-time data flows. This infrastructure not only supports AI and analytics but also strengthens cybersecurity, a top concern for plan sponsors in an age of increasing data breaches.
Meeting the Needs of a Changing Client Base
Retirement today is no longer a single destination. Clients may want to retire early, work part-time, or transition into entirely new careers. Meanwhile, “Peak 65”, the surge of Americans reaching retirement age, is creating unprecedented demand for withdrawal strategies, compliance oversight, and funding solutions.
Despite this, only one-third of Americans currently work with an advisor. For broker-dealers and wirehouses, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Firms must demonstrate value in a way that attracts new clients and retains existing ones.
The Asteri Collective helps make that possible. Our network of RPCs (Retirement Plan Consultants, not TPAs) provides consistent, compliant retirement plan consulting across the country, giving broker-dealer and wirehouse advisors the ability to scale their services and meet a wide variety of client goals without sacrificing quality or compliance.
A National Partner for a New Era
The broker-dealer and wirehouse environment in 2026 rewards firms that adapt quickly, integrate technology effectively, and deliver a consistently high standard of retirement plan support. The Asteri Collective offers a unique solution: one relationship, one standard, and one network of the industry’s top RPCs.
We give broker-dealers and wirehouses the confidence that every plan in their network, regardless of geography, will receive the same high-touch service, compliance oversight, and operational excellence. In a marketplace defined by change, that consistency is a competitive advantage.
In 2026 and beyond, the firms that will thrive are those that can meet the future head-on. The Asteri Collective is here to ensure they don’t just keep pace, they lead.
