Everything you need to know about state retirement mandates
As of July 2024, 20 states have active state-run retirement programs. Businesses with employees in multiple states may need to ensure compliance for each state they operate in. Our guide covers each state program’s status, requirements, and deadlines, as well as alternatives.1
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An impactful benefit that’s a breeze to manage

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    All-in-one 401(k)

    One login for record keeping, filings, compliance testing, and more.2
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    Low cost

    Help your team save more with low cost investments and no transaction fees.3
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    Automated data entry

    We integrate with top payroll providers to automate deductions and simplify plan admin.
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    Dedicated, expert support

    Reliable 401(k) specialists available for your entire team via phone and email.
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As a rapidly growing company, we wanted to offer our employees a strong retirement plan. We chose Guideline because we didn't want the overhead, management, or complexity of traditional options.Client of Guideline. Views may not be representative of other clients.

Help people save more with lower fees

With a Guideline 401(k), people can help keep more of their money where it matters—in their retirement account.
See pricing plan options
  • up to 7x less fees less in fees
    Up to 6x lower fees than the industry average4
  • $ 0
    Zero transaction fees
  • .15%
    As low as 0.15% account fee4

Integrations to automate 401(k) busywork

Guideline partners with popular payroll providers to build direct, two-way integrations that automatically sync payroll and employee data. No manual 401(k) contribution updates or eligibility tracking required.
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Make retirement investing easy

With an intuitive dashboard and mobile app, it’s easy for your team to set up their account, adjust their portfolio, and access answers — anytime, anywhere.

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  • Guided investment portfolio

  • Retirement education and live support

Guideline mobile app portfolio screen.
Guideline mobile app portfolio screen.

Always-on compliance. Always-included.

We prioritize your peace of mind. That’s why we include features like ongoing compliance testing and 3(16) and 3(38) fiduciary services5 in all of our standard 401(k) packages — helping to safeguard your business at no added cost.

Get support you can count on — and call

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    Dedicated specialists

    Get a single point-of-contact throughout the transfer process and the life of your plan.
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    Live support

    Call or email quality customer support — our annual plan sponsor customer satisfaction score is 93%.6
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    Fast answers

    Hear back from our team quickly — we average a 4 business-hour response time.
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  • 1
    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.
  • 2
    All plans of related entities must be administered by Guideline and have identical plan designs in order to provide compliance testing.
  • 3

    We require all plan sponsors transferring an existing 401(k) to Guideline to set up and maintain an Enterprise plan for at least one year. After one year, the plan will be eligible to switch to a different pricing plan. We require all legally related groups to be in our Enterprise or Starter tiers. See Guideline’s Pricing Page or Form ADV 2A Brochure for more information on pricing and fees.

  • 4
    This information is provided for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to be taken as investment or tax advice. Consult a qualified tax and financial advisor to determine the appropriate investment strategy for you. The average investment expense of plan assets for 401(k) plans with 25 participants and $250,000 in assets is 1.37% of assets, according to the 24th Edition of the 401k Averages Book, with data updated through September 30, 2023, and is inclusive of investment management fees, fund expense ratios, 12b-1 fees, sub-transfer agent fees, contract charges, wrap and advisor fees or any other asset based charges. Guideline’s managed portfolios have blended expense ratios ranging from 0.067% to 0.069% of assets under management. When combined with an assumed account fee of 0.15%, the estimated total AUM fees for one of Guideline’s managed portfolios can be under 0.22%. Alternative account fee pricing is available ranging from 0.15% to 0.35%. Contact Sales at hello@guideline.com to learn more about exclusive pricing options available in Enterprise tier. Expense ratios for custom portfolios will vary. These expense ratios are subject to change by and paid to the fund(s). View full fund lineup.
  • 5
    Guideline's 3(16) fiduciary services are only available to clients who utilize an eligible payroll provider.
  • 6
    Guideline’s average plan sponsor satisfaction score (CSAT) based on feedback received from 1/1/2023 to 12/31/2023.
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