NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Nov. 2, 2017 — Joe Connell, a partner in the retirement plan services practice at Sikich LLP, was named to the Financial Times’ 2017 list of top retirement advisers in the U.S. Connell, who has more than 15 years of retirement program experience, has been included on the FT 401 list since its creation three years ago.
“It is an honor to be recognized by the Financial Times for my work helping organizations optimize their retirement programs,” Connell said. “Our team at Sikich works closely with companies to assist them in creating, managing and enhancing retirement plans. We also work closely and directly with individual plan participants to help them prepare for retirement.”
Sikich’s retirement plan services practice offers companies education and training, retirement plan fiduciary assessments, an open-architecture trading platform, professionally managed portfolios, discretionary trustee services and more.
“This recognition is well-deserved,” said Sikich CEO Chris Geier. “The ability to offer employees a secure financial future is a significant asset when building a strong workforce. Joe offers expert guidance to help our clients construct compliant and robust retirement plans.”
Connell is an accredited investment fiduciary analyst (AIFA), one of only 400 advisers in the country with this accreditation. He is actively involved in Plan Sponsor Council of America and was selected to participate in the Retirement Advisor Council, which advocates for successful retirement plan outcomes. In 2014, Connell was named retirement plan adviser of the year by PlanAdviser, a retirement plan industry magazine. Connell received his bachelor’s degree in finance from Saint Cloud State University and his AIFA accreditation from the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business.
The FT 401 list is compiled by the Financial Times and Ignite Research, the research branch of the publication. The list recognizes the top professionals specializing in advising U.S. employers’ defined contribution plans. Invited applicants are graded on seven factors: defined contribution assets under management, specialization in the defined contribution business, growth rate, years of experience, industry certification, participation rate in defined contribution plans advised and compliance records. View the full FT 401 here.
About Sikich LLP
Sikich LLP, a leading professional services firm specializing in accounting, technology, investment banking* and advisory services**, has more than 800 employees throughout the country. Founded in 1982, Sikich now ranks as the country’s 27th largest Certified Public Accounting firm and is among the top 10 of all enterprise resource planning solution partners in the country. From corporations and not-for-profits to state and local governments, Sikich clients can use a broad spectrum of services and products that help them reach long-term, strategic goals.
*Securities offered through Sikich Corporate Finance LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.
**Investment advisory services offered through Sikich Financial, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor.
