Press Release

ASPPA Announces New Qualified Pooled Plan Professional (QP3™) Credential

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

Aug. 27, 2026

Arlington, Va. -- The American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) announced the Qualified Pooled Plan Professional, or QP3™, a new credential designed to help retirement plan professionals understand how pooled plans work in practice.

QP3™ prepares retirement plan professionals to navigate the real-world complexity of pooled plans, including MEPs and PEPs, with practical, job-ready expertise.

Built around real-world issues, the credential helps professionals evaluate pooled plan structures, support employer onboarding and transitions, understand governance and compliance responsibilities, and navigate the operational complexity of managing multiple employers within a shared arrangement.

Rather than focusing only on rules or definitions, QP3™ prepares professionals to apply knowledge across the full pooled plan lifecycle, from plan evaluation and onboarding to reporting, audits, corrections, and employer movement into or out of pooled arrangements.

The roughly 15 to 20-hour course features 12 online education modules, a practice exam, and an online proctored credentialing exam.

It’s targeted to experienced retirement plan professionals, including plan administrators, relationship managers working with MEPs and PEPs, and QKA holders expanding into pooled plan work. It also supports those working adjacent to pooled plans, including professionals advising employers as they move into or out of MEP and PEP arrangements.

“ASPPA’s new credential is for professionals who want job-ready expertise in pooled plans,” ASPPA’s Executive Director, Kelsey Mayo, said in a statement. “It’s useful not only for pooled plan providers, but also for TPAs, advisors, recordkeepers, compliance teams and others who support employers working with MEPs and PEPs.”

About the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries

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. ASPPA offers its 6,900-plus 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.

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