Clean Data, Shared Standards, Real Outcomes: Recordkeepers and RPCs Collaborating for Better Outcomes

Data integration matters. That much is no longer up for debate. The more important question facing the retirement industry now is how data is shared, who sets the standards, and which partners are capable of executing consistently at scale.

Clean data is not a technical preference. It is an operational requirement tied directly to service quality, participant outcomes, and executive confidence. As recordkeeping models grow more complex and expectations rise, the tolerance for inconsistency continues to shrink.

From One-Off Fixes to Shared Infrastructure

For years, data exchange across the retirement ecosystem relied on custom file feeds, manual reconciliation, and one-off integrations designed to solve immediate problems. Those approaches worked when volumes were lower and expectations were simpler. They do not scale in today’s environment.

What the industry is moving toward now is alignment around shared standards and repeatable processes that reduce cost to serve while improving accuracy and speed. APIs, standardized data formats, and automation are no longer viewed as experimental or optional. They are foundational infrastructure.

The work being advanced by the SPARK Institute and its API initiatives reflects a broader recognition that collaboration, not competition, is what moves the ecosystem forward. Secure, bi-directional data exchange benefits recordkeepers, RPCs, advisors, and participants when it is implemented consistently and thoughtfully.

Leadership That Bridges Strategy and Execution

Within The Asteri Collective, this conversation is grounded in real operational experience, not theory.

Joe Burt has played a critical role in advancing SPARK-aligned API thinking while also working directly with RPCs and recordkeepers on what actually works in production environments. That dual perspective matters. Standards only succeed when they are informed by real workflows, real constraints, and clear accountability.

Rather than treating data sharing as a vendor problem to solve, Asteri approaches it as a shared responsibility across recordkeepers, RPCs, advisors, and technology partners. That mindset shift is what turns integration from a technical exercise into a strategic advantage.

Raising the Bar on ROI

As operational and technology investments increase, expectations around return have become more disciplined. Partnerships are increasingly evaluated on outcomes, not activity.

Recordkeepers are looking for clear visibility into what is working and why. That includes insight into sales and referral pipelines, proposal velocity and conversion rates, retention and plan stability, operational efficiency, and data accuracy at the participant level.

Quarterly and annual reporting are becoming standard practice. Clean, consistent data is what makes that reporting credible and actionable.

Why the Collective Model Changes What’s Possible

Even the strongest individual firms face limitations when it comes to delivering consistent integration and reporting across platforms and markets. A collective model changes that equation.

By aligning RPCs around shared data standards, integration principles, and reporting frameworks, The Asteri Collective enables a level of visibility and consistency that fragmented relationships cannot deliver. This applies across bundled, unbundled, and hybrid models alike.

Shared metrics, shared definitions, and shared accountability allow recordkeepers to identify what is working, where friction exists, and how partnerships perform over time, without reinventing the process for every relationship.

From Data Exchange to Data Leadership

The next phase of retirement plan innovation will not be defined by who deploys the most technology. It will be defined by who uses technology with precision, discipline, and intent.

Clean data, shared standards, and collaborative leadership are what turn integration into outcomes. Recordkeepers are increasingly aligning with partners who understand that difference and are built to operate accordingly.

Those who can align around infrastructure, execution, and transparency will be the ones trusted to help scale the retirement system forward.