Press Release

ASPPA and CEFEX End Certification Partnership

Issued by ASPPA [American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries]

Aug. 15, 2025

The American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) has announced that it will discontinue its long-running partnership with the Centre for Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX). 

The organizations have collaborated to produce and promote the ASPPA Service Provider Certification program, under which CEFEX independently assessed recordkeepers and third-party administration firms based on the ASPPA Standards of Practice.  

“Although we have appreciated the partnership to this point, ASPPA has concluded that it is no longer comfortable participating in a credentialing program where it did not have control over all aspects of the credentialing process,” American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff, ASPPA’s umbrella organization, said in a statement.

About ASPPA 

Founded in 1966 as an actuarial organization, members of today’s American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) include individuals engaged in the provision of services relating to plan administration, compliance, plan design, and actuarial consulting, as well as those providing legal, recordkeeping, and vendor services/products to support the traditional retirement services community. While ASPPA members come from all corners of the country, they are all united by their belief in and commitment to the private pension system. 

The American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) - along with ASEA, NAPA, NTSA, and PSCA - comprise the American Retirement Association, the premier national organization for retirement plan professionals in the industry. 

ASPPA, founded in 1966 as an actuarial organization, has evolved to reflect many different roles represented in the retirement plan industry. As a result, ASPPA’s membership now includes business owners, third-party administrators, record keepers, consultants, and more. While ASPPA’s membership is diverse, it is united by a belief in and commitment to the private pension system. 

ASPPA offers its 6,900+ members extensive educational products and services, paired with a strong advocacy operation that puts it at the center of any legislative debates that could affect what its members do for a living. ASPPA’s educational opportunities include robust credentialing, certificate, and continuing education programs, along with the best lineup of conferences and networking opportunities in the industry.

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