Miami’s business heartbeat is fast—and the race for talent is unforgiving. Nearly 5 million Floridians—59 percent of private-sector workers—still lack a workplace retirement plan, according to an AARP analysis. That shortfall drives turnover and invites compliance headaches.
Enter the fiduciary retirement plan advisor, legally bound to put you and your employees first. We audited dozens of South Florida firms and found seven that pair transparent fees with local know-how—beginning with hometown standout Signature Financial Solutions.
Ready? Let’s dive in.
2024 update – new rules and trends affecting retirement plans
SECURE 2.0 brings big opportunities
Congress expanded small-plan incentives through SECURE 2.0.
If your company has 50 or fewer employees, the federal tax credit now covers 100 percent of qualified start-up costs—up to $5,000 a year for the first three years of a new 401(k). That credit is dollar-for-dollar, not merely a deduction.
Add the separate credit for employer contributions and you can launch a compliant, feature-rich plan with little net cost while still rewarding the team.
Seasoned fiduciary advisors fold these credits into project budgets, handle the paperwork, and make sure every IRS box is checked so you receive a refund rather than an audit notice.
Bottom line: SECURE 2.0 removes the “too expensive” excuse. With a skilled advisor beside you, the government helps pay for a retention win.
State initiatives and the Miami talent crunch
Florida still leaves retirement savings up to employers. Although Tallahassee has discussed an auto-IRA program, no mandate exists, which means voluntary adoption drives competition.
Recordkeepers report that nine out of ten new plans onboarded last year were first-timers—small companies adding a 401(k) to stay in the hiring game. When hospitality managers and tech founders pursue the same bilingual barista or software engineer, auto-enrollment and a solid match can turn an offer into a career path.
South Florida’s young, mobile workforce changes jobs quickly, and many workers send money abroad. A plan with immediate eligibility, Roth payroll options, and Spanish-language guidance keeps paychecks invested locally instead of disappearing through turnover.
Local fiduciary advisors tailor education sessions, craft opt-out defaults, and align vesting schedules with tourism seasonality, turning policy limbo into your competitive edge.
Fiduciary rule and the lawsuit heat map
The Department of Labor’s revised fiduciary rule now requires every professional who touches a retirement plan to give prudent, loyal, conflict-free advice. Violations trigger real penalties and personal liability for both advisors and plan sponsors.
Court filings reflect the shift: 48 new 401(k) fee lawsuits appeared last year, many targeting mid-size employers over record-keeping costs, pricey target-date funds, and weak documentation.
A veteran fiduciary advisor shields you here—benchmarking costs, documenting decisions, and maintaining a clean fiduciary file that satisfies regulators, auditors, and litigators alike. In today’s climate, disciplined process is less luxury, more life jacket.
How we chose the top Miami fiduciary advisors
Strong lists start with clear ground rules, not hunches. We reviewed more than two dozen firms that promote employer-retirement services in South Florida and agree to act as fiduciaries. Each candidate’s public filings, client materials, and industry awards received a documented review.
First, we confirmed the firm signs as a 3(21) or 3(38) fiduciary and discloses every revenue stream. Pure commission brokers did not qualify.
Next, we scored every firm across five pillars that matter most to plan sponsors:
- Fiduciary credentials and depth of expertise
- Fee transparency with no hidden revenue-sharing
- Service breadth and supporting technology
- Local reputation and years of proven results
- Open-architecture investment flexibility, including ESG options
Credentials and fees counted twice because they shield you from conflicts of interest and excessive costs. We pulled data from SEC Form ADVs, FINRA BrokerCheck, National Association of Plan Advisors awards, and direct company interviews so each score reflected evidence, not promotional claims.
The seven firms that ranked highest provide the right mix of expertise, value, and Miami-focused support. Let’s meet them.
Top 7 fiduciary retirement plan advisors in the Miami area
1. Signature Financial Solutions – boutique care with statewide reach
Signature Financial Solutions tops our list because it combines institutional research with personal service.
Signature Financial Solutions Employer Retirement Plans Page Screenshot
Headquartered in Tampa and serving all of South Florida, the firm manages hundreds of employer retirement plans and begins each with a needs evaluation plus risk and cost assessment so sponsors see exactly where improvements lie. Each engagement begins with a one-page fee schedule and a signed fiduciary oath that shows, line by line, where every dollar goes. No revenue-sharing and no surprise add-ons.
For investment oversight, the team can serve as a 3(21) co-fiduciary or accept full 3(38) discretion if you prefer to delegate decisions. Quarterly benchmarking then keeps fund costs low and performance on target.
A bilingual education staff delivers on-site workshops and virtual office hours, giving Miami’s diverse workforce guidance in English and Spanish. Employees also use an online portal that translates balances into projected monthly income, turning abstract numbers into clear goals.
Ideal fit: Florida companies with 25 to 500 employees that want transparent pricing, hands-on guidance, and a partner fluent in both spreadsheets and Spanish.
2. Captrust: national research power with a South Florida zip code
Captrust delivers institutional pricing to mid-size plans. Offices in Lake Mary and Tampa back advisors in Miami, allowing the firm to negotiate record-keeping and fund fees at a scale few local employers match.
Captrust Retirement Plan Advisory Brand Screenshot
Sponsors can keep co-fiduciary guidance or delegate full 3(38) discretion. The central investment committee reviews every lineup each quarter and returns a color-coded scorecard your committee can scan in minutes. Green funds stay. Yellow funds move to watch status. Red funds are replaced. The process is clear, data driven, and defensible.
The same rigor drives education. Advisors hold on-site retirement check-ins and send personalized action plans through a secure portal. Participation rises and loan balances fall, giving HR an easy win.
Ideal fit: plans with $5 million to $1 billion in assets that want institutional research, local service, and lower vendor pricing.
3. SageView Advisory Group – data-driven insights with a personal touch
SageView pairs national analytics with local service from its West Palm Beach office, giving Miami sponsors institutional research without losing the advisor who knows the HR team by name.
Each fund on your menu passes through SageView’s central investment committee. Results appear in a traffic-light dashboard that flags green, yellow, or red so your committee can resolve issues before performance hurts balances.
Service extends beyond numbers. Advisors meet one-on-one with every participant and send HR a pulse report on common questions such as Roth versus pre-tax, loan stress, and student-loan matching. You see where education gaps exist and how plan adjustments can close them.
Ideal fit: employers with $10 million to $500 million in plan assets that want Fortune-500 analytics backed by a local advisor.
4. OneDigital Retirement + Wealth – benefits integration for the modern workforce
OneDigital began in health insurance and later acquired leading retirement boutiques, creating a single-vendor benefits platform.
OneDigital Retirement + Wealth Integrated Benefits Screenshot
When the firm onboards a plan, the retirement team collaborates with the health-benefits group to build cross-training sessions that connect HSA strategy, emergency savings, and 401(k) basics. Employees see how every benefit works together rather than in silos, and participation rises.
Advisors incorporate SECURE 2.0 features such as student-loan matching and emergency savings accounts, keeping the plan relevant to younger staff. Fee benchmarking and fund reviews still occur on schedule, but culture change drives the lasting results: employees log in more often, increase deferrals, and stay longer.
Ideal fit: growth-stage companies with 50 to 250 employees that want coordinated health and retirement advice, backed by national resources and a Florida-based service team.
5. Gallagher: compliance first, risk managed
Gallagher approaches retirement plans with the precision its insurance arm applies to liability coverage. Most Florida clients hire the firm as a 3(21) co-fiduciary and add 3(16) administrative services so quarterly notices, Form 5500 signatures, and participant disclosures move off the HR desk.
Each quarter follows a written agenda: investment review, fee benchmarking, and fiduciary training. When auditors arrive, the file is already complete.
Cross-discipline expertise adds value. Need to align phased retirement with stop-loss renewals or property-casualty budgeting? One meeting covers all of it because the same firm handles every line of risk.
Ideal fit: mid-size companies, nonprofits, and public entities that want airtight governance, fewer vendors, and confidence that every fiduciary box is checked in advance.
6. Hub International: fee control with big-broker buying power
Hub built its retirement practice by acquiring boutique 401(k) advisors and preserving their relationship-first culture while adding scale.
Every engagement starts with a fee control audit. Advisors map each dollar leaving the plan—administration charges, fund expenses, revenue-sharing—and often cut total costs by 15 to 30 percent in the first year. Savings can fund auto-escalation, a richer match, or both.
Communication meets employees where they are. Younger workers receive texts and app reminders, while seasoned staff attend lunch-and-learn sessions. Finance leaders view a unified dashboard that shows fiduciary-liability coverage next to asset growth, reducing reporting headaches.
Ideal fit: employers with 50 to 1,000 employees that want aggressive cost reduction, modern participant outreach, and the purchasing leverage of a national broker.
7. Montanti Advisory Services: Boca Raton legacy, hands-on service
Founded in 1969, Montanti Advisory Services brings five decades of retirement guidance to South Florida. Many family businesses now work with a second generation of Montanti advisors.
Aligned with LPL Financial and serving as a 3(21) fiduciary, the firm designs plans through a tax lens. Advisors often meet with the company CPA to explore cash-balance or new-comparability formulas that raise owner contributions without straining payroll.
Service remains personal. Advisors meet each employee during enrollment and return yearly to adjust deferrals and update beneficiaries. This steady attention lifts participation and loyalty in high-turnover fields such as healthcare and hospitality.
Ideal fit: closely held businesses and professional practices seeking long-term continuity, tax-savvy plan design, and an advisor who still makes house calls.
Quick comparison snapshot
| Firm | Fiduciary role | Notable edge | Ideal plan size |
| Signature Financial Solutions | 3(21) or 3(38) | One-page fee oath, bilingual workshops | $1–100 M |
| Captrust | 3(21) or 3(38) | Institutional pricing, color-coded scorecards | $5 M–$1 B+ |
| SageView Advisory Group | 3(21) or 3(38) | Traffic-light analytics, participant pulse reports | $10–500 M |
| OneDigital Retirement + Wealth | 3(21) (3(38) via partners) | Health and retirement under one roof | $2–250 M |
| Gallagher | 3(21) (3(16) admin optional) | Quarterly compliance calendar, multi-line risk sync | $5–500 M |
| Hub International | 3(21) | Fee audits, national vendor discounts | $1–100 M |
| Montanti Advisory Services | 3(21) | Tax-centric design, personal employee meetings | $1–25 M |
Frequently asked questions by Miami plan sponsors
We only have 10 employees—do we really need a 401(k) consultant?
Yes. ERISA applies the same fiduciary standards to a 10-person bakery and a 1,000-person hospital. A qualified advisor keeps fees fair, secures startup tax credits, and maintains the fiduciary file regulators expect.
What is the difference between a 3(21) and a 3(38) fiduciary?
A 3(21) advisor recommends investments, but you approve changes, sharing responsibility. A 3(38) advisor makes the decisions and accepts liability. Choose the level that matches your bandwidth and risk tolerance.
How much should we expect to pay?
Full-service fiduciary support usually costs 0.30 to 0.50 percent of plan assets for small and mid-size plans, with lower rates for larger plans. Some firms offer flat or per-participant fees. Insist on a written schedule before signing.
We already have a payroll-provider 401(k). Can an independent advisor still help?
Yes. Most fiduciary consultants are platform-agnostic. They can benchmark your current provider, negotiate lower record-keeping fees, and improve participant education without forcing a switch. If a change makes sense, they manage the transition.
Conclusion
Bottom line: SECURE 2.0 removes the “too expensive” excuse. With a skilled advisor by your side, the government helps pay for a retention win.
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