Guideline and Franworth side by side

No employer fee for 3 months1

An easy 401(k) for all of your locations

Get the 401(k) that's helping Franworth franchises scale and save — while meeting state mandates.

Talk to a 401(k) specialistTake a tour

As featured in

  • Forbes logo
  • The New York Times logo
  • Inc. logo
  • MarketWatch logo
Tina F.Smith Trucking
Guideline plans are flexible and simple. They make it easy for our employees to set up a 401(k) that works for them... We’ve grown 300% across 3 different businesses—and our Guideline 401(k) is a perfect fit for all of them.Client of Guideline. Views may not be representative of other clients.

50,000+ businesses trust Guideline with their 401(k)

  • Cylindrical tube with arrow pointing downward towards a USD $ sign. Signifying affordable pricing.

    Scalable pricing

    Cover all of your businesses with one base fee2 — plus, you won’t pay extra for plan setup, plan transfers, or 5500 prep.3

  • Mobile browser with guideline.com user dashboard displaying contributions chart.

    Simple setup & admin

    Set up multiple entities with a single signature.4 Plus, payroll integrations can automate your day-to-day tasks.

  • Guideline simple logo with three branches stemming from it. Demonstrating an all in one solution.

    Built to scale

    We handle recordkeeping, employee onboarding, investment management, ongoing compliance testing, and a lot more.

Keep costs low as you grow

Plans start at $39/month, plus $4 per participant — with custom franchise pricing options available.

See pricing options

  • Up to 6x lower account fees5

  • $0 plan setup fee

  • No added costs for IRS filings or compliance testing

Help your team get the most out of their 401(k)

Offer your employees an affordable, modern way to invest in their financial future — with lower fees and guided investments.

  • Award-winning mobile app and self-serve tools

  • Recommended investment portfolios

  • Financial education and live 401(k) support

Mockup of Guideline iOS mobile app with prominent text. You're all set!
Mockup of Guideline iOS mobile app with prominent text. You're all set!

Get a scalable 401(k) with $0 base fees for 3 months.6

Talk to a Guideline specialist

Stay on top of state retirement plan mandates

20+ states have retirement plan mandates and your businesses may need to be compliant in each state they operate in. With a Guideline 401(k), you can meet each mandate at once — all with one login. Download our state mandate guide

USA map with states filled in different colors based Active, Pending, and Unavailable state mandated for retirement accounts.
A professional customer support specialist offering expert guidance on retirement savings.
A dedicated customer support specialist going above and beyond to assist a client.
A friendly customer support specialist assisting a customer with a smile.

Get support you can count on — and call

With Guideline, you and your team get live support from our 401(k) specialists via phone or email — our annual plan sponsor customer satisfaction score is 93%.7 See more customer support metrics

A benefit for your team and your franchise

  • Two hands shaking simple icon.

    Promote retention

    Food & Beverage workers are 54% less likely to quit in the first year when offered retirement benefits.8

  • Hand outsebtretch with two coins floating above it with a USD $ sign. Simple icon.

    Reduce turnover costs

    Offering a 401(k) can lead to an estimated annual cost savings of more than $100,000 in reduced turnover.8

  • Lightening bolt simple icon.

    Cash in on tax credits

    You may qualify for up to $16,500 in tax credits over the plan’s first 3 years.9 Estimate your costs >

Set up a new 401(k) with $0 base fees for 3 months

Talk to a Guideline specialist
  • 1

    Employer fees include the monthly base fee and a monthly participant fee. Other participant-paid fees will apply. There may be additional costs associated with transferring into another plan tier during and after the end of the promotion. See our Form ADV 2A Brochure for more information about our fees. Guideline reserves the right to modify or discontinue this promotion at any time without prior notice.

  • 2

    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.

  • 3

    Third-party auditor fees will apply to large plans where an audit is required. These fees are not charged by Guideline.

  • 4

    Available for eligible legally related groups that have a single trustee w/ sole signing authority & are not a conversion plan. Learn More

  • 5

    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.

  • 6

    Employer fees include the plan sponsor's monthly base fee and monthly participant fee after the new plan begins. Other participant-paid fees will apply. Refer to Guideline’s Form ADV 2A Brochure here for additional information regarding Guideline’s fees. This offer ends August 23, 2023 and cannot be combined with other offers. Guideline reserves the right to modify or discontinue this promotion at any time without prior notice.

  • 7

    Guideline’s average plan sponsor satisfaction score (CSAT) based on feedback received from 1/1/2023 to 12/31/2023.

  • 8

    Source: Gusto report, Nov 2022

  • 9

    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 logo mark displayed in white
Guideline logo displayed in white

Guideline.com is owned and operated by Guideline, Inc. (“Guideline”), an SEC-registered investment adviser. Investment-related content is provided for general information purposes only, and is not intended to be construed as investment advice. Investments involve risk and are not guaranteed.

© 2024 Guideline, Inc.