VestGen Broadens Reach to Retirement Plans, Stax.ai, Finch Partner on Payroll-Linked Census for TPAs
VestGen Broadens Reach to Retirement Plans
VestGen Wealth Partners, LLC is expanding into the retirement plan market with the launch of VestGen Retirement Services.
According to a release, VestGen Retirement Services will offer support from plan design and fiduciary oversight to participant education and wealth transitions.
Joining VestGen to help with the expansion is an Oak Brook, Illinois-based retirement-focused advisory team previously affiliated with Osaic, bringing approximately $662 million in total client assets.
Bob Greulich, CPFA, a veteran advisor with more than 40 years in wealth and retirement management, will serve as a managing director and wealth advisor for VestGen Retirement Services, alongside James Kim, who will continue his focus on serving individual clients and participants through rollover and wealth strategies.
“Plan sponsors need compliant plans, but they also need a competitive advantage,” said Greulich. “A well-run retirement program helps companies attract and retain top talent, while giving employees the confidence to retire on time and with dignity.”
Josh Gerry, founder and CEO of VestGen, added, “The wealth management space is evolving rapidly, often at the expense of personalization. We’re building a firm that combines growth with soul — a unified ecosystem where employees don’t just access financial planning, they engage with it. With the same reach as the largest providers, we deliver through advisors who know their clients by name. This addition is a gateway to that vision.”
Next Article: Stax.ai, Finch Partner on Payroll-Linked Census for TPAs
Stax.ai, Finch Partner on Payroll-Linked Census for TPAs
Stax.ai, an AI-powered operating system for retirement plan administrators, is expanding its partnership with Finch, a payroll and employee data connectivity provider.
The partnership comes as TPAs face additional payroll and participant data complexity with SECURE 2.0 long-term part-time (LTPT) rules reshaping census obligations in 2025, the firms note.
Plan sponsors can connect payroll operations to the portal, and data is then automated to Stax.ai’s census and compliance engine. Plan sponsors can connect to most major payroll providers by API or tech-assisted integrations through Finch.
The partnership also offers bidirectional payroll and participant data that automates deferral and contribution updates; and payroll connectively inside Stax.ai’s white-label client portal and workflows.
“Plan consultants know that getting accurate payroll and census have been the toughest, most unreliable part of plan administration,” said Naru Muraleedharan, founder and CEO of Stax.ai. “Other payroll connectivity and aggregation tools left major gaps, but our partnership with Finch closes them—delivering the clean, automated, and accurate system the industry has been waiting for.”
Next Article: Financial Finesse Hires Key Accounts Director for PoweredBy Retirement Side
Financial Finesse Hires Key Accounts Director for PoweredBy Retirement Side
Financial Finesse has appointed Susan Weeks as director of Key Accounts for its PoweredBy Retirement business.
Weeks joins Financial Finesse to lead strategic partnerships across the retirement market. In her new role, she will focus on helping retirement plan providers and asset managers grow and differentiate their programs by bundling financial coaching programs into their existing services.
Financial Finesse’s PoweredBy model enables large financial institutions and fintech partners to integrate the company’s independent coaching platform into their own solutions.
“A strong financial wellness offering is becoming a must-have differentiator and growth enabler for record keepers, asset managers and retirement plan advisory practices,” said Todd Lacey, president of Financial Finesse. “PoweredBy Retirement combines the best of AI, fintech, and human coaching to create a new model of collaboration. It empowers advisors and record keepers to scale personal financial guidance while maintaining trust, objectivity, and compliance. Susan’s leadership will help us meet the growing demand for customized wellness solutions.”
“I’m thrilled to join Financial Finesse at such a pivotal time,” said Weeks. “Retirement plan record keepers, asset managers and advisors are looking for meaningful ways to deliver differentiated value. By combining cutting-edge technology with the power of human coaching, we’re making it possible for every employee to receive the personalized guidance they need to achieve lasting financial well-being while strengthening the partnerships that make our industry thrive.”
Next Article: Morningstar Retirement, NPPG Integrate on PEP Accessibility
Morningstar Retirement, NPPG Integrate on PEP Accessibility
Morningstar Retirement is collaborating with NPPG Plan Professionals, LLC, a related company of National Professional Planning Group, Inc. (NPPG), to deliver personalized retirement offerings to employers through pooled employer plans (PEPs).
Morningstar Retirement’s advisor managed accounts service will be integrated into NPPG’s PEP offerings.
“High-quality, personalized retirement plans were once limited to large companies. PEPs are changing that by closing the coverage gap for small and mid-sized businesses, where 56 million U.S. workers lack workplace retirement plans. They simplify administration, lower costs, and expand access,” said Nathan Voris, head of go-to-market at Morningstar Retirement. “Through our collaboration with NPPG, we’re democratizing access, bringing these strategies to a broader market, and helping more employees plan for retirement.”
As the PPP, NPPG will oversee the management and administration of these PEPs.
“Together with Morningstar Retirement, we are helping employers offer more than just a plan—we’re enabling personalized, outcome-focused strategies designed to support long-term financial well-being,” said Michael Salerno, CEO at NPPG.
Next Article: PensionPro Adopts SinglePointAI to Simplify Onboarding Processes
PensionPro Adopts SinglePointAI to Simplify Onboarding Processes
SinglepointAI, an intelligent data automater, and PensionPro, a workflow management software for third-party administrators (TPAs), today announced that SinglepointAI is now an integration partner with PensionPro.
PensionPro TPAs can access the feature to help complete their onboarding, with the aim of swiftening the process.
“Onboarding has always been one of the toughest bottlenecks in the industry… What makes SinglepointAI especially unique is that it was intentionally designed to integrate seamlessly into existing systems—while delivering features no other solution offers—without requiring a heavy lift from IT resources,” said Tom Loch, co-founder & CEO of SinglepointAI.
“By embedding automated onboarding into our platform, we’re helping our clients streamline one of the most time-consuming parts of plan administration,” said Darren Conner, chief operating officer of PensionPro. It’s a game-changing innovation that enables TPAs to operate more efficiently and elevate their business at a time when demand is only increasing.”
Next Article: Custodia Financial Extends Retirement Loan Protection Program to Securian
Custodia Financial Extends Retirement Loan Protection Program to Securian
Securian Financial and Custodia Financial announced a new relationship expanding access to Custodia’s Retirement Loan Protection (RLP) program—an in-plan feature aimed at protecting 401(k) loans from default when job loss, disability or death occurs.
“Millions of Americans borrow from their 401(k)s with the best of intentions, but job loss or disability can quickly turn a short-term solution into a permanent setback,” said David Seidel, Securian Financial senior vice president and head of its U.S. Affinity Solutions business. “Joining with Custodia Financial in this program reflects Securian’s commitment to innovative protection solutions that help people build secure tomorrows. Retirement Loan Protection helps ensure workers can protect the savings they’ve worked so hard to build—especially when life takes an unexpected turn.”
According to industry research, loan defaults and cash-outs account for more than $2 trillion of the U.S. retirement savings gap.
“Working with Securian Financial allows us to deliver Retirement Loan Protection to more plan sponsors and participants through Securian’s trusted and proven insurance platform,” said Tod A. Ruble, co-founder and CEO of Custodia Financial. “Together, we’re helping to close the retirement savings gap by preventing loan defaults before they happen—automatically and inclusively.”
Next Article: MissionSquare Expands Eastern Relationship Management Team
MissionSquare Expands Eastern Relationship Management Team
MissionSquare is expanding its Revenue and Sales organization with two new hiring updates.
The organization announced that it has hired Mark Thompson as director of Relationship Management of Eastern U.S. and promoted Paula Schnoebelen to manager of the same team.
In his new role, Thompson will serve as the primary point of contact for plan sponsors, supporting them with plan amendments, design, reviews, and regulatory updates. Based in Minnesota, he will focus on helping customers in the Midwest and the Central U.S.
Schnoebelen, a MissionSquare veteran of more than 25 years, has been promoted to manager within the Relationship Management team. In her new role, she will continue to serve as a key point of contact for plan sponsors and MissionSquare and will also work with plan sponsors to support their plan participants.
Schnoebelen specializes in plan design, annual reviews, and regulatory compliance.
Thompson and Schnoebelen report to Janet Kendall, head of Relationship Management for the Eastern U.S., and began their new roles on Oct. 13.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mark and Paula to our Eastern Relationship Management team,” said Kendall. “Mark’s customer-first mindset and proven leadership, combined with Paula’s deep institutional knowledge and strategic expertise, will bring tremendous value to our customers and partners. Their contributions will help elevate our impact and drive continued growth across the region.”
Next Article: IRALOGIX Taps CMO
IRALOGIX Taps CMO
IRALOGIX, the retirement industry’s fintech provider, has appointed Susan Canavari as chief marketing officer, a newly created executive position established to accelerate the company’s next phase of growth and market expansion.
Canavari joins IRALOGIX with a background in developing and executing integrated marketing and brand strategies across B2B, B2B2C, and B2C markets.
“Susan’s deep marketing and branding expertise and proven ability to lead people make her an ideal addition to our leadership team at exactly the right time in our growth trajectory,” said Peter de Silva, chief executive officer of IRALOGIX. “Her strategic vision and client-centered mindset will be instrumental as we continue to expand our platform and deliver innovative retirement solutions that set new standards for the industry.”
Before joining IRALOGIX, Canavari held senior marketing and brand leadership roles at Sundae, TIAA, JPMorgan Chase, and Chase Consumer Bank. Earlier in her career, she held leadership positions at advertising and marketing agencies, including mcgarrybowen (now Dentsu Mcgarrybowen), Publicis Groupe/Digitas, and Ogilvy & Mather.
“I’m thrilled to join IRALOGIX at such a pivotal point in its growth journey,” said Canavari. “I’ve known Peter for many years, and have great admiration for his integrity, leadership, and deep understanding of the financial services industry. His vision for helping our partners close the retirement savings gap in the U.S. is both inspiring and transformative. I’m eager to partner with him and the entire leadership team to strengthen the brand, deepen engagement with our partners, and build on the incredible momentum IRALOGIX has achieved.”
Canavari holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and management from Miami University and a master’s degree in marketing from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management.
Next Article: Creative Planning Acquires Financial Abundance
Creative Planning Acquires Financial Abundance
Creative Planning is acquiring Financial Abundance, an RIA located in Pennsylvania. The acquisition, which closed on September 30 of this year, will add over $275 million in assets under management (AUM) to Creative Planning’s AUM.
For more than 20 years, Financial Abundance Founder and President Paul Nichols and his team have worked with individuals and families to provide comprehensive and customized financial planning services.
“Financial Abundance shares our values and client-centered approach. Their vast knowledge and expertise will be a welcome addition to the Creative Planning team, boosting our presence on the East Coast,” said Peter Mallouk, president and CEO of Creative Planning.
In addition to financial planning services, Financial Abundance provided planning strategies and financial coaching to help guide clients through the the investing process.
“Creative Planning’s resources and national footprint, along with their extensive in-house legal, estate and tax services, will enable us to continue our mission of providing peace of mind to our clients,” said Nichols.
Financial Abundance will be Creative Planning’s 14th acquisition in two years as it continues to expand its wealth management capabilities and extend into new markets.
Next Article: Bluespring Welcomes New Leadership, Biz Dev Hires
Bluespring Welcomes New Leadership, Biz Dev Hires
Bluespring Wealth Partners, an acquirer of both independent registered investment adviosrs (RIAs) and hybrid wealth management firms, today announced the addition of three executives to its leadership team, as well as two hires that will join its business development team.
- Adam Sokolic has been appointed head of Business Operations and Integrations.
- Rochelle Levy joins as chief compliance officer (CCO).
- William Salmen has been named head of Mergers and Acquisitions.
- Jonathan Ballenger joins the business development team as regional business development director.
- Tyler Schlater, CFP, CIMA, joins the business development team as regional business development director.
Sokolic brings over 25 years of executive leadership experience in M&A, platform integration, and retirement and wealth management operations. Most recently, he served as chief operating officer for Retirement & Private Wealth at HUB International, where he spearheaded an acquisition strategy that generated more than 600% inorganic growth and oversaw a $200 billion-plus platform serving corporate and individual clients.
Levy is a compliance and legal leader with over 15 years of experience across banking, investment management, and capital markets. She previously served as chief compliance officer for Capital Markets, Private Bank, and Wealth Management at City National Bank, where she built compliance programs spanning broker-dealers, RIAs, and trust entities. Levy is also a licensed attorney admitted to the New York and Massachusetts bars.
Salmen joins Bluespring from Galway Insurance Holdings, where he was vice president of Acquisitions and Business Development. With more than a decade of M&A and corporate development experience, he has led transactions across wealth management, including the acquisition and rapid integration of MAI Capital Management, a $35 billion RIA.
In addition to these executive appointments, Bluespring is expanding its business development leadership with Jonathan Ballenger and Tyler Schlater, who will work alongside head of Business Development Josh Bartholomew to lead all business development efforts nationally.