Review

Judy Diamond Associates review: is it still the right Form 5500 prospecting tool?

Judy Diamond Associates has been licensing Form 5500 data to financial advisors since the 1980s — making it the longest-running player in the retirement-plan prospecting category. Acquired by ALM (American Lawyer Media) and packaged as Retirement Plan Prospector, it remains the default choice for many large broker-dealers and recordkeepers. Here's an honest look at what it does well, where it falls short, and who it's actually right for in 2026.

Judy Diamond Associates (Retirement Plan Prospector)

Not published; ~$2,400–$7,000+/seat/year

The longstanding incumbent for advisor-facing Form 5500 prospecting, with strong CRM features and decades of historical coverage — but premium pricing and enterprise-style onboarding limit its fit for solo and small-team advisors.

Pros

✓Decades of historical Form 5500 coverage going back to early filings
✓CRM-style workflows built in: marketing-list management, follow-up tracking
✓Trusted by many large national broker-dealers and recordkeepers
✓Well-resourced support team and ongoing data quality investment

Cons

✕Annual seat-based licensing, typically $2,400–$7,000+ per seat per year
✕Pricing not publicly listed; sales-led onboarding required
✕Schedule C provider/fee depth varies by tier — full provider compensation detail often gated to enterprise tiers
✕Onboarding requires demos and contract negotiation, not instant-signup

Best for: Large broker-dealers, recordkeepers, and TPAs with dozens of seats and multi-year contract horizons. Solo advisors and small teams will find better fit (and 10x lower cost) with pay-as-you-go alternatives like 401kHunter.

Conclusion

Judy Diamond is still the safe enterprise choice — well-supported, deeply staffed, with CRM features that make it a one-stop tool for large prospecting teams. But the pricing and onboarding model haven't modernized, and a new generation of pay-as-you-go tools (401kHunter, others) offers comparable Form 5500 coverage at a fraction of the cost for advisors who don't need the enterprise feature set. If you're a solo advisor or small team weighing a Judy Diamond seat against three years of pay-as-you-go credits, the math now favors the latter for most workflows.

Frequently asked

Is Judy Diamond worth the cost?

For large broker-dealers and recordkeepers with high prospecting volume and existing seat-based contracts, yes — the CRM features and decades of historical coverage have real value. For independent advisors and small teams pitching 5–20 plans/month, the per-seat cost is hard to justify when pay-as-you-go alternatives provide comparable Form 5500 coverage.

What does Judy Diamond cost?

Judy Diamond does not publish pricing. Advisor reports place annual seat licenses in the $2,400–$7,000+ per-seat range depending on data scope and feature tier. Enterprise contracts for larger teams are negotiated separately.

Does Judy Diamond surface Schedule C provider fees?

Schedule C provider compensation detail is available on enterprise tiers, but depth varies. Indirect-comp formula text — the rate-formula language directly from filings ("0.45% of avg daily balance") — is not consistently surfaced across the product line. Tools like 401kHunter that ingest the eight-part DOL Schedule C bulk files surface this directly.

How does Judy Diamond compare to FreeERISA, BrightScope, or 401kHunter?

FreeERISA (same parent company) is free single-plan lookup; not built for systematic prospecting. BrightScope serves asset managers and consumer-facing plan ratings, not advisor prospecting workflows. 401kHunter is the modern pay-as-you-go alternative for advisor prospecting — pricing transparency, faster onboarding, deeper Schedule C surfacing. See the side-by-side comparison.

Can I export Judy Diamond data to my CRM?

Yes — Judy Diamond supports CSV export and various integrations on its higher tiers. The export format and integration options vary by contract.

Compare Judy Diamond to the modern alternative

401kHunter delivers comparable Form 5500 coverage with full Schedule C provider compensation, decision-maker enrichment, and pay-as-you-go pricing starting at $25.

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