Goldman Sachs and Park Avenue Securities Set New Service Benchmark for Financial Professionals

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – February 04, 2026 – In a financial landscape that demands ever-increasing levels of efficiency and trust, two firms have been recognized for setting the industry standard in service. DALBAR, the financial services industry’s leading independent auditor of customer experience, today announced that Goldman Sachs and Park Avenue Securities are the recipients of the 2025 DALBAR Financial Intermediary Service Award.

The prestigious award acknowledges organizations that provide exceptional customer service and support to financial professionals. For nearly 50 years, DALBAR has served as a critical third-party evaluator, and its awards are considered a hallmark of excellence, signifying a firm's dedication to exceeding the evolving expectations of the advisors who rely on their platforms and partnership.

The recognition is not merely a plaque on the wall; it is the culmination of a year-long, exhaustive audit process. DALBAR's methodology blends quantitative data with expert human analysis, scrutinizing every facet of a firm's contact center interactions with financial intermediaries. This rigorous evaluation ensures that only firms demonstrating superior, consistent service earn the coveted distinction.

The Gold Standard in Service Evaluation

Since its founding in 1976, DALBAR has carved out a unique and vital role in the financial services ecosystem. Its independent, research-based evaluations provide an unbiased benchmark for quality, influencing how firms design and deliver their service models. The Financial Intermediary Service Award specifically focuses on the quality of telephone support—a critical touchpoint for advisors seeking timely information, transaction support, and problem resolution.

To qualify, firms must surpass stringent benchmarks that cover both the interpersonal skills of service representatives and the firm's ability to deliver accurate and efficient solutions. This dual focus ensures that the award reflects a truly holistic and high-quality service experience. For a firm, winning a DALBAR award provides powerful, independent validation of its service commitment, a key differentiator in a highly competitive marketplace. This recognition can enhance brand credibility, attract top advisor talent, and ultimately foster deeper trust with both financial professionals and their end clients.

The integrity of the award process is paramount. By remaining independent and leveraging proprietary metrics developed over decades, DALBAR's accolades are seen not as paid endorsements but as earned honors, signaling to the industry which firms are truly leading the charge in customer care.

Inside the Winners' Strategies for Success

This year's honorees, Goldman Sachs and Park Avenue Securities, exemplify the 'forward-thinking customer care solutions' that DALBAR seeks to recognize. Their strategies reveal a deep understanding of the challenges and needs of modern financial professionals.

Goldman Sachs has distinguished itself through a powerful combination of technology and high-touch service, particularly within its wealth and asset management divisions. The Goldman Sachs Advisor Solutions platform, a custody offering tailored for independent registered investment advisors (RIAs), is built on a "digital-forward" philosophy. It provides RIAs access to institutional-grade solutions, including alternative investments and proprietary research, all within a framework designed to automate and streamline workflows. This focus extends to its ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) clients, where a low client-to-advisor ratio allows for deeply personalized service. The firm is also aggressively integrating artificial intelligence (AI) to create a 'hybrid workforce' where AI agents augment human capabilities, enhancing efficiency and unlocking new insights for advisors.

For Park Avenue Securities, the 2025 award marks its seventh consecutive year of recognition, a testament to its sustained commitment to excellence. The firm has focused intently on operational efficiency that directly benefits advisors. In 2024, it launched an enhanced client onboarding platform that slashed new account turnaround times by 60% and streamlined the process for handling complex family accounts. Park Avenue Securities has also strategically expanded its product suite, adding alternative asset classes and forging partnerships with firms like Envestnet and iCapital to provide a more diverse and robust offering. This is complemented by a dedicated Practice Management team and a specialized Research Team, providing advisors with a comprehensive support system that covers everything from technology guidance to customized Chief Investment Officer (CIO) support.

The Evolving Landscape of Advisor Support

The achievements of Goldman Sachs and Park Avenue Securities are reflective of broader trends transforming the financial services industry. The support model for financial professionals is undergoing a radical shift, driven by technological innovation and evolving advisor expectations. Firms are no longer just product providers; they are technology and business partners.

The competitive landscape is fierce, with major players like Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and Morgan Stanley heavily investing in their advisor platforms. The industry is in an arms race to provide the most integrated, efficient, and powerful tools. A key battleground is technology, with a massive push towards platform unification. Firms like Envestnet are making billion-dollar investments to create a 'single pane of glass' experience, integrating everything from trading and reporting to financial planning and client relationship management.

Artificial intelligence is the next frontier. The conversation has moved beyond simple automation to 'agentic AI'—intelligent systems that can reason, recommend, and act on an advisor's behalf, freeing them up for higher-value strategic work. This trend is visible in Goldman Sachs's exploration of AI-human collaboration and Raymond James's development of its proprietary AI agent, "Rai."

This technological push is paired with a demand for deeper personalization and a more holistic approach to wealth management. Advisors require partners who can support comprehensive planning that includes estate and tax strategies, alternative investments, and risk management. The success of Park Avenue Securities in consistently expanding its offerings and partnerships demonstrates a keen awareness of this demand. The ultimate goal for these firms is to empower advisors, making it easier for them to build their practices, manage client assets, and navigate an increasingly complex financial world.