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A pooled employer plan (PEP) is a qualified retirement savings plan that is sponsored by one lead company. Other companies join the plan as adopting employers. The PEP is considered a single plan from the perspective of the IRS and Department of Labor so only one Form 5500 is needed for the whole plan. Each adopting employer, however, is able to customize their plan adoption for their own employees, selecting eligibility standards, matching rates, or profit-sharing contributions. 

Adopting employers can find many benefits of joining a PEP. For audit-sized plans, adopting employers are not solely responsible for the entire costs of the plan audit, so that can save companies a lot of money. Employers can also benefit from the economies of scale and purchasing power of the larger PEP. This can allow adopting employers to access less-expensive share classes of mutual funds as plan investments. Adopting employers may also off-load some business risk when they choose to participate in a PEP rather than sponsor their own plan. Adopting employers are not the named plan fiduciary, so they might offload associated risks and responsibilities to the Pooled Plan Provider.

The fees within our PEP are fully transparent and are not hidden in fund revenue sharing or wrap fees. Our plan fees are also regularly evaluated to make sure we are providing our adopters with the best value possible. And because we pool together the plans of lots of companies, we are able to offer a broader set of services for those fees.

Your PEP allows for billing flexibility. By default, fees are assessed against participant plan balances. Alternatively, adopting employers may elect to pay some, or all, of their share of plan fees. Ameritas allows for a combination billing of assessment and invoice to adopting employers. 

FiduciaryxChange, the Pooled Plan Provider, has selected Selective Benefits Group to craft the plan’s investment menu. 

Yes! At the direction of your plan sponsor, self-directed brokerage options can be made available. 

Yes! Participants can schedule individual meetings with their employer's assigned registered investment adviser. 

For prospective adopters, questions should be routed to Ameritas representatives.

Should your firm choose to leave your Association, your plan assets will continue to remain invested. However, future contributions will not be permitted. Your plan can be spun out into a Single Employer plan, or transferred into another MEP. 

If you are new to a 401(k) plan, Ameritas can have your startup running in ~45 days from the execution of an adoption agreement. For existing plans, mergers can be completed on average in 60-90 days. 

Our PEP is structured to allow flexibility in plan design for individual adopters. Our in-house Plan Consultants will perform a due diligence and design comparison analysis to ensure all benefits may carry over. Generally, we are able to accommodate existing plan designs with little to no modifications. 

The transfer timeline can be as quick as 60 days from agreement execution. Depending on the transfer availability of your existing provider, the timeline may take approximately 90 days. 

This is dependent on your existing provider. Generally, assets are in blackout for 1 to 3 weeks until they transfer to Ameritas. Upon receiving assets, Ameritas has them reinvested within three business days. 

No! The bond coverage requirement lands with the PEP Sponsor, so adopting employers need not carry their own. 

If you sponsored your own plan prior to merging your plan into our PEP, your prior provider is required to file a final 5500 form showing a $0 final balance for that plan.  Please be sure to speak with your prior provider regarding this important final filing.  

Yes - if you sponsored your own plan previously. This is a very important step to closing out your prior plan. Be sure to explain to your prior provider that a final Form 5500 will be required. Your Ameritas contacts can help if you need any assistance working with your prior provider.