401(k) Administration Services
Most 401(k) administration services stop at preparing the work and handing it back for your signature. Admin316 performs the administration and accepts the role, so the plan is not waiting on someone in HR to approve a distribution correctly.
What is included
Eligibility and enrollment
Tracking hours, entry dates and long-term part-time employees against the plan document, and issuing enrollment and auto-enrollment notices on the statutory schedule.
Contributions and payroll integration
Reconciling deferrals, match, profit sharing and true-ups to payroll each cycle, and monitoring deposit timing so late-deferral exposure is caught in days, not at year end.
Distributions, loans, hardships and QDROs
Reviewed and approved under the plan’s terms and claims procedure, including rollovers, RMDs, force-outs and beneficiary claims.
Compliance testing and government filings
ADP/ACP, 402(g), 415, coverage and top-heavy testing, plus the Form 5500 and Summary Annual Report — signed and filed by Admin316 as plan administrator.
Plan document and notice management
Restatements, amendments, SPDs and the full participant notice calendar tracked and delivered, with an evidence trail for each.
Why administration services and fiduciary status are different purchases
Services alone leave the duty with you
A TPA or recordkeeper contract almost always disclaims fiduciary status. You are buying labor while the legal responsibility, and the signature, stay with your company.
Admin316 is appointed, not just engaged
We are named in the plan document as 3(16) plan administrator and, where you choose, 402(a) named fiduciary. Same administration work, materially different risk position.
Your recordkeeper and advisor stay
We sell no investment products and take no commissions, so nothing about your investment lineup or advisor relationship has to change.
Frequently asked questions
What do 401(k) administration services cover?
Eligibility and enrollment, contribution processing and reconciliation, distributions and loans, participant notices, compliance testing, plan document maintenance and the annual Form 5500.
Are administration services the same as recordkeeping?
No. A recordkeeper maintains participant accounts and the investment platform. Administration is the ERISA plan administrator function: applying the plan document, testing, notices and the government filing.
How much do 401(k) administration services cost?
Pricing depends on participant count and plan complexity. In the plan reviews we run, consolidating duplicated provider services into a bundled 3(16) arrangement typically lands between a 32% and 65% reduction against the current fee lineup.
Can you take over administration mid-year?
Yes. A typical transition runs 30 to 60 days — document and appointment review, payroll and census mapping, then a cutover of notices and filings.
