Ron Church
Ronald J. Church
ChFC®, CPFA
Founder & President
Investment Advisor Representative
Ron is an Investment Advisory Representative with over 40 years of experience in the financial services industry. For the past 20 years Ron has focused his practice on retirement plans for businesses specializing in Defined Contribution (DC) retirement plans, (401(k), 403(b), 457 plans) and, “frozen” or “dormant” Defined Benefit retirement plans.
In 2011, Ron founded Ironwood Retirement Plan Consultants (IRPC) to better serve his growing retirement plan business. Functioning in a fiduciary advisor capacity ever since, Ron works as an independent, fee-based, retirement plan specialist focused on retirement plan investment analysis; plan design and improvement; and plan benchmarking.
Ron is a member of the Retirement Plan Advisory Group (RPAG), an alliance of U.S. accomplished defined contribution advisors representing 60,000 retirement plans, 5 million-plus participants through 425 elite member firms with more than $600 billion in collective Assets Under Advisement, providing Ron with the latest intelligence on the retirement plan industry, legislation, taxation and the knowledge to handle the most complex retirement plan situation.
IRPC’s alliance with RPAG allows Ron to provide his plan sponsors and plan participants a retirement plan solution complete with Investment Analysis, Fee Benchmarking, Plan Design, Plan Sponsor Education, Participant Education, Fiduciary Education, Financial Wellness Programs and ERISA Compliance.
In January 2015, Ironwood Retirement Plan Consultants joined forces with Barnes Wealth Management Group, a fee-based Financial Planning firm based in Bakersfield, California. The combined firm helps over 1,500 individuals and businesses with their personal financial planning and company retirement plans. Ron is also a registered representative with Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments.
Ron earned his Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) certification from the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) and earned his Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) certification from the American College of Financial Services, Bryn Mawr, PA.
He is a past president of the Bakersfield Chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), and the Estate Planning Council of Bakersfield, CA. He is an active member of the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) and the American Retirement Association (ARA) in Washington DC.
Additionally, Ron earned his Master’s from Michigan State University (MSU), his Bachelor’s degree from Michigan Technological University and is active in the South Bakersfield Kiwanis Club.
Ron and Mary have been married since 1977 and have 3 children.