2026
Recordkeeping Survey
As employers adopt pooled employer plans and as plans become more than just savings vehicles for retirement, the recordkeeper service model is evolving.
Methodology
The 2026 PLANSPONSOR Recordkeeping Survey was fielded April through May via the Qualtrics survey platform. Thirty-six recordkeepers of defined contribution plans participated and reported on their U.S. DC recordkeeping business as of December 31, 2025. In analyzing our data, we validate any data discrepancies with each provider to ensure the data totals align with the information provided. It is the responsibility of the survey respondent to provide accurate and true data to us for analysis.
This year, through analyzing data in the 2025 Investment Company Fact Book, we found that these 36 providers account for 97.4% of the overall 401(k) DC plan market alone.
We collected data on assets, participants and plans for the following plan types: 401(k), 403(b), 457(b) and 457(f); ESOP [employee stock ownership plan]/KSOP [combined 401(k) and ESOP]; nonqualified deferred compensation, excluding 457; and state-sponsored individual retirement plans.
The recordkeeping provider rankings list the highest achievers in the various markets of the recordkeeping business, for measurements including: total employer-sponsored DC plan participants; total single-employer 401(k) plans; pooled employer plan assets; total number of adopting employers in PEPs; total 457—i.e., 457(b) and 457(f)—plans; and more.
On each provider profile, we feature data revealing how that provider ranks among the entire pool in terms of assets, plans, participants and the following breakouts: assets by plan type, participants by plan size, student loan offerings, financial wellness options, new-client restrictions, trustee services, etc.
If you have any questions about the findings published here or would like to participate in the 2027 PLANSPONSOR Recordkeeping Survey, please email Surveys@issmediasolutions.com.
—Kimberley Gonzalez-Quiles
