Retirement Plan Comparison for Advisors | Vestwell
Plan Comparisons
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Explore the plan offerings available to meet diverse client needs across your book of business—from new plans to conversion plans, built-in administration to third-party administrator (TPA) solutions, and more.
Bundled
Plus
An option for smaller- to mid-sized new and conversion 401(k) and 403(b) plans with built-in plan administration.
Key Features
- ✓ Plan Profile: 401(k) or 403(b) plans
- ✓ Fee Structure: Employer base fees and participant fees for recordkeeping
- ✓ Investments: Open architecture
- ✓ Plan Support: Dedicated advisor relationship manager and 1:1 onboarding contact
- ✓ Administration: Built-in 3(16) fiduciary administration
Partner Plus
A 401(k) option for growing conversion plans with built-in plan administration and no employer recordkeeping fees.
Key Features:
- ✓ Plan Profile: Conversion 401(k) plans with $2.5M+ assets and 50+ participants
- ✓ Fee Structure: $0 employer recordkeeping fees with options to discount participant fees
- ✓ Investments: Open-architecture outside of selection from non-proprietary stable value shelf
- ✓ Plan Support: Dedicated advisor relationship manager and 1:1 onboarding contact
- ✓ Administration: Built-in 3(16) fiduciary administration
Unbundled
Vestwell Elite
In-house Pooled Employer Plan (PEP): a shared plan reducing audit costs and employer fiduciary duties with a dedicated TPA.
Key Features
- ✓ Plan Profile: 401(k) plans at or nearing the requirement for an annual plan audit
- ✓ Administration: Reduced audit fees to $1,000/year and streamlined admin via shared plan
- ✓ Plan Design: Flexible menu of pre-approved options
- ✓ Onboarding: Dedicated advisor relationship manager and 1:1 onboarding contact
- ✓ Fiduciary Responsibility: Vestwell is named fiduciary, legally responsible for plan oversight
Flex
An option that provides maximum support for complex plan design features at a preferred price point from a curated list of TPA partners.
Key Features
- ✓ Plan Profile: 401(k) or 403(b) plans
- ✓ Administration: Plan administration via Vestwell and TPA chosen from a curated list of partners
- ✓ Plan Design: Maximum support for complex plan design including cash balance
- ✓ Onboarding: Dedicated advisor relationship manager and 1:1 onboarding contact
- ✓ Fiduciary Responsibility: Employer is named fiduciary, responsible for service provider oversight
| ### Compare bundled plans: | ### Plus | ### Partner Plus |
|---|---|---|
| ### Plan Availability | ||
| Startup/Conversion Plan Status ? | New Startup Plans or Conversion Plans | Conversion Plans |
| Plan Size? | Best Suited for Plans Under $2.5M Assets | $2.5M+ Assets and 50+ Participants |
| Plan Type ? | 401(k) and 403(b) | 401(k) |
| Plans with a Third-party Administrator (TPA)? | ||
| ### Fee Structure | ||
| Employer Base Fee ? | ||
| Employer Setup Fee? | ||
| Monthly Participant Fees? | ||
| Asset-Based Participant Fee ? | At No More than 4 Basis Points | |
| Option for Discounted or Waived Monthly Participant Fees? | ||
| Financial Advisor Compensation Facilitation? | Flexible | Flexible |
| ### Investments | ||
| Advisor Managed Accounts? | Available | Required |
| Investment Options? | Fully Open-architecture | Open-architecture (Outside of Non-proprietary Stable Value and Target Date Fund Shelf) |
| Self-Directed Brokerage Accounts? | Available | Available |
| Qualified Default Investment Alternative (QDIA)? | Flexible | Flexible |
| Guaranteed Lifetime Income ? | Available | Available |
| ### Plan Administration | ||
| Recordkeeping & Custody? | ||
| 3(16) Fiduciary Plan Administration? | ||
| IRS Form Filing (e.g. Form 5500)? | ||
| Compliance Testing? | ||
| Flexible Plan Design? | ||
| Student Loan Retirement Match ? | Available Add-on | Available Add-on |
| 190+ Payroll Integrations? | ||
| Mobile App? | ||
| Plan Document Maintenance Program? | $20/Month Add-on | $20/Month Add-on |
| ### Service | ||
| 1:1 Advisor Relationship Manager? | ||
| Dedicated Employer & Employee Service Team ? | ||
| Multilingual Call Center & Portal Access ? | ||
| Financial Wellness Employee Learning Center? | ||
| Robust Help Center & Educational Content? | ||
| ### Onboarding | ||
| 1:1 Onboarding Contact? | ||
| Plan Design Consultation with Plan Design Specialist? | Available | Available |
| Digital Setup & Onboarding Experience? | ||
| ### Advisor Tools | ||
| Robust Advisor Portal? | ||
| Mid-year Testing & Compliance Tools ? | ||
| Portal Whitelabeling ? | Available | Available |
Unbundled solutions: third-party administrator (TPA) services
| ### Compare unbundled plans: | ### Vestwell Elite | ### Flex |
|---|---|---|
| ### Plan Availability | ||
| Startup/Conversion Plan Status ? | New Startup Plans or Conversion Plans | New Startup Plans or Conversion Plans |
| Number of Participants? | Best Suited for Plans with Over 80 Participants (At or Nearing Requirement for Annual Plan Audit) | Any Number of Participants |
| Plan Type ? | 401(k) | 401(k) and 403(b) |
| ### Fee Structure | ||
| Audit Fees? | Significantly Reduced | Audit Fees Dependent on Independent Audit Provider |
| Shared Investment & Administrative Fees across Employers? | ||
| Monthly Participant Fees? | Reduced as Number of Participants Grows | Preferred Pricing with Flex TPA Partners |
| Employer Base Fee ? | No Fee for Plans with 80+ Participants | Preferred Pricing with Flex TPA Partners |
| Employer Setup Fee? | ||
| Financial Advisor Compensation Facilitation? | Flexible | Flexible |
| ### Investments | ||
| Non-proprietary Investment Lineup? | Curated Lineup Options via Wilshire Advisors, LLC | Fully Open-architecture |
| Self-Directed Brokerage Accounts? | Available | |
| 3(38) Fiduciary Investment Management ? | Professional Investment Management from Wilshire Advisors, LLC (Agnostic Institutional Investment Manager) | Vestwell, an Advisor, or External Investment Manager |
| Advisor Managed Accounts? | Available | Available |
| Qualified Default Investment Alternative (QDIA)? | Flexible | Flexible |
| ### Plan Administration | ||
| Recordkeeping & Custody? | ||
| 3(16) Fiduciary Plan Administration? | Dependent on Flex TPA Partner | |
| Additional TPA Administrative Services? | ||
| IRS Form Filing (e.g. Form 5500)? | Single Form 5500 Filing for All Plans | Individual Form 5500 Filing per Plan |
| Compliance Testing? | Combined for the PEP with Support from a Single, Dedicated TPA | Performed Per Plan with Support from Flex TPA Partner |
| Plan Design? | Flexible Menu of Pre-approved Plan Design Options | Maximum Support for Complex Plan Features |
| Cash Balance? | Available via Flex TPA Partner | |
| Student Loan Retirement Match ? | Available Add-on | Available Add-on |
| Named Fiduciary? | Vestwell is Named Fiduciary, Legally Responsible for Plan and Service Provider Oversight | Employer is Named Fiduciary, Legally Responsible for Selecting and Monitoring Service Providers |
| Plan Document Maintenance? | All Employers Adopt One Existing Plan Document Maintained by Vestwell | Plan Document and Amendment Support Provided Per Plan by Flex TPA Partner |
| Multi-EIN & Controlled Group Support ? | ||
| Mobile App? | ||
| 190+ Payroll Integrations? | ||
| ### Service | ||
| 1:1 Advisor Relationship Manager? | ||
| Dedicated Employer & Employee Service Team ? | ||
| Multilingual Call Center & Portal Access ? | ||
| Dedicated TPA Support Team? | ||
| Financial Wellness Employee Learning Center? | ||
| Robust Help Center & Educational Content? | ||
| ### Onboarding | ||
| 1:1 Onboarding Contact Specialized in Unbundled Plans? | ||
| Digital Setup & Onboarding Experience? | ||
| ### Advisor Tools | ||
| Robust Advisor Portal? | ||
| Mid-year Testing & Compliance Tools ? | ||
| Portal Whitelabeling ? | Available |
Lets see your potential savings!
If you start a qualified retirement plan with auto-enrollment, you may qualify to earn more than $150,000 in tax credits over a three-year period.
How is advisor fee compensation handled on the Vestwell platform?
Vestwell can bill clients on your behalf for your advisory fee according to the fee schedule you have agreed upon with your client. Once collected, Vestwell then passes these fees back to you. Advisor fees can be paid by employers as part of the employer invoice or by participants from their plan assets and listed on the participant statement.
What types of fees can employers and participants expect for Vestwell plan services?
While fees vary by plan option, clients can see a combination of the following fee types. For some plan types, certain fees are not charged or waived. Book a call with our team, and a dedicated plan representative can walk you through plan pricing in more detail.
- Setup Fee: A one-time fee paid for by the employer when the plan is first established.
- Participant Recordkeeping Fees: Fees charged per participant with an active account balance. Employers can elect to cover this fee or, more commonly, have employees pay it directly.
- Asset-based Investment Management Fee: Fees calculated as a percentage of plan assets, covering investment management services. When applicable, these fees are most often deducted directly from participant account balances.
- Ad-Hoc Activities and Add-On Features: Vestwell charges employers and plan participants for certain ad-hoc activities that may arise while administering the retirement plan, as well as add-on services and features that employers elect for their plan.
Employers can find a detailed breakdown of included services, fees, and any optional add-ons in their plan agreement and in their plan’s fee disclosure.
Can I offer multiple plan options to clients?
Yes. Many advisors use Vestwell’s platform to manage multiple plan types and plan options across their book, offering flexibility while maintaining one centralized dashboard for oversight within your advisor retirement portal.
How do I transition an existing plan to Vestwell?
A dedicated conversion plan team handles setup, data migration, and participant communications to ensure a smooth transition process for both you and your client.
How should I help clients choose the right Vestwell plan option?
Consider factors such as company size, existing plan structure, plan feature complexity, need for external third-party administration, and budget. The above plan comparison chart helps you narrow down the best fit options for your clients’ profiles and goals.