Retirement head tells InvestmentNews that Roth Rules, compliance reform and converging advice models redefine retirement planning in 2026.
Retirement advisors heading into 2026 face what many industry leaders describe as the most consequential operational reset since the early days of automatic enrollment.
Regulatory change, advancing technology and evolving client expectations are combining to reshape how workplace retirement plans fit into broader wealth strategies and how advisors define their own role within them.
At the center of the transition is the implementation phase of SECURE 2.0, which is moving several retirement plan features from optional enhancements to mandatory obligations affecting employers and participants alike.
Michael Doshier, senior vice president and head of retirement at LPL Financial, has told InvestmentNews that the change represents more than administrative fine-tuning. It signals a structural shift in how retirement savings are taxed and managed.
“As advisors plan in 2026, the landscape of retirement planning is being reshaped by one of the most significant regulatory transitions in two decades — the shift from ‘nice-to-have’ optional features under SECURE 2.0 to mandatory plan-level requirements that materially affect participants, sponsors, and the advisors who support them,” he said.
Among the most consequential provisions noted by Doshier, is the required Roth tax treatment for certain catch-up contributions made by higher-income earners. Workers generally earning more than $150,000 must now direct those additional savings into Roth accounts, fundamentally altering long-standing assumptions about pre-tax retirement contributions.
“Among these, the most impactful change is the mandatory Roth treatment of catch-up contributions generally applicable to individuals earning more than $150,000, a provision that has transformed Roth from an optional planning tool into a structural necessity for a meaningful share of American workers,” he said.
Industry observers increasingly describe the shift as the ongoing ‘Rothification’ of employer retirement plans, with recordkeepers expanding Roth capabilities across platforms as adoption accelerates.
Coordinators, not administrators
While payroll providers, recordkeepers and third-party administrators remain responsible for executing operational changes, advisors are emerging as the connective force ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
“For advisors, the opportunity lies not in administering these changes — that remains the domain of recordkeepers, payroll vendors, and third-party administrators — but in playing the role of general contractor, ensuring all parts of a client’s ecosystem are aligned,” said Doshier.
In practice, he noted that means confirming payroll systems correctly code Roth catch-up contributions, verifying administrative workflows have been updated and helping HR departments understand how new rules affect employees.
Even without formal execution responsibility, advisors often become the first call when confusion arises.
“Even though advisors aren’t responsible for execution, they are often the most trusted guide in the process — and clients look to them first when something doesn’t go as expected,” he said.
Bridging workplace plans and personal wealth
Doshier highlights that beyond regulatory compliance, another transformation is unfolding more quietly: the growing expectation that advisors integrate employer-sponsored plans into holistic financial planning.
Historically, held-away retirement accounts limited visibility into client assets. New oversight tools are beginning to close that gap, allowing advisors to analyze in-plan savings alongside brokerage portfolios and retirement income strategies without moving assets out of employer plans.
This broader perspective enables more coordinated decisions around tax brackets, Required Minimum Distributions, Social Security timing and long-term income sustainability.
“As these tools mature, advisors who embrace workplace plans as part of their broader business model can deliver a more complete, paired view of retirement readiness — one that combines in-plan savings, personal investments, retirement income strategies, and long-term planning considerations like timing of RMDs, tax-bracket management, and Social Security sequencing,” he said.
Practice stability and growth opportunities
The integration of retirement plan consulting into traditional wealth practices is also reshaping firm economics.
Advisors adding workplace capabilities diversify revenue streams that might otherwise fluctuate with market performance. Employer plans also create a built-in pipeline of future wealth clients who already have an established relationship through their workplace benefits.
According to Doshier, firms blending retirement advisory with personal wealth management frequently see stronger growth and operational efficiency driven by predictable plan-based income.
Regulatory developments are not limited to Roth contributions. Advisors are also watching closely for anticipated updates to the IRS Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System which are expected to expand self-correction opportunities.
The revisions could allow plan sponsors to fix a broader range of operational mistakes without formal IRS intervention — a move that may encourage earlier error detection rather than avoidance.
“Advisors need not fear uncovering errors; early detection strengthens the plan and reinforces their value as a strategic partner,” he said.
Strategic inflection point
The combined Roth mandate, compliance modernization and technology-enabled visibility into retirement assets suggest 2026 will be less about incremental rulemaking and more about redefining advisory practice models.
“Taken together, these developments signal that 2026 isn’t simply another year of incremental retirement policy change — it’s a strategic moment for advisors to elevate their role, integrate workplace and wealth more seamlessly, and deliver the kind of holistic planning experience clients increasingly expect.”
For advisors willing to lean into coordination, integration and strategic oversight, the coming year may represent not just a compliance challenge, but a significant opportunity to deepen client relationships and future-proof their businesses.