I’m not very popular, never have been and never will be. It’s probably my personality or just not wanting to go with the flow, but I’m not a popular guy. Ask my family, ask my former bosses. While I won’t win popularity contests, I’ll make it up by doing quality work and doing my best in my relationships with my clients and my referral sources. But popularity isn’t everything.

You should never associate popularity with quality because many times, they are mutually exclusive. Even though Apple computers are far superior to Windows-based PCs, look who sells a lot more. Some of the most popular food establishments, movies, products, and services may be popular, but not be the best of the best.

So when a plan sponsor chooses a mutual fund, a financial advisor, a third-party administrator, or an ERISA attorney, avoid just picking a provider because they are popular or have so many plans or assets under management. Look for quality over quantity. Look for the best, not the most popular. A lot of things popular in this retirement plan business isn’t very good.