San Diego, CA – June 8, 2015—Daniel S. Romero of Romero & Levin Wealth Management, Inc., in Santa Ana, CA, was recently named to the 2015 Financial Times Top 401 Retirement Plan Advisors list. Mr. Romero is affiliated with LPL Financial LLC, the nation’s largest independent broker/dealer,* an RIA custodian, and a wholly owned subsidiary of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LPLA).
The top advisors were chosen based on several criteria, including assets under management in defined contribution (DC) plans; degree of specialization in DC plan advising; growth in DC plan assets under management; growth in number of DC plans advised; average population rate in advised DC plans; years of experience as a DC planner; industry certifications; and compliance record.
“On behalf of LPL, we congratulate Daniel on being named to the Financial Times list,” said David Reich, executive vice president, head of Retirement Partners, LPL Financial. “We are proud to support Dan and his team with industry-leading resources, with the shared goal of helping his clients reach better retirement outcomes.”
*Based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2014
Click Here for list of professionals.
About LPL Financial
LPL Financial, a wholly owned subsidiary of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA), is a leader in the financial advice market and serves $485 billion in retail assets. The Company provides proprietary technology, comprehensive clearing and compliance services, practice management programs and training, and independent research to more than 14,000 independent financial advisors and more than 700 banks and credit unions. LPL Financial is the nation’s largest independent broker-dealer since 1996 (based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2014), is one of the fastest growing RIA custodians with $105 billion in retail assets served, and acts as an independent consultant to over an estimated 40,000 retirement plans with an estimated $120 billion in retirement plan assets served, as of March 31, 2015. In addition, LPL Financial supports approximately 4,300 financial advisors licensed with insurance companies by providing customized clearing, advisory platforms, and technology solutions. LPL Financial and its affiliates have 3,352 employees with primary offices in Boston, Charlotte, and San Diego. For more information, please visit www.lpl.com.
Received in 2015. The advisers were assessed according to quantifiable data, using the following methodology. The Financial Times and Ignites Research, the FT’s sister company, contacted large US brokerages, independent advisers and other wealth managers to identify qualified applicants. Our research partner, Broadridge Financial Solutions, provided data that helped to identify advisers specialising in serving companies sponsoring DC plans, including 401(k) plans and other DC accounts. Applicants for this listing were required to advise at least $75m in DC plan assets and have at least 20 per cent of their client assets in DC plans. The qualifying advisers completed a questionnaire about the details of their practice and we added that information to our own research. The formula the FT uses to grade advisers is based on six broad factors and calculates a numeric score for each adviser.
LPL Financial and Financial Times are not affiliated entities.
The Financial Times Top 401 Retirement Plan Advisors is an independent listing produced by the Financial Times (May, 2015). The FT 401 is based on data gathered from financial advisors, firms, regulatory disclosures, and the FT’s research. The listing reflects each advisor’s performance in eight primary areas, including: DC plan assets under management; DC plan assets as a percentage of overall AUM; growth in DC plan AUM; growth in DC plans advised; DC plan employee participation; professional designations; experience; and compliance record. Neither the brokerages nor the advisors pay a fee to The Financial Times in exchange for inclusion in the FT 401.
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