We’ve Got a Lot To Share

Listen up! From announcements of new members to regulatory updates and insights into common misconceptions, this is your source for smart (and occasionally spicy) retirement plan insights.

Articles

SPARK’s API Framework: Accelerating the Future of Retirement Plan Data Integration with Insights from Joe Burt, Chair of SPARK’s Technology and API Committee

The retirement plan industry has tolerated operational friction for far too long. Legacy systems, batch delays, costly one-off integrations, and siloed data have slowed down every stakeholder in the ecosystem. Recordkeepers, RPCs, payroll providers, HRIS platforms, DCIOs, advisors, CPAs, broker-dealers, and plan sponsors all feel the operational drag.… Read More

February 6, 2026

From Vendor to Strategic Partner: The Evolving Partnership of Recordkeepers and Retirement Plan Consultants

The relationship between recordkeepers and plan consultants is changing, whether the industry formally acknowledges it or not. For years, partnerships were often defined by sponsorships, preferred provider lists, or one-off initiatives that looked good on paper but did little to improve execution at the plan level.… Read More

January 30, 2026

How Wages Determine Roth Catch-Up Contributions in 2026

What Multi-Entity Employers Need to Know Beginning in 2026, the SECURE 2.0 Roth catch-up requirement becomes operational. For many employers, the rule itself is not new. What is new is the level of coordination it demands. On paper, the mandate is simple.… Read More

January 28, 2026

Why Payroll Integration Matters to RPCs

Every few years, payroll integration reenters the industry conversation as if it were something new. It isn’t. What’s changed is the expectation that it actually works reliably, consistently, and at scale. For RPCs, payroll integration is not about chasing technology trends or competing with recordkeepers.… Read More

January 23, 2026

DCIO State of the Industry and 2026 Outlook

The Defined Contribution Investment Only (DCIO) market sits at a rare intersection of growth and compression. Assets continue to climb, $11.3 trillion across 730,000 plans and 85 million participants*, yet margins are tightening as automation, litigation, and scale reshape how value is measured and rewarded.… Read More

January 15, 2026

In-Service, Out of Sorts: Talking to Plan Sponsors About Withdrawals From Their DB Plans

Every RPC has heard it. Usually right after a great investment year or a conversation with a CPA who’s “heard it’s allowed.” “It’s my company’s money. Why can’t I take some out?” It sounds simple. It’s not. Defined benefit and cash balance plans aren’t high-interest yielding piggy banks (that WOULD be cool).… Read More

January 9, 2026

The Asteri Collective Expands National Leadership With Three New Members

Articles, Press Releases

The Asteri Collective, a national alliance of independent Retirement Plan Consulting firms, announces the addition of three new members, further strengthening its position as a central force shaping the future of retirement plan consulting. The newest members joining The Asteri Collective are: Michelle Marsh, President and Chief Visionary Officer, Retirement Plan Concepts & Services, Inc Cameron Dabir, President, The Pension Source James Brand, President, Actuarial Consulting Services, Inc (ACSI) and Mark Brand, CEO, Actuarial Consulting Services, Inc (ACSI) Each firm brings decades of experience, deep technical specialization, and a shared commitment to high-touch service, rigorous compliance, and precision plan design.… Read More

January 5, 2026

Bundled vs. Unbundled Retirement Plans: Why the Right Structure Benefits the Entire Ecosystem

The bundled vs. unbundled conversation is usually framed around the plan sponsor. At The Asteri Collective, we think bigger. When you put the Retirement Plan Consultant (RPC) at the center, the plan structure impacts everyone in the retirement ecosystem: advisors, recordkeepers, DCIOs, and sponsors.… Read More

January 1, 2026

The Advisor’s Guide to DB/DC Client Conversations

Let’s cut to the chase. If you’re an advisor, you’re already fielding questions about DB/DC plan combinations. These are among the most powerful tax and retirement savings tools available for high-income business owners, and yet many have never heard of them.… Read More

December 22, 2025

Decumulation: Engineering a Paycheck for Life

For decades, the defined contribution (DC) system has focused almost exclusively on accumulation, how much participants save, invest, and grow their retirement assets. But as trillions of dollars now sit inside single-employer 401(k) plans, a new challenge has emerged: decumulation. How do we help participants convert those assets into sustainable, reliable income in retirement?… Read More

December 18, 2025

The Rise in PEPs and Increased Demand for 3(16) Services

With the growth of Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs), demand for 3(16) administrative services has surged. Plan sponsors are seeking providers who can take on fiduciary responsibility, streamline compliance, and reduce the operational burden that comes with administering retirement plans. This shift is creating more business for Retirement Plan Consultants (formerly known as TPAs).… Read More

December 12, 2025

The Retirement Planning Ecosystem: Roles and Responsibilities

Why the Retirement Plan Consultant Belongs at the Center of It All When business owners set out to offer a retirement plan, they’re not just offering a benefit, they’re creating a financial system that must serve the needs of the business, the employees, and the owners themselves.… Read More

December 3, 2025

Heightened Cybersecurity Concerns in Retirement Plans, and What Asteri Collective Member Firms Must Do

Rising Security Risks in Retirement Plans A June 2025 NAPA-Net / Escalent survey shows that cybersecurity threats and data breaches are now the top concern for 401(k) plan sponsors of all sizes. NAPA.net Some of the key findings: 52% of plan sponsor respondents named cybersecurity/data breaches as their greatest fear. … Read More

November 25, 2025

The Future of Data Sharing & Technology in the Retirement Planning Industry

Technology is reshaping the retirement plan industry, and at the center of it all lies data. How does data move, who is responsible for oversight, how much manual data manipulation needs to be in place, how can we protect client data… it’s all about data.… Read More

November 21, 2025

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.… Read More

November 16, 2025

Recordkeeping Industry 2025–2026: Key Trends and The Asteri Collective Impact

1. Market at an Existential Moment Key Points $12.5 trillion in assets, 121 million participant accounts. The DCIO piece had a different number and mentioned Brightscope. Fee compression and rising operational costs are eroding margins. Outdated technology limits scalability and innovation.… Read More

November 2, 2025

TPA vs Retirement Plan Consultant: What’s the Difference?

In the retirement industry, the term TPA, short for Third Party Administrator, gets tossed around a lot. It’s the industry standard. But for those of us who live and breathe plan design, compliance, and strategy, the title doesn’t go far enough.… Read More

October 24, 2025

$8 Trillion and Counting: What the Dominance of Single-Employer 401(k) Plans Means for Advisors and Business Owners

According to recent survey data, single-employer 401(k) plans represent more than $8 trillion of the $12 trillion in defined contribution assets in the U.S. That’s two-thirds of the entire market, and it’s growing. This isn’t just a statistic. It’s a signal.… Read More

October 10, 2025

The Future of Data Sharing & Technology in the Retirement Planning Industry

Technology is reshaping the retirement plan industry. At the center of it all: data. As Retirement Plan Consultants (formerly known as TPAs), we sit at the intersection of payroll, recordkeeping, compliance, and plan design. And for years, that intersection has been messy, marked by manual processes, incomplete files, and frustrating delays.… Read More

September 7, 2025

The Asteri Collective Launch – Press Release September 2025

Articles, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Asteri Collective Communications ann@astericollective.org www.astericollective.org Asteri Collective Launches to Redefine the Role of Retirement Plan Consultants August 19, 2025 A group of the nation’s top retirement plan consulting firms has officially launched The Asteri Collective, a collaboration committed to elevating the role of Retirement Plan Consultants (RPCs) across the retirement planning ecosystem.… Read More

August 18, 2025