PlanMember Securities
PlanMember Securities Corporation is a private broker-dealer and investment advisor specializing in retirement planning for education, nonprofit, and government employers, managing $17 billion across 200,000+ participant accounts via 50+ Financial Centers and nearly 500 independent financial professionals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersCarpinteria, California, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What PlanMember Securities does
PlanMember Securities Corporation is a privately held, FINRA- and SIPC-registered broker-dealer and investment advisor specializing in retirement planning for the education, nonprofit, and government sectors. Founded in 1990 by Jon Ziehl and headquartered in Carpinteria, California, the firm operates as a subsidiary of PlanMember Financial Corporation alongside PlanMember Services Corporation (registered transfer agent) and PSC Insurance Marketing Corporation. PlanMember manages $17 billion in retirement assets across more than 200,000 participant accounts for nearly 4,700 employer organizations and serves 14 million+ individuals through the broader PlanMember Program via a national footprint of 50+ PlanMember Financial Centers and nearly 500 independent financial professionals.
The firm's product portfolio centers on the PlanMember Services Program and the Personal Retirement Plan, supported by targeted vehicles including the PlanMember Workplace Savings Program (403(b)/457(b)), the PlanMember Pooled Employer Plan (SECURE Act 401(k)), and the OPTIFUND Investment Program for large school districts. Investment management is delivered through branded portfolio programs — PlanMember Elite, PlanMember Strategist, PlanMember Select, PlanMember Retirement Select, and the PlanMember Asset Allocation Portfolios — alongside variable and fixed annuity offerings. The technology layer is a broker-dealer platform with Pershing LLC as clearing broker, member-facing portals (PlanMember Online, myPlanMember, mobile app), and the MemberMinds educational platform containing 174+ articles, videos, and calculators.
Revenue is generated through five streams: securities commissions, advisory fees, 12b-1 distribution and servicing fees (0.10%–1.00% annually of net asset value), persistency fees, and marketing/administrative fees tied to OPTIFUND. PlanMember reaches customers through a hybrid go-to-market: a field-sales network of independent financial professionals and Financial Centers, an institutional sales team pursuing large single-provider RFP engagements, an inside-sales service center operating extended hours, and a self-serve online enrollment channel. The firm is consistently ranked among the top broker-dealers by revenue (22nd in 2022 per Financial Planning IBD Elite) and top K-12 plan providers (5th in 2022 per PLANSPONSOR).
PlanMember Securities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PlanMember Securities
- Legal name
- PlanMember Financial Corporation
- Website
- https://planmember.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- PlanMember Securities Corporation is a private broker-dealer and investment advisor specializing in retirement planning for education, nonprofit, and government employers, managing $17 billion across 200,000+ participant accounts via 50+ Financial Centers and nearly 500 independent financial professionals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PlanMember Securities industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retirement Plan Services
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retirement Plan Participant Advice & Managed Accounts (FSAEABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Retirement Income Planning & Decumulation Advisory (FSAEABAD)
Keywords
Where PlanMember Securities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carpinteria, California
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
PlanMember Securities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Securities Commissions: Commissions or concessions earned from the sale of securities such as mutual funds and variable annuities as a registered broker/dealer
- Advisory Fees: Advisory fees retained by PlanMember Securities Corporation for advisory services, including potential solicitor fees from outside advisory services
- Distribution and Servicing Fees (12b-1): Distribution fees (12b-1 fees) and servicing fees ranging from 0.10% to 1.00% annually of net asset value, paid by product sponsors
- Persistency Fees: Ongoing fees paid by product sponsors based on continued client asset retention
- Marketing and Administrative Fees: Marketing and administrative fees received for OPTIFUND Investment Selections, including sub-accounting services
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Individual investor accounts with personalized planning and managed portfolios |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
PlanMember Securities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PlanMember Securities is a registered broker/dealer and investment advisor that provides retirement plan administration, investment management, and securities brokerage services primarily to educational, nonprofit, and government organizations. The company delivers 403(b), 457(b), and 401(k) plan services, Personal Retirement Plans, and a suite of professionally managed mutual fund and annuity investment options through a national network of independent financial professionals and Financial Centers. Pershing LLC serves as the clearing broker for all customer equity orders.
Product overview
PlanMember Securities offers a comprehensive retirement planning and investment services ecosystem built around the PlanMember Services Program. The core offering includes the Personal Retirement Plan for customized strategic financial planning, supported by the PlanMember Workplace Savings Program for 403(b)/457(b) plans and the PlanMember Pooled Employer Plan for 401(k) arrangements. Investment management is delivered through multiple branded portfolio options including PlanMember Elite (managed mutual fund portfolios), PlanMember Strategist (professional management firm access), PlanMember Retirement Select (self-directed option with 600+ funds), and PlanMember Asset Allocation Portfolios. Members access their accounts through PlanMember Online and the myPlanMember portal, with support from the PlanMember Service Center, Retirement Academy educational resources, and MemberMinds content library. The ecosystem serves educators, nonprofit employees, and for-profit organization workers through over 50 PlanMember Financial Centers and a national network of independent financial professionals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PlanMember Workplace Savings Program: A model 403(b) and 457(b) retirement program designed for employees of educational, governmental, and nonprofit organizations.
- PlanMember Retirement & Investment Program
- PlanMember Pooled Employer Plan
- OPTIFUND Investment Program
- PlanMember Elite
- PlanMember Strategist
- PlanMember Select
- PlanMember Investment & Savings Program
- PlanMember ERISA Program
Products and services
- PlanMember Services Program
- Personal Retirement Plan
- PlanMember Workplace Savings Program
- PlanMember Elite
- PlanMember Strategist
- PlanMember Retirement Select
- PlanMember Investment & Savings Program
- PlanMember Pooled Employer Plan
- PlanMember ERISA Program
- OPTIFUND Investment Program
- Variable Annuity Options
- Fixed & Fixed Index Annuities
- PlanMember Asset Allocation Portfolios
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 200,000 participant accounts with $17 billion in retirement assets managed
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use PlanMember Securities
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
PlanMember Securities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature5 records
PlanMember Securities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Pershing LLCcorePershing LLC serves as the clearing broker for PlanMember Securities' customer equity orders. All customer equity orders are transmitted to Pershing, which makes routing and execution decisions. Pershing also prepares quarterly reports on order routing practices pursuant to SEC Rule 606.
- Federated InvestorsminorCompensating sponsor receiving Additional Compensation from product sponsor for sales and marketing support. Federated Hermes is among fund companies available on the PlanMember platform.
- FidelityminorCompensating sponsor receiving Additional Compensation from product sponsor for sales and marketing support. Fidelity mutual funds are available through PlanMember's self-directed platform.
- Security Benefit LifeminorCompensating sponsor receiving Additional Compensation from product sponsor for sales and marketing support. Security Benefit Life offers annuity products through PlanMember.
- OppenheimerFundsminorCompensating sponsor receiving Additional Compensation from product sponsor for sales and marketing support. OppenheimerFunds mutual funds available through PlanMember.
- DWS ScudderminorCompensating sponsor receiving Additional Compensation from product sponsor for sales and marketing support. DWS Scudder funds available on the platform.
- Galliard Stable Return FundminorGalliard Stable Return Fund C is offered as a stable value investment option within PlanMember programs, seeking safety of principal with minimal volatility.
- Standard Stable Asset Fund IIminorStandard Stable Asset Fund II is offered as an annuity option providing guaranteed return of principal, competitive crediting rates, and 100% liquidity.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PlanMember Securities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Empower Retirement: Empower is one of the largest U.S. retirement plan recordkeepers, serving 403(b), 401(k), and 457 plans across education, government, and corporate markets with scale and technology advantages versus specialized players like PlanMember.
- Fidelity Workplace Investing: Fidelity is a dominant403(b) and 401(k) recordkeeper and mutual fund provider serving education, government, and corporate employers, competing with PlanMember through both scale and the PlanMember platform's access to Fidelity funds.
- Corebridge Financial (formerly VALIC): Corebridge Financial, through VALIC, is a long-established provider of retirement plans for K-12 educators and public-sector employees, offering403(b), 457, and defined-contribution solutions alongside broader insurance and asset management services.
Direct peers
- Kestra Financial: Kestra Financial is an independent broker-dealer and RIA platform supporting financial professionals offering retirement and investment planning services, structurally similar to PlanMember's independent-advisor model.
- Aspire Financial Services: Aspire Financial Services is a K-12 403(b)/457(b) specialist serving school districts nationwide with a similar affinity-channel distribution model, competing head-to-head against PlanMember in the education retirement space.
- Voya Financial: Voya is a major provider of K-12403(b) and 457 retirement plans to school districts and state governments, with a similar vertical focus and broker-dealer/investment advisory structure as PlanMember.
- Cambridge Investment Research: Cambridge is an independent broker-dealer supporting thousands of financial advisors in retirement and wealth planning, comparable to PlanMember Securities Corporation in business model and advisor-affiliation structure.
- TSA Consulting Group: TSA Consulting Group specializes in third-party administration for K-12 403(b) and 457(b) plans across many U.S. school districts, competing directly with PlanMember Workplace Savings Program in the education vertical.
- Cetera Financial Group: Cetera is a large independent broker-dealer and registered investment advisor network serving individual investors with retirement planning services, mirroring PlanMember's advisor-led distribution model.
- TIAA: TIAA is the leading retirement provider dedicated to the academic, nonprofit, and government sectors, offering403(b), 457(b), and defined-contribution plans for educators and nonprofit employees—the same core customer base as PlanMember.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PlanMember Securities social profiles
Digital presencePlanMember Securities compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
PlanMember Securities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PlanMember Securities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
PlanMember Securities subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
PlanMember Securities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PlanMember Securities M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PlanMember Securities
What does PlanMember Securities do?
PlanMember Securities is a registered broker/dealer and investment advisor that provides retirement plan administration, investment management, and securities brokerage services primarily to educational, nonprofit, and government organizations. The company delivers 403(b), 457(b), and 401(k) plan services, Personal Retirement Plans, and a suite of professionally managed mutual fund and annuity investment options through a national network of independent financial professionals and Financial Centers. Pershing LLC serves as the clearing broker for all customer equity orders.
Is PlanMember Securities a public or private company?
PlanMember Securities is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PlanMember Securities founded?
PlanMember Securities was founded in 1990. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is PlanMember Securities based?
PlanMember Securities is headquartered in Carpinteria, California, United States, in the North America region.
How does PlanMember Securities make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Securities Commissions are the primary driver. The others are advisory Fees, distribution and Servicing Fees (12b-1), persistency Fees and marketing and Administrative Fees.
Who are PlanMember Securities's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Empower Retirement, Fidelity Workplace Investing and Corebridge Financial (formerly VALIC). Direct peers are Kestra Financial, Aspire Financial Services, Voya Financial, Cambridge Investment Research, TSA Consulting Group, Cetera Financial Group and TIAA.
Does PlanMember Securities have an API?
No public API is recorded for PlanMember Securities.
What industry is PlanMember Securities in?
PlanMember Securities's product category is Retirement Plan Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEABAF, Retirement Plan Participant Advice & Managed Accounts, with a secondary code of FSAEABAD, Retirement Income Planning & Decumulation Advisory. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6200.