Leading Retirement Solutions

What Leading Retirement Solutions does

Leading Retirement Solutions (LRS) is a Seattle-headquartered Third Party Administrator (TPA) founded in 2009 by Kirsten Curry that designs, administers, and recordkeeps qualified retirement plans for U.S. businesses, with a distinctive specialization in the cannabis industry. Its core offering, the trademarked "The Leading Cannabis 401(k)®," was launched in 2019 to address the intersection of federal cannabis prohibition, IRC 280E tax restrictions, and ERISA/DOL compliance; LRS also administers ROBS plans, supports non-traditional investments across more than 24,000 investment choices, and runs correction programs under EPCRS, VFCP, and DFVCP. The 2026 launch of a Cannabis Cash Balance Plan extends its cannabis product line into trustee-directed Defined Benefit structures.

The platform is cloud-based and delivered through online participant and plan sponsor portals, a mobile application for participants, and payroll/data integrations including one-way (180) and two-way (360) feeds with providers such as Paragon Payroll, while recordkeeping is anchored on Schwab Retirement Plan Services. Distribution combines a direct consultative sales motion (web-based RFP, phone, email) with retirement-advisor and broker partnerships, a white-label BPO offering for other TPAs and employers, and referral flows such as CrossPlans; national reach is claimed across all 50 states via a remote team. The company is privately held and founder-controlled, with no disclosed institutional capital, and reports $700M+ in assets under administration, 140 cannabis 401(k) plans covering 17,000+ participants and $71M+ in assets, and a 99% client retention rate.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring plan administration fees and professional services (audit support, consulting and correction work, ROBS administration, and white-label BPO). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set through consultation based on plan complexity and participant count. The customer base spans cannabis operators (primary vertical), ROBS entrepreneurs, plan sponsors seeking non-traditional assets, and retirement advisors and TPAs using LRS as a back-office partner; named enterprise customers include Embarc, STIIIZY, Jeeter, and Housing Works Cannabis Co. Recognition includes the 2025 Inc. 5000 list and top rankings on the Puget Sound Business Journal's 2026 lists of fastest-growing and largest women-owned companies in Washington state.

Name

Leading Retirement Solutions

Legal name

Leading Retirement Solutions

Website

https://leadingretirement.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Seattle-based Third Party Administrator that designs and administers qualified retirement plans for U.S. businesses, with a flagship cannabis-specialized 401(k), ROBS, and non-traditional investment offerings delivered via cloud portals and partner channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retirement Plan Administration Services

NAICS

Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds (524292), Pension Funds (52511), Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Retirement Plan Participant Advice & Managed Accounts (FSAEABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Eligibility, Enrollment & Benefits Administration (HLAEALAH)

Keywords

• Retirement plan administration
• Third party administration
• Cannabis 401(k) plans
• ROBS plan services
• Non-traditional investments

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Retirement Plan Administration Services: Comprehensive retirement plan administration including plan design, day-to-day administration, compliance oversight, government reporting, and recordkeeping for 401(k), 403(b), Defined Benefit, Church Plans, Cash Balance, Money Purchase, MEPs, and PEPs.
2. Large Plan Audit Services: Expert support for large plan audits with streamlined audit processes, compiling necessary reports and working with auditor teams for timely Form 5500 filings.
3. Consulting and Correction Services: Correction program coordination including EPCRS (SCP, VCP, Audit CAP), VFCP, DFVCP, and support for IRS and DOL corrections and audits.
4. White Label Services: Business Process Outsourced (BPO) retirement plan services customized to fit partners' brand identity for employers, administrators, financial planners, and brokers.
5. ROBS Plan Administration: Administration of Rollovers as Business Startups (ROBS) plans including plan design, recordkeeping, IRS & DOL support, correction services, and exit strategies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Leading Retirement Solutions (LRS) is a Third Party Administrator (TPA) that designs, administers, and manages qualified retirement plans for U.S. businesses, with a flagship specialization in 401(k) plans for cannabis operators. The firm offers end-to-end plan services including plan design, recordkeeping, compliance oversight, government reporting, payroll integration, plan audits, correction services, and ROBS arrangements, alongside a registered proprietary product called The Leading Cannabis 401(k) Plan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Leading Cannabis 401(k)®: A specialized 401(k) retirement plan solution for the cannabis industry, accounting for IRS Code 280E and COGS adjustments.
• Cannabis Cash Balance Plan

Products and services

• Plan Administration Comprehensive day-to-day administration of qualified retirement plans (401(k), 403(b), Defined Benefit, Cash Balance, Money Purchase, SEP & SIMPLE IRAs, MEPs, PEPs) including plan design, compliance oversight, government reporting, and recordkeeping for business owners and plan sponsors.
• Recordkeeping Secure online portal and recordkeeping system for plan fiduciaries providing participant account statements, loan administration, distribution disclosures, and plan-level reporting.
• Consulting and Correction Services Expert support for retirement plan compliance including coordination of EPCRS (SCP, VCP, Audit CAP), VFCP, DFVCP programs, and assistance with IRS and DOL corrections and audits for plan sponsors.
• Large Plan Audit Services Streamlined audit support for large retirement plans, compiling necessary reports and working with auditor teams to ensure timely Form 5500 filings.
• Plan Termination End-to-end support for terminating qualified retirement plans, including compliance, participant communication, and final reporting.
• White Label Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% client retention rate demonstrating strong customer satisfaction and service reliability
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• NFP (an Aon company)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 November 2025LRS and NFP are co-sponsoring the FlowerHire Cannabis HR Leadership Summit at MJBizCon in December 2025. This partnership combines LRS's cannabis retirement expertise with NFP's benefits consulting capabilities to address workforce challenges in the cannabis industry.
• The Cerrado GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLRS is a member of The Cerrado Group, a national alliance of independently owned, high-performing Third Party Administrator (TPA) firms. This network enables collaboration with top-tier firms across the U.S., contribution to national dialogue on compliance and plan design, and advancement of industry education and thought leadership.
• FlowerHirecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFlowerHire organizes the Cannabis HR Leadership Summit at MJBizCon where LRS co-sponsors to engage with HR leaders across the cannabis industry on workforce challenges including compliance, retention, benefits strategy, and organizational growth.
• Paragon PayrollsupportingTechnology or IntegrationParagon Payroll works with LRS to deliver cannabis-compliant retirement plans, with LRS streamlining administration, easing compliance, and integrating payroll services for cannabis operators.
• Trust IntegritassupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrust Integritas, led by Jewell Lim Esposito (ERISA and Tax attorney), collaborates with LRS on navigating the legal intersections of ERISA, Internal Revenue Code, and the cannabis industry for cannabis employer benefit solutions.
• CrossPlansminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrossPlans refers all cannabis retirement plan activity to LRS, recognizing Kirsten Curry and Leading Retirement Solutions as 'truly the experts on the cannabis and green industry' for qualified retirement plans.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ForUsAll: 401(k) recordkeeper explicitly serving small and mid-sized businesses with broad investment menus including alternative assets such as cryptocurrency and private equity. Closely comparable to LRS in that both emphasize non-traditional investment access inside employer-sponsored retirement plans, a niche mainstream TPAs typically avoid.
• IRA Financial Group: Self-directed retirement account administrator enabling investments in alternative assets within IRA and Solo 401(k) structures. Overlaps with LRS's non-traditional investment access and ROBS-adjacent offerings, focused on smaller plan sponsors and entrepreneurs.
• Ascensus: One of the largest independent Third-Party Administrators in the U.S., providing retirement plan administration, recordkeeping, and government forms support across 401(k), 403(b), and related plan types. Directly comparable on business model (TPA / recordkeeping) and plan-type breadth, though Ascensus operates at vastly greater scale and without LRS's cannabis specialization.
• PenChecks Trust: Self-directed retirement plan administrator focused on plans holding alternative and non-traditional assets — closely mirrors LRS's 24,000-investment-choice offering and self-directed expertise. Operates in the same adjacent niche of complex, asset-diverse plan administration.
• Kingdom Trust: Custodian specializing in self-directed retirement accounts holding alternative investments (real estate, private equity, crypto). Comparable on the alternative-asset / self-directed retirement axis and a relevant competitor for plan sponsors who prioritize non-traditional investment menus.

Broad incumbents

• Human Interest: 401(k) and SEP-IRA recordkeeper purpose-built for small businesses, with modern onboarding and payroll integrations. Comparable as a scaled SMB 401(k) administration platform but oriented toward mainstream employer plans rather than cannabis or non-traditional assets.
• iCapital: Platform providing access to alternative investments (private equity, hedge funds, structured products) for wealth and retirement accounts. Comparable in that both companies enable alternatives inside retirement structures, though iCapital targets institutional and high-net-worth channels rather than small employer plans.
• Vestwell: Technology-enabled retirement platform serving small and mid-sized plan sponsors with recordkeeping, 401(k), and 403(b) administration. Overlaps with LRS on the SMB 401(k) administration core but does not match the cannabis specialization or depth of non-traditional investment offering.
• Guideline: Technology-focused 401(k) provider for small businesses with transparent, flat-fee pricing and integrated payroll connections. Comparable on the SMB 401(k) administration business model; less relevant on cannabis and non-traditional asset specialization.
• OneDigital: Large benefits and retirement consulting firm offering TPA, recordkeeping, and advisory services to employer plan sponsors. Overlaps with LRS on retirement consulting and supports retirement-partner relationships similar to LRS's advisor channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/leadrsolutions
• Facebookfacebook.com/LeadingRetirementSolutions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leading-retirement-solutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Leading Retirement Solutions