2025 Top Retirement Plan Adviser: Michael Beczkowski

This year, PLANADVISER followed up with advisers on the 2025 Top Retirement Plan Advisers listing to get to know them better. These are the responses from Michael Beczkowski of Bolton Investment in Towson, Maryland.

PLANADVISER: What does it take to be a successful retirement plan adviser in 2025?

Beczkowski: In 2025, a successful retirement plan adviser must combine deep technical expertise with the agility to navigate a constantly evolving landscape. This means:

• Staying ahead of industry changes: continuously upgrading skills, monitoring external trends and adapting strategies to meet client objectives
• Communicating with clarity: translating complex insights into actionable guidance that plan sponsors and their teams can easily understand;
• Being present and accessible: maintaining strong relationships through availability, responsiveness and trust-building; and
• Driving growth: building a pipeline of new clients while retaining and expanding relationships in targeted markets.

Ultimately, thriving in this role requires being a proactive partner—one who integrates expertise, insight and service to help clients succeed today and prepare for tomorrow.

PLANADVISER: Has the focus or character of your practice shifted meaningfully over time to respond to evolving client demands, market pressures or the emergence of new technologies?

Beczkowski: Yes—the character of my practice has evolved significantly over time to meet a broader range of client needs. When I first joined Bolton, our group’s primary focus was investment consulting for plan investment options. Today, our role extends well beyond that, encompassing comprehensive plan management and fiduciary guidance. This includes vendor searches, fee benchmarking and in-depth plan reviews.

Clients increasingly want to know and implement best practices that help their participants save more for retirement. Our focus remains on enabling participants to prepare for—and enjoy—a successful retirement. This often involves advising on plan design features, such as automatic enrollment and automatic escalation, which directly support these goals.

Additionally, Bolton’s integration of top-tier technology systems allows us to be more responsive, deliver impactful communications and provide a higher level of service than ever before.

PLANADVISER: What are some of the most important growth strategies that have generated success for your firm? Where do you source new clients most effectively?

Beczkowski: Committee members want to understand what they need to be doing to fulfill their duties. For us, growth is about bringing insights to our clients. Growth strategies are all about bringing and leveraging communications strategies, hosting fiduciary webinars and attending industry-leading conferences.

PLANADVISER: How do you balance the desire to grow with the need to keep clients happy?

Beczkowski: Our current clients—and their employees—will always be our first priority. We focus on helping them make better decisions by bringing the knowledge, insights and expertise they need to succeed. Growth is important, but our reputation and long-term success are built on consistently exceeding client expectations. When we deliver exceptional results and service, client satisfaction naturally fuels our growth.

PLANADVISER: What is something you or your team learned the hard way about this business?

Beczkowski: We learned early on never to assume clients already have the latest information they need. In a fast-changing industry, gaps in knowledge can lead to costly mistakes. Our job is to bridge that gap—making sure clients have timely, accurate and actionable information so they can make confident decisions.

PLANADVISER: What are the most challenging aspects of the job? What are the most enjoyable?

Beczkowski: The most enjoyable part of my job is helping clients reduce plan fees—even the ones that aren’t immediately visible. I love hearing the positive feedback from clients and their employees after we’ve lowered costs, enhanced fee transparency and streamlined investment options. It’s especially rewarding when clients tell us that the changes we recommended have made their plans more effective.

The most challenging aspect is managing client expectations around investment performance. Markets go through cycles of high returns, high volatility and shifting risks. Helping clients focus on risk-adjusted performance, rather than short-term swings, is an ongoing challenge—and one that requires constant communication and perspective.

PLANADVISER: How do you foresee the retirement plan industry evolving in the coming decade? Will your practice look much the same in 10 years, or do you see significant evolution coming?

Beczkowski: We’re confident that retirement plan management will remain at the heart of our practice, but we fully expect the industry—and our services—to evolve. We’re already seeing more interest in 3(38) investment management as organizations look to outsource fiduciary responsibilities and focus on their core business. Pooled employer plans are also gaining attention, offering broader access to retirement plans for employees.

In the years ahead, we may see the integration of new investment options, such as private equity, and continued advancements in plan design. Our clients can always count on us to stay ahead of these trends, adapt to new regulations and provide impactful recommendations that enhance plan performance while meeting fiduciary obligations.

PLANADVISER: For those plan sponsors looking for a new plan adviser, describe what makes your firm stand out.

Beczkowski: Our mission is—and always has been—to put our clients’ needs first. We bring deep expertise and deliver value-added recommendations that consistently help clients strengthen their plans, meet fiduciary obligations and achieve better outcomes for participants. Our track record speaks for itself—we help clients navigate complex responsibilities with confidence, while keeping their goals at the center of every decision.

We have a successful track record helping our clients stay out of fiduciary jail!

View Other Top Retirement Plan Adviser Profiles Here