Guideline vs. Human Interest

Learn why 2x as many businesses choose a Guideline 401(k) over a Human Interest 401(k)1
  • Guideline has 4x lower asset fees⁷
  • Guideline only bills for active, participating employees
  • Guideline provides ongoing compliance testing at no extra charge for all plan tiers
Get started
Chart comparing Guideline's 60,000+ plans signed vs Human Interest's 24,000+ plans signed
Businesses of all sizes trust Guideline
60K+
active businesses2
$15B+
invested for retirement2
93%
customer satisfaction score3
4 Hours
average response time4

Guideline has lower fees

Guideline logo
Human Interest⁷
  • Standalone setup fee
    $0
    $499 may apply
  • Entry level monthly pricing

    $39 + $4 per participating employee (Starter)

    $89 + $8 per participating employee (Core)

    $149 + $4-8 per participating employee (Enterprise)5

    $120 + $5 per eligible employee (Essentials)

    $160 + $7 per eligible employee (Complete)

    $200 + $9 per eligible employee (Concierge)6

  • Annual asset-based fees
    0.15%-0.35%7
    0.72%-0.75%7
  • Fund menu expense ratios
    0.04% - 0.17%8
    0.04%-0.59%9
  • Per employee billing
    Only participating employees
    All eligible employees
  • Transaction fees
    None
    None
  • Plan termination fees
    None
    None

Guideline includes more services for all tiers

Guideline logo
Human Interest⁷
  • Online setup
    Yes
    Yes
  • 3(38) investment management fiduciary
    Yes
    Yes
  • 3(16) Plan administration fiduciary
    Yes10
    Upgrade required
  • Ongoing compliance testing11
    Yes
    Upgrade required
  • Tax credit assistance for all pricing plans
    Yes12
    Upgrade required
  • IRS filing prep & support for all pricing plans
    Yes
    Upgrade required

Guideline supports you and your employees

Guideline logo
Human Interest⁷
  • Resources for employees
    Yes
    Yes
  • Live support for employers and employees
    Yes
    Yes
  • Average response time
    4 hours4
    Not listed
  • Plan Sponsor satisfaction score
    93%

    Annual CSAT Score3

    Not listed
  • Mobile app for participants
    Yes
    No

Hear what customers have to say about Guideline

Veronica S.

Goving & Associates

"We switched our 401(k) over to Guideline and I haven’t thought about 401(k) in five months. It’s HR nirvana."



Client of Guideline. Views may not be representative of other clients.

Melissa W.

Zipline

"We chose Guideline because we didn't want the overhead, management or complexity of traditional options. Guideline is practically a 1-click setup that integrates with our payroll system and is incredibly easy to manage."



Client of Guideline. Views may not be representative of other clients.

Ben C.

The Well Counseling Center

"Guideline consistently provides fast, easy-to-decipher customer support to me and our team."



Client of Guideline. Views may not be representative of other clients.

Carol P.

RedKnot Resource Group

"With Guideline, it feels like we've put 401(k) administration on auto-pilot. Guideline 401(k) enables us to give our employees a big benefit without our small business hiring in-house expertise."



Client of Guideline. Views may not be representative of other clients.

Cliff J.

North Valley Counseling

"Guideline 401(k) customer service is incredible. Clear, totally supportive, and an actual person on the phone whenever you need them."



Client of Guideline. Views may not be representative of other clients.

Set up a Guideline 401(k) in as little as 9 minutes

Get started
  • 1
    Based on current Form ADV filings, Item 5.C.D(1)(g) Pension and profit sharing plans. As of 11/29/2024 Guideline's Form ADV had 50514 plans. As of 3/29/2024 Human Interest Form ADV had 22042 plans
  • 2
    As of December 2024
  • 3
    Guideline’s average Plan Sponsor customer satisfaction score (CSAT) based on feedback received from 1/1/2024 to 12/31/2024
  • 4
    Based on internal statistics as of December 2023.
  • 5
    See here more information regarding Guideline fees.
  • 6
    Human Interest Advisors, LLC and Human Interest, Inc. are collectively referred to herein as “Human Interest”. For additional details regarding Human Interest’s fees and costs, you can visit humaninterest.com/pricing/
  • 7
    This information is for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to be investment or tax advice. 4X takes into consideration the lowest asset based fees applied by each Adviser and/or their record-keeping entity. Guideline Investments, LLC assumed annual account fee of 0.15% applied to assets under management and is deducted on a monthly basis. It’s calculated at 1/12 of the annual stated rate (0.15%) based on the account balance on the last day of each month. The annual account fee range can be between 0.15%-0.35% dependent on the tier chosen per Guideline’s Form ADV 2A Brochure as of 11/21/2024. The Adviser (Human Interest Advisors, LLC) asset-based fee typically ranges between 0.12% and 0.15% annually. The Recordkeeper (Human Interest, Inc) asset-based fees are automatically deducted from the Plan’s assets and the applicable portion of this fee will be reflected in the balance of the Participant’s account unless the Plan sponsor has agreed to assume these fees. The Recordkeeper’s asset-based fee typically ranges up to 0.60% annually per Human Interest Advisers, LLC Form 2A Brochure as of March 29, 2024. This results in a total annual asset-based fee ranging up to 0.72%-0.75%. See Human Interest’s Pricing Page as of March 12, 2025 or their Form ADV for more information regarding asset fees charged. See Human Interest’s Pricing Page as of March 12, 2025 or their Form ADV for more information regarding asset fees charged.
  • 8

    Mutual fund expense ratios are charged by- and paid to- the fund manager that manages the mutual funds themselves and are subject to change without notice. Vanguard’s annual expense ratio is calculated by dividing the fund’s operational expenses by its average net assets. Expense ratios for custom portfolios will vary as the expense ratios of the 40 funds made available in our lineup range from 0.04%-0.17%. View our full fund lineup here.

  • 9

    The funds available in Human Interest's fund lineup have expense ratios ranging from 0.04% to 0.59%. Expense ratios shown are as of 3/31/2024. For more information please go to Human Interest's Investment Page

  • 10
    3(16) fiduciary services are offered by Guideline RK, LLC and only available to clients who utilize an eligible payroll provider.
  • 11
    All plans of related entities must be administered by Guideline in order to provide compliance testing.
  • 12
    Tax credit services provided by MainStreet. Guideline is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or compensated by MainStreet and their subsidiaries or its affiliates. Nor, does Guideline endorse or recommend any of the services or products marketed by MainStreet. Please contact a financial, tax, and/or legal advisor to determine if their applications and products are appropriate for your specific circumstance.
  • †
    This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be taken as tax advice. Please consult a tax professional to determine what types of tax credits or deductions your company is eligible to claim.

  • Guideline has prepared this summary from third-party sources. The information provided is considered to be reliable at the time of writing (March, 2024), may not necessarily be all-inclusive, is not guaranteed as to accuracy and is subject to change at any time without notice.

    Human Interest Advisors, LLC and Human Interest, Inc. are collectively referred to herein as “Human Interest”. For additional details regarding Human Interest’s fees and costs, you can visit humaninterest.com/pricing/

    This information is general in nature and is for informational purposes only. It shouldn’t be used as a substitute for specific tax, legal and/or financial advice that considers all relevant facts and circumstances. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value. Tax laws and regulations are complex and subject to change. You should consult a qualified financial adviser or tax professional before relying on this information.

Guideline.com is owned and operated by Guideline, Inc. This website contains content from Guideline, Inc. and its affiliates, each a separate entity with different regulatory marketing requirements and standards. References to "our" or "we" on this website refer solely to Guideline RK, LLC unless otherwise specifically stated.

The information in this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be an offer, recommendation, investment advice, legal or tax advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. By using this website, you agree to Guideline, Inc.’s Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions of Use. Neither Guideline, Inc. nor its subsidiaries, are responsible for information provided by third parties. Information included herein from third parties is believed to be reliable however Guideline, Inc. does not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of that information.

Guideline, Inc. is a technology company that provides an integrated platform to companies who seek to work with 1) Guideline RK, LLC ("Guideline") and/or 2) Guideline Investments, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser ("RIA"), both of which are wholly owned by Guideline Holdings, LLC. Guideline Holdings, LLC is wholly owned by Guideline, Inc. Neither Guideline, Inc. nor Guideline Holdings, LLC or Guideline RK, LLC is involved in securities activities and is not registered with the SEC or FINRA. Neither Guideline, Inc., nor any of its affiliates, is a bank.

Investment advisory services for Guideline’s 401(k) (when 3(38) fiduciary services are selected) and SEP IRA/IRA products are offered by Guideline Investments, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. For more information regarding fees and services, see Guideline Investments, LLC’s ADV 2A Brochure and Form CRS. References throughout this website to investment advisory services including but not limited to: investments offered, portfolios, managed portfolios, investment philosophy, assets under management (AUM), annual account fees expressed as a percentage of AUM, suitability questionnaire, 3(38) investment advisory management fiduciary services, robo-advisory services, and investment advice, unless otherwise specifically stated, are services provided by Guideline Investments, LLC. Investing involves risk and may lose money, including loss of principal. Investing is not guaranteed and past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. The investment options offered by Guideline Investments, LLC are not FDIC insured.

Recordkeeping services for Guideline’s 401(k) and SEP IRA/IRA products are offered by Guideline RK, LLC. 3(16) plan administration services are also offered by Guideline RK, LLC and only made available to clients who utilize an eligible payroll provider. For more information on Guideline’s pricing, see here. Guideline uses a third-party to provide custodial services. Custodial fees are paid by Guideline.

Any graphs, charts, and other visual aids (collectively referred to as "image(s)") are provided for information purposes only. None of these images can of themselves be used to make investment decisions. No representation is made that these will assist any person in making investment decisions and no image can capture all factors and variables required in making such decisions.

© 2025 Guideline, Inc. All rights reserved

Guideline logo mark displayed in white
Guideline logo displayed in white