PLANADVISER - March/April 2019 - 38

PLANSPONSOR
Retirement Plan Adviser
of the Year Finalists Large Team
Oswald Financial
Plante Moran Financial Services
O
swald Financial, in Cleveland,
was founded in
1999, when there were virtually
no retirement plan specialists.
" From the beginning, and
throughout the growth of our
practice, the focus on maximizing
participation and retirement
readiness, as well as success
through plan design, has been
at the forefront, " says David Kulchar, the firm's managing
director of retirement plan services.
Oswald aims to customize its services for each client.
BUSINESS AT A GLANCE*
PLAN ASSETS UNDER ADVISEMENT:
$2.3 billion
MEDIAN PLAN SIZE, IN ASSETS:
$3 million
PLANS UNDER ADMINISTRATION: 325
PARTICIPANTS: 60,000
One offering it believes distinguishes it from competitors
is the customized education programs it creates in-house.
" Because our in-house education specialists and wealth
managers are available in a group capacity, as well as oneon-one,
and have the resources to accommodate unique
employer demographics, we are truly able to develop and
maintain strong relationships for the participants' full financial
wellness journey-all the way to transitioning to retirement
and beyond-to ensure that employees stay on track, "
the firm reports. " We are proud to say we make our group
and individual services available to every single participant. "
To engage participants and reach those who may not
work at a desk, Oswald Financial creates videos on retirement-related
topics, which it makes available online for
participants anywhere to access.
To improve participants' retirement readiness, the firm
persistently advocates for adding automatic enrollment and
automatic escalation and for tracking replacement ratios.
To help plan sponsor clients manage their fiduciary responsibilities,
Oswald will serve as either a 3(21) or 3(38) fiduciary
and also offers fiduciary training to plan committees.
Further, the practice embraces new developments in
the industry, educating its advisers, staff and clients about
health savings accounts (HSAs), student loan repayment
programs, Roth 401(k)s and in-plan annuities. -Lee Barney
P
lante Moran Financial Services'
culture and philosophy
are ultimately rooted in helping
participants retire successfully:
" We care about our clients. We
care about our work. We care
about our families and our communities,
and we care about
each other, " says Susan Shoemaker,
partner and Employee
Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) retirement plan
investment consultant.
The practice, whose largest office is in Southfield, MichBUSINESS
AT A GLANCE*
PLAN ASSETS UNDER ADVISEMENT:
$6.7 billion
MEDIAN PLAN SIZE, IN ASSETS:
$7.7 million
PLANS UNDER ADMINISTRATION: 250
PARTICIPANTS: 200,000
igan, has been around for over 25 years. " The team that serves
it is passionate about not only helping sponsors meet their
fiduciary duties, but also ensuring their staff have a thorough
understanding of retirement plans and are able to make decisions
that help participants have a retirement they'll enjoy, "
she says. " The team is humbled by the opportunity to help
people with such an important aspect of their lives. "
Plante Moran's approach to servicing clients is built with
a focus on three key areas: 1) objective, unbiased expertise;
2) decisionmaking with clients' and participants' best interests
in mind; and 3) complete transparency in everything
the firm does and every discussion it has. The practice is
part of a larger entity, which means the plan advisers can
leverage resources including research analysts, tax advisers,
employee benefit consultants and ERISA attorneys to ensure
that clients have the support they need when they need it.
" Our service model is more than a business philosophy-it's
how we promote sustainable financial wellness, educate the
client and earn its trust, " Shoemaker says.
Plante Moran offers educational meetings and financial
webinars on a variety of topics, including Social Security and
Medicare, getting ready for retirement, saving for college, tax
planning, estate planning and Roth accounts. Within the
next five years, the firm aims to double its practice size and
increase its industry involvement. -Lee Barney
*As of December 31, 2018
38 | planadviser.com March-April 2019
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PLANADVISER - March/April 2019

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