Your Company Retirement Plan Deserves a Named Fiduciary Specialist — Not an Afterthought
As a business owner, your retirement plan is one of the most meaningful benefits you offer your team. It also carries real fiduciary obligations that fall on you personally. Matthew Daniels, CPFA®, serves as advisor of record for qualified retirement plans across the Loveland area — so you can meet your responsibilities with confidence and offer a plan your employees will actually value.
Is Your Company 401(k) Actually Working for You?
Most business owners set up a retirement plan and move on. The problem is that plan fees, investment lineups, and vendor arrangements shift over time — and without regular review, what started as a competitive plan can quietly become an expensive one. If you're not certain your current 401(k), Cash Balance plan, or Simple IRA still measures up, a benchmarking review is the right place to start. Summit Financial Group works with plan sponsors at every stage: reviewing existing plans, benchmarking against current market standards, and identifying where costs or structure can be improved.
Matthew Daniels, CPFA® — Advisor of Record for Qualified Retirement Plans
Matthew Daniels holds the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA®) designation and focuses specifically on workplace retirement plan advisory services. He serves as advisor of record for company 401(k) plans, Cash Balance plans, and Simple IRAs — bringing plan-sponsor clients a level of specialized attention that a generalist advisor rarely provides.
As advisor of record, Matthew works directly with business owners and HR decision-makers to help them understand their fiduciary role, evaluate plan performance, and make informed decisions about plan design and vendor relationships. He is the named specialist on every business retirement plan engagement at Summit Financial Group.
Plan Types We Support
Summit Financial Group works with small and mid-sized businesses across the Loveland area on the retirement plan types most commonly used by closely held companies and growing businesses:
- 401(k) Plans — Traditional and safe harbor designs, including start-up plans and existing plan reviews
- Cash Balance Plans — Defined benefit structures often used alongside a 401(k) for accelerated owner contributions
- Simple IRAs — Lower-cost plans well-suited to smaller employer groups, with full advisory support
If you're not sure which plan type fits your business, Matthew can walk through the tradeoffs with you before any commitment is made.
A Plan That Considers the Generation Behind You
Many of the families we work with have estate plans that directly affect children who are already clients of ours, whether they've inherited assets, been named as beneficiaries, or started their own financial planning with our team. Because we often work with multiple generations of the same family, we're positioned to help you think through how your estate plan affects the people who will eventually be on the receiving end of it, not just the mechanics of the documents themselves.
The Full Plan Lifecycle — From Launch to Long-Term Management
Summit Financial Group works with business owners at every point in the plan lifecycle, not only when something has gone wrong.
Starting a Plan from Scratch
If your business doesn't yet offer a retirement plan, getting started can feel more complicated than it needs to be. Matthew works with businesses from the ground up — selecting the right plan structure, coordinating with recordkeepers and third-party administrators, and making sure the plan is built correctly from day one. A well-designed plan from the start avoids the costly corrections that come from getting it wrong.
Benchmarking Your Existing Plan
If you've had a plan in place for several years, there's a reasonable chance you haven't compared it against what's currently available. Matthew conducts plan benchmarking reviews that evaluate investment options, fee structures, and plan design against current market standards. Business owners are often surprised by what a benchmarking review uncovers — and by how much room there is to improve.
Plan Redesign and Vendor Changes
Sometimes the right answer is a structural change — a different plan design, a new recordkeeper, or a revised investment lineup. Matthew guides business owners through plan redesign and vendor transitions, managing the process so that the operational burden on you and your team stays manageable. Changes are made with your employees' experience and your fiduciary position both in mind.
Ongoing Fiduciary Support
Serving as plan sponsor is an ongoing responsibility, not a one-time task. Matthew provides continuing advisory support to help business owners stay current with plan obligations, document fiduciary decisions appropriately, and respond to changes in the regulatory environment. Having a CPFA®-credentialed advisor of record in your corner means you're not navigating those responsibilities alone.
Questions Business Owners Ask About Retirement Plan Advisory
Who can serve as advisor of record for our company 401(k)?
An advisor of record is a financial professional formally appointed to provide ongoing advisory services to a retirement plan. The role carries fiduciary responsibilities, so the advisor should hold relevant credentials and experience in qualified plan work. Matthew Daniels, CPFA®, serves in this role for Summit Financial Group's business retirement plan clients.What does a small business 401(k) advisor near Loveland, Ohio actually do for us?
Matthew works with plan sponsors on the full range of plan responsibilities — investment lineup review, fee benchmarking, plan design, vendor evaluation, and fiduciary documentation. He's a working resource for the life of the plan, not just a contact for the initial setup.How do I know if our current retirement plan is competitive?
The most direct way to find out is a benchmarking review. Matthew evaluates your current plan's fees, investment options, and structure against what's available in today's market. Many business owners discover their plan is more expensive or more limited than it needs to be — and that meaningful improvements are available.Can Summit help us set up a retirement plan if we don't have one yet?
Yes. Matthew works with businesses that are starting a qualified retirement plan for the first time, including selecting the right plan type, coordinating with recordkeepers and administrators, and structuring the plan to serve both the business owner and employees well from the start.
Ready to Talk About Your Company Retirement Plan?
Whether you're reviewing an existing plan, considering a new one, or simply not confident your current arrangement is meeting your fiduciary obligations, Matthew Daniels is the right starting point. Reach out to schedule a conversation — there's no obligation, and the review process begins with listening to where things stand today.