David Blanchett, PhD, MSFS, CFA, CLU®, ChFC®, CFP®, is an adjunct professor of wealth management at The American College of Financial Services. A renowned thought leader in the fields of wealth management and retirement, Blanchett is a leading contributor to the Wealth Management Certified Professional® (WMCP®) Program.

In addition to his role with The College, Blanchett is the head of retirement research for Prudential Financial, Inc. and a portfolio manager for PGIM, and was formerly at Morningstar Investment Management, LLC. At Prudential, Blanchett focuses on advancing innovative retirement solutions to help improve outcomes for workers and retirees.

Blanchett has published research in a variety of academic and industry journals and has been featured in multiple media publications, such as InvestmentNews, Marketwatch, Money Magazine, The New York Times, PLANSPONSOR Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal. His research won the Academy of Financial Services Best Paper Award in 2017, the American Council on Consumer Interests Financial Planning Paper Award in 2024, the CFP® Board Center for Financial Planning 2017 Academic Research Colloquium Best Investments Paper Award, the Financial Analysts Journal 2015 Graham and Dodd Scroll Award, the Financial Planning Association Annual Conference, Best Research Award in 2020 and 2023, the International Centre for Pension Management (ICPM) Research Award in 2020, the Investments & Wealth Institute, Journal Research Award Honorable Distinction in 2024, the Journal of Financial Planning’s 2007 Financial Frontiers Award, the Journal of Financial Planning’s 2014, 2015, and 2018 Montgomery-Warschauer Awards, the Journal of Financial Services Professionals, Kenneth Black Jr. Journal Author Award in 2022, and the Retirement Management Journal’s 2012 Thought Leadership Award.

In 2014, InvestmentNews included Blanchett in their inaugural "40 Under 40" list as a “visionary” for the financial planning industry, in 2014, Money Magazine called him one of the brightest minds in retirement planning, and in 2021, ThinkAdvisor included him in the IA25 for "pushing the industry forward." He was formally a member of the Executive Committee for the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA) and the ERISA Advisory Council (2018-2020).

Blanchett holds a BS in finance and economics from the University of Kentucky, an MS in financial services from The American College of Financial Services, an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and a PhD in personal financial planning from Texas Tech University.