The kickoff festivities at the morning session of the annual Excel 401(k): The Advisors’ Conference at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas featured the annual celebration and recognition of this year’s group of 12 monthly ‘Top Advisors by Participant Outcomes’ (TAPO) designees, as named by 401(k) Specialist.
The event also unveiled the long-awaited overall ‘2018 Top Advisor by Participant Outcomes’ (TAPO) recipient, as chosen from among the group by an independent panel of industry experts.
After a bit of anticipation, it was announced that Alex Assaley, Managing Principal and the Lead Advisor for Retirement Plans with AFS 401(k) Retirement Services, took home the honor.
This year’s panel of judges was:
- Barbara March – The BridgePoint Group
- Tony Mingo – vWise
- Hugh O’Toole – innovu
- MKay Leydon – Each Enterprise
- Richard Carpenter – USVI Pensions
“Alex clearly articulates his organization’s ability to look at the whole person and their total financial wellness,” O’Toole said when commenting on choosing Assaley for the top of his ballot. “Like everything in his business, he has a process that is well thought out and thorough. For those that he is helping he creates an expectation that they are all in on their own improvement. He brings innovation to identifying the core opportunities, the solution and the implementation.”
The monthly designees and 2018 TAPO finalists were:
- Kristina Keck, Woodruff-Sawyer & Co.
- Todd Timmerman, Retirement Plan Analytics
- Barbara Delaney, StoneStreet Renaissance
- Alex Assaley, AFS 401(k) Retirement Services
- Ty Parrish, Blue Prairie Group
- Charles Langowski, Advanced Capital Group
- Chad Larsen, MRP
- Joe DeNoyior, Washington Financial Group
- Vince Morris, Bukaty Companies Financial Services
- Aaron Pottichen, Alliant Retirement Consulting
- Scott White, NestEgg U with INTRUST
- Marko Ungashick, Two West
401(k) Specialist was extremely excited to partner with TAPO’s 2018 sponsor, J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
The company’s innovative “Let’s solve it” campaign is dedicated to assisting advisors with their most pressing challenges. It presents a natural synergy, as participant outcomes is one of the premier challenges with which 401(k) advisors, sponsors and participants currently wrestle.
“Every day, we actively work to simplify, inform and empower better decisions,” J.P. Morgan Asset Management noted. “All to help build stronger portfolios and to help our clients achieve long-term success.”
Although J.P. Morgan Asset Management is a partner in the recognition and celebration, it was in no way involved with, or responsible for, the selection of the Top Advisors by Participant Outcomes, as it is strictly an editorial process.