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

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

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

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

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

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

The Asteri Collective Expands National Leadership With Three New Members

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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

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

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

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