The advanced SDBA structure enables financial advisors to provide professional, model-based portfolio management inside workplace retirement plans
Concord, California, April 21, 2026 (Globe Newswire) – AssetMark, a leading wealth management platform for independent financial advisors, today announced an enhanced Self-Directed Brokerage Account (SDBA) program designed to help financial advisors provide professional, in-plan investment advice and portfolio management services for client assets held in workplace retirement plans.
Workplace retirement accounts represent a significant portion of household wealth, yet advisors have long faced structural, operational, and advisor fee barriers to managing assets within these plans. While approximately 40% of employer-sponsored retirement plans offer an SDBA option, adoption has been limited due to the complexity of plan configuration and implementation details. These challenges have hindered advisors’ ability to provide integrated, holistic guidance on a client’s complete financial picture.
“For many investors, their workplace retirement plan represents their largest financial asset,” said Michael Kim, CEO of AssetMark. “We enhanced our SDBA program to help financial advisors more seamlessly extend holistic wealth management into the planning environment so that retirement assets can be managed with the same care, consistency and professionalism as the rest of a client’s portfolio.”
The advanced SDBA structure is built around ten diverse, professionally managed mutual fund strategies designed specifically for in-plan retirement accounts. Advisors can select the investment strategy that best matches the investor’s objectives, including constant monitoring, rebalancing and risk management. The solution integrates into AssetMark’s existing platform and advisor workflow, allowing advisors to manage in-plan retirement assets along with other client holdings with greater consistency and operational efficiency.
“There is strong demand from investors for in-plan advice,” said David McNatt, chief wealth solutions officer at AssetMark. “We have redesigned our SDBA approach to remove many of the structural barriers that have hindered advisors from addressing this demand, including the integration of professionally managed investment strategies covering multiple asset classes and a comprehensive program that addresses the complexities associated with account opening, consolidated reporting and advisor fee billing. Collectively, this program allows advisors to provide comprehensive holistic advice and professional portfolio management at scale within workplace retirement plans. Empowers for.”