Why Admin316?
Most retirement plan firms talk about investments, recordkeeping, and funds. Admin316 talks about fiduciary responsibility, administrative relief, plan governance, and risk reduction. That difference is everything.
You Focus on Your Business. We'll Manage Your 401(k).
You didn't start your business to become an expert in ERISA, Department of Labor regulations, participant notices, eligibility, distributions, payroll reconciliation, Form 5500 filings or retirement-plan compliance.
You started your business to run your business.
Yet when your company sponsors a 401(k), someone still has to make sure the plan is administered correctly.
You may already have a recordkeeper, advisor, TPA, payroll provider, CPA and ERISA attorney. But here's the important question:
Who is actually responsible for making sure everything gets done?
If the answer is ultimately you, you may not have outsourced as much of your 401(k) as you think.
That's why Admin316 exists.
Not All 3(16) Fiduciaries Are the Same
Hiring a 3(16) doesn't necessarily mean you've transferred the responsibility you think you have.
The title doesn't determine what you've transferred. The service agreement does.
Two companies can both call themselves 3(16) fiduciaries while accepting very different responsibilities. One may accept broad administrative fiduciary responsibility. Another may perform only specifically listed tasks, leaving additional responsibilities with the plan sponsor.
That's why we encourage every plan sponsor to read the service agreement.
Don't just ask
“What does your 3(16) service do?”
Ask instead
“After I sign your agreement, what am I still responsible for?”
We welcome the comparison.
It's What You Don't Know That Can Hurt You
Most plan sponsors know they have responsibilities. The problem is knowing all of them.
If you don't know a responsibility exists, you may not know to ask whether your provider handles it.
We don't believe you should have to become an ERISA expert to figure out what you need to outsource. Admin316 is designed around accepting the administrative and fiduciary responsibilities delegated to us — not simply giving you another checklist of tasks to manage.
Why We Built Admin316
Our story began in 1997 as an investment advisory firm.
As we began working with retirement plans, we discovered employers were surrounded by professional providers — advisors, recordkeepers, TPAs, payroll companies, CPAs and attorneys — yet the employer was still expected to understand the rules, coordinate everyone and make sure everything was done correctly.
Then an ERISA attorney told us something that changed our perspective. He routinely worked with plans after compliance problems occurred. The problems would be corrected, fees would be paid and the plan would move forward — only for some plans to return years later with another issue.
Why do we keep fixing problems instead of changing who is responsible for preventing them?
That question helped lead to Admin316. We believe retirement plans should be managed by retirement-plan specialists.
You focus on your customers, employees, operations and growth. We'll manage your 401(k).
Transfer Responsibility. Not Just Work.
There's an important difference between outsourcing a task and delegating fiduciary responsibility.
A vendor can perform work for your plan while responsibility for making sure that work gets done correctly may still remain with you.
When Admin316 accepts a fiduciary function under our agreement, we're not simply helping your staff complete administrative tasks. We accept the responsibility associated with the fiduciary duties delegated to us.
Don't just outsource the work. Transfer the responsibility.
What Does the Plan Sponsor Still Retain?
We want this to be clear. Even with comprehensive fiduciary outsourcing, the employer retains three core areas of responsibility:
1. Settlor Responsibilities
You make the employer-level business decisions about the plan, such as establishing, amending, freezing or terminating it.
2. Timeliness of Contributions
You provide the funds necessary for plan contributions to be deposited within applicable timeframes.
3. Accurate Census & Payroll Data
You provide complete and accurate employee, compensation, payroll and census information.
You make the business decisions. You fund the plan timely. You provide accurate data.
Outsource the Responsibility — Not the Visibility
You shouldn't have to manage your 401(k) every day. But you should know how it's doing.
Admin316 can provide monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual Plan Health Checks to keep you informed without putting the administrative burden back on your team. Depending on your engagement, these reviews can monitor:
- Participation and enrollment
- Contributions and deposit activity
- Eligibility
- Census and payroll reconciliation
- Distributions
- Required notices and filings
- Compliance and testing
- Plan fees and benchmarking
- Investment and fiduciary oversight
- Outstanding issues and corrective items
- Overall plan health
The goal isn't to give you another report to manage. It's to answer: “How is my 401(k) doing?”
If something needs your attention, we'll tell you. If it's our responsibility, we handle it.
You stay informed. We manage the plan.
One Plan. Multiple Providers. Who's Managing Everyone?
Your 401(k) may involve a recordkeeper, custodian, advisor, 3(38), TPA, payroll provider, CPA, auditor and ERISA attorney. Each may be excellent at what they do.
But who makes sure all the pieces work together? Without clearly delegated responsibility, that job can fall back on the employer.
Admin316 is designed to sit at the center of the administrative fiduciary structure — coordinating providers and managing the responsibilities delegated to us.
You shouldn't have to manage the people you hired to manage your 401(k).
Keep the Providers You Like
Have an advisor you trust? Keep them. Happy with your recordkeeper? Keep them. Payroll working well? Keep it.
Admin316 doesn't have to replace the professionals already serving your plan. We replace you in the administrative fiduciary roles delegated to us. Your providers continue doing what they do best while Admin316 coordinates the administrative process.
A Fiduciary Structure Built Around Accountability
Depending on the engagement and plan structure, Admin316 can provide or coordinate:
ERISA §3(16) Plan Administrator
Administrative fiduciary responsibility for designated plan operations and compliance functions.
ERISA §402(a) Named Fiduciary
A defined governance structure for designated plan-management responsibilities.
Trustee Services
Responsibility for applicable trustee functions when appointed.
ERISA §3(38) Investment Fiduciary
Discretionary investment fiduciary oversight when included in the engagement.
Plan Benchmarking & Fiduciary Reviews
Independent review of plan fees, investments, services, design and governance.
The objective isn't collecting fiduciary titles. It's establishing who is responsible.
The Admin316 Difference
| Traditional Outsourcing | The Admin316 Model |
|---|---|
| You hire multiple providers. Each performs certain tasks. | Responsibilities are clearly defined. |
| Your team coordinates them, monitors the plan, identifies what's missing and follows up when something doesn't happen. | Specialists perform their respective functions. Admin316 coordinates the administrative process and monitors the responsibilities assigned to us. |
| When there's a problem, everyone looks at their agreement to determine who was responsible. | We accept the fiduciary duties delegated to us, and you receive regular information about your plan's health. |
| You stay in the middle of it. | You get back to running your business. |
Already Have a 3(16)?
Don't assume you're fully covered because your provider has “3(16)” in its name. Send us your current service agreement. We'll help you understand:
- What they accept.
- What they exclude.
- What you may still retain.
No guessing. Read the agreement.
Don't Have a 3(16)?
Ask yourself: who is performing the Plan Administrator's responsibilities today?
If it's your company, HR department, CFO, owner or benefits team, let's talk. We'll explain your current responsibilities and show you how the Admin316 structure works.
Why Admin316?
Because hiring multiple vendors isn't necessarily the same as transferring responsibility.
Because the responsibility you don't know you have may be the one that creates the greatest risk.
Because outsourcing shouldn't mean losing visibility.
And because we believe employers should be able to offer a great 401(k) without becoming retirement-plan administration experts.
You Focus on Your Business. We'll Manage Your 401(k).
Admin316 manages the administrative fiduciary responsibilities delegated to us.
Transfer the Responsibility. Not Just the Work.
We Work Alongside Leading Recordkeepers & Plan Providers
Who Handles Plan Administration?
With a traditional TPA, the employer remains the plan administrator, retaining full legal accountability for every administrative decision made. With Admin316, we step in as the administrator, assuming that responsibility entirely so your organization is no longer personally exposed.
Employer Signs Form 5500
- Traditional TPA
- Employer Liable
Admin316 Signs Form 5500
- Admin316
- Liability Transferred
Full Administrative Accountability
- ERISA
- Compliance
Who Handles Notices & Daily Operations?
Traditional TPAs advise, the employer still handles participant notices, monitors operations, and coordinates compliance. Admin316 handles all of it directly, participant notices, eligibility monitoring, contribution oversight, loan reviews, and distribution approvals, completely removing these burdens from your team.
Participant Notices & Disclosures
- Admin316 Handles
- ERISA Required
Eligibility & Contribution Monitoring
- Admin316 Oversees
- DOL Compliant
Loan, Hardship & Distribution Reviews
- Admin316 Reviews
- IRS Standards
How Much Fiduciary Protection Do You Get?
With a traditional TPA, fiduciary protection is limited, the employer remains exposed. Admin316 provides a significant reduction in fiduciary exposure by assuming specific responsibilities under ERISA Sections 3(16), 402(a), and 403(a), giving your organization a documented, defensible governance structure that a traditional TPA simply cannot provide
Traditional TPA — Limited Protection
- Employer Still Liable
- High Risk
Admin316 — Significant Exposure Reduction
- 3(16)
- 402(a)
- 403(a)
Independent & Conflict-Free Since 1997
- No Commissions
- No Conflicts
We replace the employer as the plan administrator and fiduciary support partner.
Preserve the relationships you value while transferring day-to-day fiduciary responsibility to experienced professionals who have been doing this exclusively since 1997.
We Reduce Your Liability
By assuming fiduciary responsibility under ERISA Section 3(16) and 402(a), we takes on the legal accountability that would otherwise rest on your shoulders as the plan sponsor.
We Don't Disrupt What's Works
We work with your existing advisor, recordkeeper, payroll company, and CPA, enhancing compliance without replacing the relationships you trust.
We Are Proactive, Not Reactive
We monitor regulatory changes, manage filings, and review compliance on an ongoing basis, keeping your plan ahead of IRS and DOL requirements before problems arise.
We Are Fully Independent
We sell no investments, earn no commissions, and profit from no plan decisions. Our only obligation is to your plan and its participants.
- Worked With 100+ Clients
- Industry Expert
- Trusted Advisors
Admin316 Client Result
Plan Sponsor · Admin316 Client
