Financial Times Names 10 Northwestern Mutual Advisors to List of Top Retirement Plan Advisors

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Oct 22, 2020, 09:00 ET

MILWAUKEE, Oct. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwestern Mutual today announced that 10 financial advisors affiliated with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company have been named to the 2020 edition of the Financial Times' 401 Top U.S. Retirement Plan Advisors.

The FT 401 list recognizes an elite group of advisors who specialize in serving defined contribution (DC) retirement plans across the United States. Advisors are selected based on six primary criteria: DC assets under advisement (AUA); DC AUA growth rate; specialization in DC plans; years of experience; advanced industry credentials; and compliance record. There are no fees or other considerations required of advisors who apply for the FT 401.

Those recognized in the 2020 FT 401 are:

Clay Brinson, Brecher, Greenberg & Brinson Group, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
Todd Colburn, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
William Brian Drake, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
James Erb, James L. Erb and Associates, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
Michael Erpelding, Erpelding Wealth Management, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
Roger Machlin, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
Ted Shanahan, Blueprint Financial Group, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
Jerod Spaeth, Spaeth Barrett Group, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
David Test, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
Steven Thagard, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company

"Congratulations to these deserving Financial Times' 401 Top Retirement Plan Advisors and their teams. Now more than ever, individuals rely on employer-sponsored retirement plans to help ensure their retirement needs are met, and these advisors stand out by providing exceptional expertise to the businesses that offer these plans to their employees," said Aditi Javeri Gokhale, chief commercial officer and president of investment products and services.

"We're honored to have such strong Northwestern Mutual representation among the Financial Times' 401 Top Retirement Plan Advisors, which serves as further validation of our integrated planning approach," said Evamarie Schoenborn, president and CEO, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "Whether they are consulting on plan design, analyzing fees or educating participants on the benefits of saving for retirement, these advisors and their teams are true professionals in their craft."

The FT 401 distinction follows the recognition of 21 Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management advisors on the 2020 Financial Times' 400 Top Financial Advisors list and five advisors on Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors list. Leading industry publications including Financial Planning, Financial Advisor, Investment Advisor and InvestmentNews consistently rank Northwestern Mutual Investment Services as a top independent broker-dealer by total revenue.

Northwestern Mutual Investment Services and Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, which are subsidiaries of Northwestern Mutual, provide a variety of investment products and services to help clients with financial protection, wealth accumulation, and estate preservation and distribution. These solutions include brokerage and advisory services, trust services and discretionary portfolio management for high-net-worth individuals. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company manages $175 billion in client assets.

About The FT 401
The Financial Times 401 Top Retirement Advisors is an independent listing produced annually by Ignites Research, a division of Money-Media, Inc., on behalf of the Financial Times (October 2020). The FT 401 is based on data gathered from advisors, regulatory disclosures, and the FT's research. The listing reflects each advisor's status in six primary areas: DC plan assets under advisement (AUA), DC AUA growth rate, specialization in DC plans, years of experience, advanced industry credentials and compliance record. A total of 855 advisors applied for the award, of which 401 were selected (47%). This award is not indicative of the advisor's future performance. Neither the advisors nor their parent firms pay a fee to the Financial Times in exchange for inclusion in the FT 401.

About Northwestern Mutual
Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 160 years. Through a holistic planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial professionals with a personalized digital experience and industry-leading products to help its clients plan for what's most important. With $290.3 billion in total assets, $29.9 billion in revenues, and $1.9 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than 4.6 million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. The company manages more than $175 billion of investments owned by its clients and held or managed through its wealth management and investment services businesses. Northwestern Mutual ranks 102 on the 2020 FORTUNE 500 and is recognized by FORTUNE^® as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2020.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM)(life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries in Milwaukee, WI. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (investment brokerage services), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (investment advisory and trust services), a federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company.

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual