Retirement Plans is a investment adviser based in Westerville, OH, that holds a 81.2/100 Fidelon TransparencyScore (27th percentile among SEC-registered advisers), with 1 registered advisor. Score based on public SEC and FINRA filings.
Retirement Plans
Retirement Plans, INC. · CRD #286214
A registered investment adviser with a clean regulatory record.
Fidelon Fact Sheet
Retirement Plans, INC. is an SEC-registered investment adviser in Westerville, OH. It has one registered advisor. It manages $224.9 million across 278 client accounts. It charges a percentage of the money it manages for you, and it can also earn commissions when it sells you a product. Its services include financial planning and market-timing advice. Its record shows no customer complaints, regulatory actions or fines.
Peer Context
7,931st of 10,815
SEC-registered advisers
Bottom 27%
255th of 371
SEC-registered advisers in OH
Bottom 31%
6th of 9
SEC-registered advisers in Westerville, OH
Bottom 33%
How This Firm Works
Registration & Standard of Care
Investment Adviser — this firm is a registered investment adviser, held to a fiduciary standard — legally required to act in clients' best interests.
How This Firm Gets Paid
- Charges a percentage of assets under management
- Can earn money selling products alongside advice — the product company pays that, so it never appears on an advisory invoice
What you’d pay
Your balance falls in the All accounts band, charged at 0.50%–1.00% on the full amount. The brochure files a range for this band, so the exact rate is set in your agreement.
This fee is negotiable
“The foregoing describes RPI’s basic fee schedule, however, fees may be negotiable in certain limited circumstances and arrangements.”
From their Form ADV Part 2A. Most investors never ask.
Estimated from the firm’s Form ADV Part 2A brochure — not a quote. Actual fees are set in your agreement and may differ. Costs charged by others (custodians, fund managers) are not included.
What This Firm Charges
| Account Size | Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| All accounts | 0.50%–1.00% |
Billed monthly or quarterly in arrears
Extracted from Form ADV Part 2A brochure
Specializations
Extracted from Form ADV Part 2A brochure
Key Findings
Strengths
- Registered as investment adviser with fiduciary obligation
- Clean regulatory record — no disclosures, arbitrations, or fines
Things You Should Know
- Its brochure says it receives research or services from brokers, but it does not say those perks can shape which broker it picks for you, the firm benefits by not paying for those things, or whether every client benefits or only some. Ask how the firm chooses the broker for your trades and whether perks play any part.Item 12.A.1
Conflict Audit
Our analysis identified 1 potential conflict of interest in regulatory filings.
Source: Form ADV Part 1, Items 6-8; Part 2A, Items 10-14
What this firm says about how it gets paid
“Additionally, the amount of assets in your account affects our advisory fee; the more assets you have in your advisory account, the more you will pay us and thus we have an incentive to increase those assets in order to increase our fee.”
“Our custodians provide benefits related to trading, research, compliance, marketing, education, and practice management support.”
Source: the firm’s own Form CRS — quoted directly
Regulatory Track Record
0
Disclosures
Clean record — no disclosures found
$0
Total Fines
Clean record — no fines found
Regulatory Events
TransparencyScore Dimensions
Disclosure Record
Customer complaints, arbitrations, and fines. Frequency and recency matter.
100/100
Strong
Avg for investment adviser firms: 82.6 | Top 10%: 99.5
Filing Quality
How clearly the firm describes services, fees, and investment approach in regulatory filings.
96/100
Strong
Avg for investment adviser firms: 84.1 | Top 10%: 100
Conflict Disclosure
How openly the firm explains who pays it and what it's paid to sell. The conflict isn't the problem — hiding it is.
61/100
Fair
Avg for investment adviser firms: 54 | Top 10%: 67
Enforcement History
Self-reported legal and disciplinary history from Form ADV Item 11.
100/100
Strong
Avg for investment adviser firms: 99.7 | Top 10%: 100
Their two-page relationship summary
The SEC requires every SEC-registered investment adviser to hand you this summary, called a Form CRS, and says what it must cover. We checked this firm's against that list. What is a Form CRS?
- Does it include everything the SEC requires?
- Required sections
- 94/100
- Does it explain how the firm's conflicts affect you?
- Conflicts of interest
- 91/100
- Can you tell what you would pay?
- What you pay
What to askAsk what you would pay in a year, in dollars, including fund and trading costs.
- 51/100
- Is it written in plain English?
- Plain language
- 96/100
This firm's Form CRS averages 83 out of 100. It adds 5.75 points once the firm's filings and record score 90 on their own; they score 81.19 today.
What their brochure tells you
The firm must give you this brochure, Form ADV Part 2A, before you sign. We read it against the SEC's own instructions, item by item. Quotes are the firm's own words; page numbers refer to the filed brochure. What is in a brochure?
Can you tell what you'd pay and when?Brochure Fee Clarity100/100
The SEC asks every brochure to spell out the fee schedule, whether fees can be negotiated, how and when you are billed, the other costs you pay, and refunds.
The brochure answers every one of these.
- Can you tell what you'd pay?CoveredItem 5.A
Without a fee schedule you cannot compare this firm with any other.
Fees will range from .5% to 1.00% as defined in the tiered fee schedule of the advisory agreement which is listed below.p. 5
- Does it say whether the fee can be negotiated?CoveredItem 5.A
If fees are negotiable, other clients may be paying less than you for the same service.
The foregoing describes RPI’s basic fee schedule, however, fees may be negotiable in certain limited circumstances and arrangements.p. 5
- Does it say whether the fee comes out of your account or gets billed?CoveredItem 5.B
A fee taken straight from your account is easy to stop noticing.
As part of the written agreement, Client authorizes the custodian to deduct RPI’s fee directly from the account upon presentation of an appropriate invoice showing the calculation of the fee.p. 4
- Does it say how often you're charged?CoveredItem 5.B
Monthly, quarterly, in advance or in arrears changes what you owe when you leave.
advisory fees are generally payable monthly/quarterly based upon the net value of the account on the last business day of the previous quarter.p. 4
- Does it list the other costs you pay, like fund and custodian fees?CoveredItem 5.C
The advisory fee is rarely the whole bill; fund, trading and custody costs come on top.
Our advisory fees are separate from charges assessed by third parties such as broker dealers, custodians and mutual fund companies.p. 5
- Does it say how you get money back if you leave mid-period?CoveredItem 5.D
If you pay in advance and leave early, the refund rule decides what you get back.
If the Agreement is canceled prior to the end of the calendar quarter, the unearned portion of the fee will be charged to the Client.p. 5
Does it explain each conflict of interest and what it could cost you?Brochure Conflict Specificity75/100
The SEC asks the brochure to name each way the firm gets paid besides your fee, what that tempts the firm to do, and what it can cost you.
Each point is marked Covered or Not found. When a point is not found, we say what to ask.
If its people can earn insurance commissions, does it explain them?
Insurance commissions
- Does the brochure name this conflict where the SEC requires?CoveredItems 10/11/12.B/14
A conflict named in the right place is one the firm has thought about; one buried elsewhere is easy to miss.
These persons will earn commission-based compensation for selling insurance products, including insurance products they sell to you.p. 6
- Does it explain what this arrangement tempts the firm to do?CoveredStaff Bulletin Q11
You can only judge advice when you know which way it is being pulled.
persons providing investment advice on behalf of our firm who are insurance agents have an incentive to recommend insurance products to you for the purpose of generating commissions rather than solely based on your needs.p. 6
- Does it describe what the arrangement actually is?CoveredStaff Bulletin Q11
A conflict described in one vague sentence tells you it exists but not how it works.
Persons providing investment advice on behalf of our firm are also licensed insurance agent representatives.p. 6
- Does it say what the firm is paid for it?CoveredStaff Bulletin Q11
The size of the payment tells you how strong the pull is.
These persons will earn commission-based compensation for selling insurance products, including insurance products they sell to you.p. 6
- Does it say how the firm comes out ahead?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
Benefits that are not cash, like free services or referrals, still shape advice.
What to askAsk what the firm gains from this arrangement beyond fees.
- Does it say what it can cost you?CoveredStaff Bulletin Q11
Every conflict has a price; the question is whether the brochure puts it in your hands.
Commissions earned by these persons are separate and in addition to our advisory fees.p. 6
- Does it say how the firm keeps this conflict in check?Not assessed yetItems 10.C-D, 11.B-D, 14.A
A conflict with no control on it is left to the advisor's goodwill.
What to askAsk whether anyone at the firm earns a commission on insurance recommended to you, and whether it lowers your fee.
If the firm pays people who refer clients, does it explain those payments?
Payments to people who refer clients to the firm
- Does the brochure name this conflict where the SEC requires?CoveredItems 10/11/12.B/14
A conflict named in the right place is one the firm has thought about; one buried elsewhere is easy to miss.
RPI may use, employ, or compensate non-employee (outside) consultants, individuals, and/or entities (Solicitors) for client referrals.p. 11
- Does it explain what this arrangement tempts the firm to do?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
You can only judge advice when you know which way it is being pulled.
What to askAsk what this arrangement gives the firm a reason to recommend, and how often that happens.
- Does it describe what the arrangement actually is?CoveredStaff Bulletin Q11
A conflict described in one vague sentence tells you it exists but not how it works.
RPI may use, employ, or compensate non-employee (outside) consultants, individuals, and/or entities (Solicitors) for client referrals.p. 11
- Does it say what the firm is paid for it?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
The size of the payment tells you how strong the pull is.
What to askAsk how much the firm or its people receive from this arrangement in a typical year.
- Does it say how the firm comes out ahead?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
Benefits that are not cash, like free services or referrals, still shape advice.
What to askAsk what the firm gains from this arrangement beyond fees.
- Does it say what it can cost you?Not found in the brochureStaff Bulletin Q11
Every conflict has a price; the question is whether the brochure puts it in your hands.
What to askAsk what this arrangement can cost you, in fees, returns or choices you do not get.
- Does it say how the firm keeps this conflict in check?Not assessed yetItems 10.C-D, 11.B-D, 14.A
A conflict with no control on it is left to the advisor's goodwill.
What to askAsk whether anyone was paid to refer you to the firm, and whether that affects what you pay.
Do they earn commissions on products, and do they say so?Brochure Sales Compensation60/100
When a firm or its people sell products for a commission, the SEC asks the brochure to say so, name the pull, and tell you whether you could buy elsewhere.
Each point is marked Covered or Not found. When a point is not found, we say what to ask.
- Does it say that earning commissions is a conflict of interest?CoveredItem 5.E.1
A firm paid to sell a product has a reason to recommend it that has nothing to do with you.
This practice presents a conflict of interest because persons providing investment advice on behalf of our firm who are insurance agents have an incentive to recommend insurance products to you for the purpose of generating commissions rather than solely based on your needs.p. 6
- Does it say commissions can shape what they recommend?CoveredItem 5.E.1
Naming the pull is the first step to controlling it; silence leaves it working on you.
persons providing investment advice on behalf of our firm who are insurance agents have an incentive to recommend insurance products to you for the purpose of generating commissions rather than solely based on your needs.p. 6
- Does it say you can buy the same products elsewhere?Not found in the brochureItem 5.E.2
You may be able to buy the same product for less somewhere else.
What to askAsk whether you could buy any recommended product through another broker or insurer.
- Does it say whether commissions lower your advisory fee?Not found in the brochureItem 5.E.4
If the firm earns a commission and the full advisory fee, you pay twice for one recommendation.
What to askAsk whether any commission the firm earns is credited against your advisory fee.
Do they get free research or services from brokers, and does it affect you?Brochure Soft Dollars18/100
When brokers give the firm research or services in return for your trades, the SEC asks the brochure to say what the firm gets and what it may cost you.
Each point is marked Covered or Not found. When a point is not found, we say what to ask.
- Does it list what the firm gets from brokers for free?CoveredItem 12.A.1.e
Research, software and data paid for by your trades are a cost you never see.
As a TPA, the firm may receive non-cash compensation in the form of trips.p. 9
- Does it say the firm benefits by not paying for those things?Not found in the brochureItem 12.A.1.a
A perk the firm would otherwise buy is money in the firm's pocket, paid with your trades.
What to askAsk what the firm would have to pay for those services if it bought them itself.
- Does it say those perks can shape which broker it picks for you?Not found in the brochureItem 12.A.1.b
Your trades should go where you get the best deal, not where the firm gets the best perks.
What to askAsk how the firm chooses the broker for your trades and whether perks play any part.
- Does it say whether those perks stay within what the law allows?Not found in the brochureItem 12.A.1.e note
The law allows research paid for with client trades only within limits; outside them, it is your money.
What to askAsk whether everything the firm receives from brokers is research the law lets it take in return for your trades.
- Does it say whether you pay more in trading costs because of those perks?Does not applyItem 12.A.1.c
Paying up for trades to earn the firm a perk comes straight out of your returns.
- Does it say whether every client benefits or only some?Not found in the brochureItem 12.A.1.d
Your trades may be paying for research that helps other clients' accounts, not yours.
What to askAsk whether the research your trades help pay for is used for your account.
A point not found is not a finding against the firm; many points apply only when the firm has that arrangement, and state-registered firms file the same brochure form.
Next Steps
Advisor Roster
1 advisor
| Advisor | CRD | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Thomas Ritter | 2706738 | — | — |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does the TransparencyScore measure?
The TransparencyScore measures how clearly and completely an advisor or firm discloses important information in their regulatory filings — things like fees, conflicts of interest, disciplinary history, and business practices. A higher score means better disclosure quality, not better investment performance.
Where does this data come from?
All data comes from public regulatory filings: SEC Form ADV (Parts 1, 2, and 3), FINRA BrokerCheck, and the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) database. These are official filings that firms and advisors are legally required to submit.
Does a low score mean they're a bad advisor?
Not necessarily. A low score means the firm's public filings are less transparent — they may use vague language about fees, skip details about conflicts, or have a more complex regulatory history. Some excellent advisors work at firms with poor disclosure practices. The score measures the filing, not the person.
How often is this data updated?
Fidelon refreshes data from SEC and FINRA sources on a regular schedule. Form ADV filings are updated annually by firms (with amendments throughout the year), and BrokerCheck data is updated as events are reported. Scores are recalculated after each data refresh.
Can an advisor or firm improve their score?
Yes. Scores are based on what's in public filings. A firm that rewrites its ADV brochure in clearer language, discloses conflicts more specifically, or resolves outstanding regulatory issues will see its score improve at the next refresh. The incentive structure is intentional.
Data Sources
Scores are generated using Fidelon's published scoring methodology and reflect the quality of public disclosures, not the quality of investment advice. A firm that improves its disclosures will see its score improve. Fidelon does not provide investment advice.
Verify on SEC IAPD
Last scored: · Score version: 3.15 · CRD #286214