About Us
Direct Retirement Solutions is an independent fee based registered investment advisor and retirement plan consulting firm headquartered in Albany, New York.
We currently advise close to 100 corporate clients, representing over $200 million in retirement plan assets and over 6,000 participants.
All members of our professional staff are credentialed members of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA).
We have been ranked as one of the fastest growing companies in the Capital Region of New York by the Capital District Business Review.
Tom Santa Barbara brought Direct Retirement Solutions to life in 2002 along with his long time friend and business partner Jeff Bennett. Tom is the Managing Director but a more appropriate title would be Road Warrior.
He believes there is no substitute for "boots on the ground" and he takes tremendous pride in developing strong personal relationships with all of the Direct Retirement Solutions stakeholders, especially clients and their employees. Tom's extensive travels gives him the opportunity to provide hands-on retirement plan consulting and to see with his own eyes what is working best and what needs more attention.
When Tom is not traveling he is usually spending time with the Direct Retirement Solutions team where his focus is almost singularly on service. Tom leads by example by continually challenging the team to find more effective ways to deliver the best service in the industry.
Tom has worked as an employee benefits, retirement plan and investment consultant for over 20 years. He has developed an expertise in custom designing cutting edge 401(k) Profit Sharing Plans for national and regional companies throughout the Northeast. Tom also has extensive experience designing benefit programs for large construction companies.
Tom is an active civic and business member of the community. On any given weekend you will find Tom marching for Breast Cancer Awareness, raising funds for the National Kidney Foundation or just lending a hand to whomever needs it.
Tom's passion for business and civic affairs is second only to his family, especially his wife and two sons.
tom@directretirement.net
Jeff Bennett brought Direct Retirement Solutions to life in 2002 along with his long time friend and business partner Tom Santa Barbara. Jeff eats, sleeps and breathes Direct Retirement Solutions to the point where even his pajamas have little Direct Retirement Solutions logos.
Jeff is immersed with driving Direct Retirement Solutions to be more than a retirement plan adviser. He has spent close to 20 years in the pursuit of retirement plan utopia where his company is first and foremost a steward of plan participants retirement savings as well as a guidance counselor to help those participants make sound decisions. This ideal is brought to life each day by the people he and Tom have carefully chosen, for their experience, spirit, work ethic and good sense of humor.
He has worked as a third party administrator, record keeper, consultant and as a Director of Human Resources for a large construction company where he became an expert is state and federal prevailing wage regulations. Jeff has earned a B.S. in Accounting from Binghamton University and an M.B.A. from Sage Graduate School.
Jeff is an active member in the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries, Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC), Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region as well as several other business, trade and academic associations.
Jeff's passion for Direct Retirement Solutions and his clients are second only to his family, especially his wife and two daughters who conspire against him at every turn - just for the fun of it! Racing cars is a distant third.
jeff@directretirement.net