Financial Times Names Seven Northwestern Mutual Advisors to List of Top Retirement Plan Advisors

MILWAUKEE, Oct. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwestern Mutual today announced that seven financial advisors affiliated with Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company have been named to the 2019 edition of the Financial Times' 401 Top U.S. Retirement Plan Advisors.

The FT 401 list recognizes an elite group of advisors who specialize in serving defined contribution (DC) retirement plans across the United States. Advisors are selected based on six primary criteria: DC plan assets under management; DC AUM growth rate; specialization in DC plans; years of experience; advanced industry credentials; and compliance record. There are no fees or other considerations required of advisors who apply for the FT 401.

Those recognized in the 2019 FT 401 are:

• Clay Brinson, Brecher, Greenberg & Brinson Group, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
• Todd Colburn, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
• William Brian Drake, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
• Michael Erpelding, Erpelding Wealth Management, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
• Roger Machlin, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
• Jerod Spaeth, Spaeth Barrett Group, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company
• Steven Thagard, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company

"We're honored to once again see a strong showing of Northwestern Mutual advisors recognized by the Financial Times for outstanding retirement planning advice," said Evamarie Schoenborn, president and CEO, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "Our advisors and their teams are deeply committed to delivering comprehensive financial security to their clients. This recognition affirms that our integrated approach and focus on client relationships continues to resonate."

The FT 401 distinction follows the recognition of 20 Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management advisors on the 2019 Financial Times' 400 Top Financial Advisors list and five advisors on Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors list. Also in 2019, Northwestern Mutual Investment Services was ranked the fifth largest independent broker-dealer by total revenue by Financial Planning, Financial Advisor, and InvestmentNews, and the fourth largest IBD according to Investment Advisor.

Northwestern Mutual Investment Services and Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, which are subsidiaries of Northwestern Mutual, provide a variety of investment products and services to help clients with financial protection, wealth accumulation, and estate preservation and distribution. These solutions include brokerage and advisory services, trust services and discretionary portfolio management for high-net-worth individuals. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company manages nearly $150 billion in client assets as of Aug. 31, 2019.

About The FT 401
The Financial Times 401 Top Retirement Advisors is an independent listing produced annually by the Financial Times (October 2019). The FT 401 is based on data gathered from advisors, regulatory disclosures, and the FT's research. The listing reflects each advisor's status in six primary areas: DC plan assets under management (AUM), DC AUM growth rate, specialization in DC plans, years of experience, advanced industry credentials and compliance record. This honor is not indicative of the advisor's future performance. Neither the advisors nor their parent firms pay a fee to the Financial Times in exchange for inclusion in the FT 401.

About Northwestern Mutual
Northwestern Mutual has been helping families and businesses achieve financial security for more than 160 years. Through a distinctive, personalized planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial advisors with a digital experience to help its clients navigate their financial lives every day. With $272.2 billion in assets, $28.5 billion in revenues, and $1.8 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than 4.5 million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. The company manages nearly $150 billion of investments owned by its clients and held or managed through its wealth management and investment services businesses. Northwestern Mutual ranks 111 on the 2019 FORTUNE 500 and is recognized by FORTUNE® as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2019.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (securities), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC) (fiduciary and fee-based financial planning services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance).

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual