Background: The DCIIA RRC conducted interviews with aggregator executives to better understand the key opportunities and challenges in the defined contribution (DC) industry. De-identified insights from these interviews were shared during the TRAU RPA/RIA Aggregators’ Roundtable and Think Tank at the University of Chicago in November 2025.Findings:Aggregator executives shared what is top of mind across three key areas: acquisitions, advisor success, and convergence.Acquisitions: The current acquisition landscape is increasingly constrained for firms that prioritize organic collaboration with like-minded partners operating on efficient, service-oriented platforms. These aggregators are focused on improving service quality and platform scalability, while placing greater emphasis on organic growth rather than acquiring firms that are not growth-oriented or that do not strategically complement prior acquisitions.Advisor Success: A central objective is building RPA and RIA support systems that enable advisors to spend more time on revenue-generating and client-facing activities. Aggregators are also focused on how best to train, develop, and retain the next generation of industry talent.Convergence: Capturing 401(k) rollovers in a seamless, integrated manner remains a top priority, alongside offering a full spectrum of retirement and wealth management services. Achieving this requires greater participant trust and willingness to move DC assets into wealth management platforms. Given participants’ strong familiarity with their recordkeepers, this represents a meaningful and likely long-term challenge.Bottom Line: Overall, the findings highlight a sector at an inflection point, one focused on disciplined growth, advisor success, and deeper integration across retirement and wealth. Success will depend on balancing scalability with service quality while earning participant trust over the long term.Read more in Wealth Management.