PlanMember Securities

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).

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

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

• Retirement plan services
• Broker-dealer services
• Investment advisory
• 403(b) plan administration
• Wealth management

Headquarters

HQ city

Carpinteria, California

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Securities Commissions: Commissions or concessions earned from the sale of securities such as mutual funds and variable annuities as a registered broker/dealer
2. Advisory Fees: Advisory fees retained by PlanMember Securities Corporation for advisory services, including potential solicitor fees from outside advisory services
3. 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
4. Persistency Fees: Ongoing fees paid by product sponsors based on continued client asset retention
5. Marketing and Administrative Fees: Marketing and administrative fees received for OPTIFUND Investment Selections, including sub-accounting services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pershing LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationPershing 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 InvestorsminorOthersCompensating sponsor receiving Additional Compensation from product sponsor for sales and marketing support. Federated Hermes is among fund companies available on the PlanMember platform.
• FidelityminorOthersCompensating 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 LifeminorOthersCompensating sponsor receiving Additional Compensation from product sponsor for sales and marketing support. Security Benefit Life offers annuity products through PlanMember.
• OppenheimerFundsminorOthersCompensating sponsor receiving Additional Compensation from product sponsor for sales and marketing support. OppenheimerFunds mutual funds available through PlanMember.
• DWS ScudderminorOthersCompensating sponsor receiving Additional Compensation from product sponsor for sales and marketing support. DWS Scudder funds available on the platform.
• Galliard Stable Return FundminorOthersGalliard 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 IIminorOthersStandard 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

Broad 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/2
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/planmember-securities

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PlanMember Securities