All Resources

Learn more about this year’s SECURE 2.0 changes and how to use them to differentiate your practice and deliver better client outcomes. 

Even as we settle into a new year, the retirement planning landscape continues to shift in response to a changing regulatory and policy environment, market volatility, inflation pressures, and numerous other factors. These changes can bring more complexity—and more opportunities—for advisors and their clients. And while advisors can’t control the markets or changing demographics, they can understand and navigate policy shifts in a way that helps drive the best possible outcomes for their clients.

The first step toward leveraging these policy shifts is understanding what’s changed. Enhanced contribution limits, a Roth-only catch-up requirement, evolving withdrawal strategies, and expanded incentives for small businesses are all redefining how advisors can support clients through this tax season and beyond. 

Guiding clients through Nonqualified Deferred Compensation (NQDC) plan enrollment requires a careful review of several important factors. As an advisor, you can add significant value by helping plan sponsors and participants understand the complexities of these plans, including recent regulatory changes.

This guide provides key considerations to help you support your clients during this critical period, ensuring they can make informed decisions that align with their financial goals.

Financial advisors seeking to deliver more value to plan sponsors while diversifying their own business can leverage COLI as a financing solution for nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) plans, without disrupting their existing recordkeeping relationship. 

Advisors play a key role during NQDC plan enrollment, which can be a critical time for plan sponsors. Despite their many benefits, participation rates in NQDC plans remain low (typically 20–25%*), often due to limited employee understanding. This creates a valuable opportunity for you to support your clients by educating employees and helping drive stronger engagement.

Grow your advisory business by learning how to guide clients in selecting and optimizing nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) plans for retention and growth.

Discover how providing a free plan diagnostic for employers offering nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) plans can help grow your business.  NQDC plan reviews can identify issues with the sponsor’s current plan and help them decide to change providers.

Learn the truth behind common myths about nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) plans and how advisors can use them to grow their business.

Help clients navigate tax burdens and enhance their retirement savings with nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) plans, which complement traditional 401(k) offerings by providing higher-earning employees with competitive retirement packages. Discover the advantages of pairing NQDC plans with safe harbor 401(k) plans to meet your clients' unique needs.

In an uncertain economic landscape, balancing compensation, retirement, and benefits programs is crucial for clients looking to attract and retain talent. Leverage insights from Ascensus' annual Compensation, Retirement, and Benefits Trends Report to guide your clients in understanding their program’s competitive position and making informed decisions for the year ahead.

Recent changes in the nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) plan landscape present new opportunities for employers. Tap into the latest trends—and use them to your advantage.

Discover how Corporate-Owned Life Insurance (COLI) can enhance nonqualified deferred compensation plans. Learn how COLI offers tax advantages, reduces plan costs, and supports long-term financial security for your clients. 

Discover how integrating retirement plans into your practice can enhance client relationships, capitalize on growing demand, and protect your business from competitors

Help your clients navigate nondiscrimination testing issues with their 401(k) plans by recommending Nonqualified Deferred Compensation (NQDC) plans and guiding them through the benefits of these plans.

For financial advisors, recommending sophisticated retirement plans beyond the standard 401(k) can unlock significant growth for your practice and provide superior value to your clients.

Proactively recommending options beyond the 401(k) helps you build stronger, long-term client relationships and defend against competitors. This guide explores four powerful retirement plan solutions to expand the possibilities for your small business clients.

Streamline your investment management process with Ascensus’ exclusive Investment Change Manager (ICM), a powerful online tool built for financial advisors.  ICM gives financial advisors complete control over fund changes across multiple plans, transforming complex administrative tasks into simple, compliant workflows.  Designed to save time and enhance transparency, ICM helps you build stronger client relationships while improving operational efficiency.

Discover the untapped potential of small business retirement plans and learn how these plans can expand your advisory practice to drive growth.

Show your clients the impact of our flat-dollar approach to recordkeeping fees on their plan fees and market value over time. Use our pricing calculator to create a custom illustration that demonstrates the plan value, and compare Ascensus plan pricing with current plan pricing to highlight potential savings and improved asset growth.

Help your clients drive success with employer-sponsored retirement plans. This comprehensive guide equips advisors with the tools to support their clients in creating and managing effective retirement plans, helping employees financially prepare for the future while enhancing business outcomes. 

Explore a range of managed account options to enhance your advisory services and meet your clients' diverse needs. Learn about key factors to consider — including fees, advice models, and rebalancing frequencies — and discover how our independence and strategic relationships provide you with the flexibility to offer tailored investment solutions. 

Help clients evaluate retirement plan providers using a comprehensive checklist to ensure they choose the best fit for their business needs.

Compare various retirement plan options to find the best fit for your clients, considering factors like eligibility, contributions, and administrative responsibilities.

Find the right plan for your client with our small business plans overview.

Explore how CoPilot 3(38) retirement plans can save you time and help grow your business with streamlined, transparent pricing and low-cost investment menus. Ascensus offers two CoPilot 401(k) retirement plans—traditional and Individual(k)^™—that are cost-effective and ease the investment and administrative burden of managing a 401(k) plan. 

Join the Elite Advisor program to enhance your advisory practice and reward your commitment to quality, transparency, and service excellence. This exclusive program offers advanced support, dedicated service, and unique opportunities to help you scale your business, position yourself as an expert, and grow your client base. 

Give your clients the support and protection they need with Ascensus 3(16) Administrative Fiduciary Services. Our support for day-to-day plan management and routine monitoring creates efficiencies for clients, allowing you to focus on growing your business.

Use the SECURE 2.0 Tax Credit Calculator to prospect small business clients by demonstrating potential tax credits available for sponsoring a retirement plan.

Help clients explore the tax credits available under the SECURE 2.0 Act, including eligibility criteria and potential savings, using the Tax Credit Calculator.

Scale your business by offering Multiple Employer Plans (MEPs) and Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs), which reduce administrative and financial burdens for employers.

Your growing retirement plan business requires actionable insights to inform client meetings, drive strategy, and demonstrate value to your clients. Explore the benefits of becoming an Elite Advisor—access a holistic view of your business, complete with analytics and recommendations for improved results.

Explore the benefits and features of the Ascensus Secure Retirement PEP, which offers an affordable, customizable retirement solution for advisors and their clients.

Enhance your advisory practice by offering payroll integrated 401(k) solutions, streamlining processes for clients and increasing your revenue streams. 

Explore a sample of our Plan Health Report to leverage research and data provided by our recordkeeping platform. These insights help you understand specific plan activities, compare plans to others, and identify features that drive optimal retirement readiness.

Leverage innovative solutions and data-driven insights to expand your advisory practice, enhance client experiences, and achieve stronger retirement outcomes. 

As an Elite advisor, you and your clients deserve exceptional service and support. Explore tactics and messaging examples to help you market and promote your Elite retirement practice, highlighting the distinctive benefits you offer.

Through Ascensus, advisors can offer a fully integrated financial wellness program powered by Financial Finesse. This holistic financial wellness benefits program combines retirement plan administration with fundamental financial education and coaching. It is designed to help improve employee financial well-being by addressing daily finances, such as debt and budgeting, so they can save more effectively for retirement.