Envestnet today announced its acquisition of digital 401k retirement plan marketplace 401kplans.com, and that 401kplans.com Founder Scott Buffington is joining Envestnet as Head of Retirement Sales.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. In a statement, Envestnet said the acquisition underscores its ongoing commitment to the retirement plan industry, and to investing in technologies and solutions that enhance its financial wellness ecosystem.
The 401kplans.com platform streamlines retirement plan distribution and due diligence among financial advisors and third-party administrators.
“Envestnet’s acquisition of 401kplans.com reinforces our commitment to the retirement plan industry”
Andrew Stavaridis, Envestnet
“Envestnet’s acquisition of 401kplans.com reinforces our commitment to the retirement plan industry, and follows the recent appointment of Sean Murray as Head of Retirement in November of 2021,” said Andrew Stavaridis, Chief Relationship Officer of Envestnet. “401k plans remain the primary savings vehicle for 60 million American workers, yet advisors are often reluctant to incorporate them as part of their practices and holistic planning processes. By bringing 401kplans.com into our retirement offering, we can create a more seamless experience for advisors to shop, benchmark, and screen investments for their retirement plan clients.”
401k plan sponsors have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure plan investments and fees charged to the plan are prudent and reasonable. With Envestnet’s retirement solutions marketplace, advisors can employ Envestnet’s outsourced 3(38) or 3(21) fiduciary services for investment selection and monitoring in retirement plan portfolios and can access essential information to make investment recommendations and understand the impact of fund changes to the total cost of their plans.
The 401kplans.com digital marketplace, available online and via mobile app, walks advisors through a documented due diligence process when considering plan providers. The platform enables advisors to eliminate time-consuming manual proposal requests, quickly compare recordkeepers, and evaluate investment options. The innovative platform delivers instant pricing from most 401(k) providers—thanks to direct integrations with more than 36 plan recordkeepers.
Founded by Buffington, a 28-year industry veteran, 401kplans.com has quickly grown to nearly 28,000 advisors with accounts on the platform and working relationships with many of the largest broker-dealers. In his new role as Envestnet’s Head of Retirement Sales, he will report to Sean Murray.
“What would typically take advisors several weeks to complete can now be accomplished in a matter of minutes with a couple of clicks on our digital platform,” Buffington said. “This offering is unmatched in the industry and serves as a platform for all advisors—from retirement plan novices to industry veterans—to help them efficiently find the best providers, assess fees, and select appropriate investments for their clients.”
Berwyn, Pa.-based Envestnet manages retirement asset data from more than 200,000 retirement plans. The 401kplans.com marketplace is a core component of Envestnet’s retirement services strategy to provide an innovative solution to its enterprise clients, and to become a major distribution channel for recordkeepers and investment managers.
“By combining data aggregation, fiduciary services, and our digital marketplace, Envestnet will have the ability to aid home offices and advisors in finding appropriately priced retirement plans with suitable investment choices on an ongoing basis,” Stavaridis said.
Over 107,000 advisors and more than 6,500 companies—including 18 of the 20 largest U.S. banks, 47 of the 50 largest wealth management and brokerage firms, over 500 of the largest RIAs, and hundreds of FinTech companies—leverage Envestnet technology and services.
SEE ALSO:
• New Digital Tool for Small Market 401k Advisors
Veteran financial services industry journalist Brian Anderson joined 401(k) Specialist as Managing Editor in January 2019. He has led editorial content for a variety of well-known properties including Insurance Forums, Life Insurance Selling, National Underwriter Life & Health, and Senior Market Advisor. He has always maintained a focus on providing readers with timely, useful information intended to help them build their business.
