ADVISOR RFP EVALUATIONS


Solving problems before they happen.

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Advisor RFP Evaluations

Advisor RFP Evaluations
When plan fees and services are under scrutiny—because of litigation, U.S. Department of Labor reasonableness questions, or a new committee member—many teams feel pressure to confirm their provider relationships are competitive and well documented.

What we evaluate:

For 401(k) and 403(b) plans, we run independent evaluations for:

  • 401(k) & 403(b) recordkeepers

  • Investment advisors (3(21) and 3(38))

  • TPAs

  • Investment managers

  • Cybersecurity evaluations related to plan vendors

For pension plans, evaluations commonly include:

  • Pension investment advisors

  • OCIO managers

  • Custodians

  • Investment managers

  • Actuarial support related to the search

Pension RFP Evaluations Include:

  • Pension Investment Advisors

  • OCIO managers

  • Custodians

  • Investment managers

  • Actuarial

We Also Provide RFP Evaluations For:

  • Benefit Brokers

  • E&F Advisors

HOW WE SUPPORT THE PROCESS

Our role is to run an organized, documented evaluation process, including:

  • Identifying providers that fit your size, location, and service needs

  • Writing the RFP and managing the evaluation process

  • Organizing criteria so the comparison is consistent

  • Handling provider communication during the evaluation period

  • Summarizing results and presenting findings

  • Coordinating finalist presentations and agendas

  • Managing provider references

  • Supporting final fee negotiation

Who we help:

Most of our work comes through:

  • referrals from clients

  • ERISA law firms

  • other service providers

We’re often contacted by:

  • HR Directors

  • Finance Directors/CFO

  • Executive Directors

  • investment committee members—sometimes because of real service concerns, and sometimes simply because they want an independent third party to look over their shoulder

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • If you’re the person carrying the responsibility for benefits decisions inside the organization, this will feel familiar. Culpepper RFP supports HR and finance leaders, ERISA counsel, and committees—because the pressure and the risk often land on your desk either way.

  • Culpepper RFP focuses on managing the RFP process itself, so you’re not piecing together vendor comparisons, chasing information, and trying to document everything in between your day-to-day responsibilities. You’re still involved in direction and fiduciary decisions, but the heavy lift of gathering, organizing, and evaluating is handled through our documented process.

  • Our services are designed to reduce the time executives and internal teams spend managing details. Expect some upfront coordination and a few check-ins along the way, but the goal is that you’re not carrying weeks of follow-up, tracking, and evaluation work on top of everything else.

  • That’s a real concern.Our services are positioned as an independent third-party evaluation process, which can lower the temperature and keep the focus on documented criteria instead of internal pressure or preference. It won’t erase politics, but it can give you a clear, neutral structure to point back to.

  • No. Our independent evaluation processes support people who are accountable for the outcome, even if the technical details aren’t your daily focus. We can help you evaluate whether going to an RFP is even necessary, which is often what you want when you’re trying to make a smart decision without creating extra work.

  • If you’re thinking, “I’m not sure what level of process we actually need,” you’re not alone. Before you sign up with us we will review your objectives and discuss the most cost and time effective solution.  Our services include fee and service benchmarking, RFI evaluation, and full RFP evaluations—so the approach can match the situation instead of defaulting to the most intensive option.

“The plan committee was extremely pleased with the advice provided to the committee and the results of the project. working with the culpepper Group streamlined the process for our team and helped us achieve our goals in an efficient and thorough process. we highly recommend the Culpepper group to other organizations for similar assignments”

— Director of Human Resources