# Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants

> Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants is an SEC-registered investment advisory firm in New York, NY, registered since 2012, reporting over $5 billion in regulatory assets under management in its Form ADV filing dated September 29, 2026.

- CRD: 164198
- Filed as: CERITY PARTNERS RETIREMENT PLAN CONSULTANTS
- Legal name: Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Advisors LLC
- Also doing business as: CERITY PARTNERS, CERITY PARTNERS INSTITUTIONAL CONSULTING
- Registration: SEC-registered investment adviser (status as filed: Approved)
- Location: New York, NY
- Filing period: October 2026
- Form ADV filing dated: September 29, 2026
- SEC record (IAPD): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/164198
- AdvisorCensus page: https://advisorcensus.com/firm/cerity-partners-retirement-plan-consultants-new-york-ny-164198

## Quick answers

**How is Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants compensated?**
On its Form ADV (Item 5.E, October 2026), Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants reports these compensation arrangements: a percentage of assets under its management; hourly charges; fixed fees (other than subscription fees); other.

**How much does Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants charge?**
Its Form ADV Part 2A brochure dated April 21, 2026 states: Hourly rate: $250 to $675 an hour (services provided outside the scope of the primary discretionary…). Fees can differ by service and may be negotiable; the brochure is the complete statement.

**Where is Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants located?**
Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants' principal office is in New York, NY, according to its Form ADV; the October 2026 filing also lists 30 other offices (Schedule D, Section 1.F).

**Is Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants registered with the SEC or a state?**
Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants is an SEC-registered investment advisory firm, registered since 2012. Status as filed: Approved. CRD 164198.

**How much does Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants manage?**
Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants reports $40,253,232,272 in regulatory assets under management in its Form ADV filing dated September 29, 2026 (42% discretionary).

**How have Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants' assets and staff changed since 2021?**
In the Form ADV data for Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants: Regulatory assets under management: $10,519,194,162 in the October 2021 data and $40,253,232,272 in the October 2026 data, up 283%. Total employees: 21 in October 2021 and 193 in October 2026. Assets under management move with markets as well as with clients coming and going.

**What types of clients does Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants serve?**
By number of clients on Form ADV Item 5.D: pension and profit sharing plans (but not the plan participants or government pension plans) (821); charitable organizations (20); corporations or other businesses not listed above (5).

**Which custodians does Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants use?**
Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants' most recent Form ADV filing (Schedule D, Section 5.K(3)) lists Empower Financial Services, Inc., Fidelity Distributors Company LLC, Northern Trust and U.S. Bank as custodians holding 10% or more of its separately managed account assets.

**Does Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants report any disciplinary disclosures?**
Reports no disclosure items on Form ADV Item 11. The detail of any item is on the firm's SEC record: https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/164198

**What changed in Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants' recent Form ADV filings?**
In the October 2026 filing data: Registered or notice-filed in IA.

## From the Form ADV filing

### Compensation (Item 5.E)
- A percentage of assets under your management
- Hourly charges
- Fixed fees (other than subscription fees)
- Other

### Fees and minimums (Form ADV Part 2A brochure dated April 21, 2026)

- Hourly rate: $250 to $675 an hour (services provided outside the scope of the primary discretionary…)

> Our standard hourly rates range from $250/hour to $675/hour depending on the type of expertise appropriate for the scope of services requested.

As stated in the firm's brochure. Fees can differ by service and may be negotiable.

### Custodians (Schedule D, Section 5.K(3))
- Empower Financial Services, Inc.
- Fidelity Distributors Company LLC
- Northern Trust
- U.S. Bank

Custodians holding 10% or more of the firm's separately managed account assets, as filed on Form ADV (Schedule D, Section 5.K(3)). A custodian holds client assets; it does not endorse or supervise the firm. AdvisorCensus has no relationship with any custodian.

### Regulatory assets under management (Item 5.F)
- Total: $40,253,232,272
- Discretionary: $17,022,645,280
- Non-discretionary: $23,230,586,992

### Clients (Item 5.D)

| Client type | Clients | Assets |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pension and profit sharing plans (but not the plan participants or government pension plans) | 821 | $31,926,063,351 |
| Charitable organizations | 20 | $3,382,581,560 |
| State or municipal government entities (including government pension plans) | 4 | $133,689,558 |
| Corporations or other businesses not listed above | 5 | $4,810,897,803 |

### Advisory services (Item 5.G)
- Portfolio management for businesses (other than small businesses) or institutional clients
- Pension consulting services
- Selection of other advisers (including private fund managers)
- Educational seminars/workshops

### Firm details
- Registered since: 2012 (14 years)
- Employees: 193 total, 153 performing advisory functions
- Wrap fee program participation: No
- States registered or notice-filed: AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, IA, IL, IN, KY, MD, NC, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, PR, TX, VA, WA
- Disclosures (Item 11): Reports no disclosure items on Form ADV Item 11.

### Other offices (Schedule D, Section 1.F), as of the October 2026 filing
- Albany, NY
- Arlington, TX
- Avila Beach, CA
- Boca Raton, FL
- Bowling Green, KY
- Chicago, IL
- Cleveland, OH
- Denver, CO
- El Segundo, CA
- Elizabethtown, KY
- Fort Worth, TX
- Houston, TX
- Jacksonville, FL
- Lansdowne, VA
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Mill Valley, CA
- Norfolk, VA
- Pasadena, CA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Raleigh, NC
- Redwood City, CA
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Seattle, WA
- Westfield, NJ

### Websites listed on Form ADV (Item 1.I)
- [ceritypartners.com](https://ceritypartners.com)
- [verusinvestments.com](https://verusinvestments.com)
- LinkedIn @cerity-partners
- X @ceritypartners
- YouTube @ceritypartners

## Assets and staff over time

| Data period | Regulatory assets under management | Employees | Filing dated |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| October 2021 | $10,519,194,162 | 21 | July 19, 2021 |
| October 2022 | $13,240,078,843 | 27 | September 16, 2022 |
| October 2023 | $12,813,948,218 | 58 | July 5, 2023 |
| October 2024 | $16,218,185,103 | 69 | August 15, 2024 |
| October 2025 | $18,953,321,052 | 87 | May 27, 2025 |
| October 2026 | $40,253,232,272 | 193 | September 29, 2026 |

Regulatory assets under management: $10,519,194,162 in the October 2021 data and $40,253,232,272 in the October 2026 data, up 283%.
Total employees: 21 in October 2021 and 193 in October 2026.

## Changes in the filing (last 12 months)

### October 2026
- Registered or notice-filed in IA.

### August 2026
- Registered or notice-filed in PR.

### May 2026
- Added the business name Cerity Partners Institutional Consulting.
- Employees performing advisory functions went from 75 to 153.
- Regulatory assets under management went from $20,818,702,844 to $40,253,232,272 (+93%).
- Added an office in El Segundo, CA.
- Added an office in Pittsburgh, PA.
- Added an office in San Francisco, CA.
- Added an office in Seattle, WA.
- Registered or notice-filed in IN, NV, OR, WA.

### April 2026
- Employees performing advisory functions went from 68 to 75.
- Added an office in Albany, NY.
- Added an office in Avila Beach, CA.
- Added an office in Boca Raton, FL.
- Added an office in Denver, CO.
- Added an office in Elizabethtown, KY.
- Added an office in Lansdowne, VA.
- Added an office in Los Angeles, CA.
- Added an office in Philadelphia, PA.
- Added an office in San Jose, CA.
- No longer lists an office in Los Altos, CA.
- Updated its list of owners and control persons (Schedule A).

### March 2026
- Registered or notice-filed in HI.

### January 2026
- Registered or notice-filed in MD.
- No longer registered or notice-filed in IN.

### November 2025
- Changed its office addresses in Cleveland, OH.
- Changed its office addresses in Jacksonville, FL.
- Added an office in Raleigh, NC.
- Added an office in San Diego, CA.
- Added an office in Santa Barbara, CA.
- Added an office in Scottsdale, AZ.
- No longer lists an office in Boca Raton, FL.
- No longer lists an office in Greenwood Village, CO.

## Source

Form ADV as filed, October 2026. Values appear as filed. Cite as: AdvisorCensus. Cerity Partners Retirement Plan Consultants (CRD 164198): Form ADV filing data as of October 2026.