Ascensus, the leading independent technology and service platform powering savings plans across America, has announced the launch of two new Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) in collaboration with OneDigital, a national insurance brokerage and financial services firm. The Path Forward 401(k) Pooled Employer Plan and The Path Forward 403(b) Pooled Employer Plan— Ascensus’ first 403(b) PEP— provides employers with streamlined retirement solutions designed to reduce administrative burden while enhancing employee benefits.
The launch of these products extends the longstanding relationship between Ascensus and OneDigital which stands at more than 1,000 retirement plans and over $5B total assets. The solutions will be distributed nationally through the OneDigital advisor network that has extensive reach and relationships with employers across the country.
“We’re pleased to deepen our collaboration with OneDigital through these new retirement program offerings. This expanded relationship reflects our shared commitment to making high-quality retirement benefits easier for employers to offer and more effective for the people they serve,” said Ascensus CEO Nick Good. “By pairing our technology and service with OneDigital’s investment expertise and reach, we’re helping more savers achieve better outcomes and retire with confidence.”
“Employers are looking for retirement programs that reduce complexity without sacrificing quality—and that’s exactly what the Path Forward PEP suite delivers. By combining OneDigital’s investment stewardship with Ascensus’ pooled plan provider and recordkeeping capabilities, we can offer a turnkey solution that supports better outcomes for savers and makes it easier for employers to provide meaningful retirement benefits,” said Frank Zaguro, National Vice President, Retirement Solutions.
OneDigital will serve as the 3(38) investment fiduciary for both programs, bringing its expertise in investment management to ensure participants have access to well-constructed portfolios. Ascensus will provide pooled plan provider services, 3(16) administrative fiduciary services, trust and custody services, and recordkeeping which allows participating employers to delegate key fiduciary responsibilities while maintaining a high-quality retirement benefit for their employees.
Ascensus’ PEPs offer a wide variety of savings solutions to plan sponsors, employers, and savers. Newport, an Ascensus company, was one of the first to register as a Pooled Plan Provider in 2021, a key component of any PEP program. Today, Ascensus administers more than 45 partner PEPs with $2.7+ billion assets under administration.
Disclosure: Ascensus and OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC (“OneDigital”) are independent and unaffiliated entities. Each entity is financially responsible for their own products and/or services.
