July Business Services
July Business Services is a Waco, Texas-based, privately-held provider of 401(k) plan administration, recordkeeping, and fiduciary services for the US small and micro employer market, serving financial advisors, TPAs, and small-to-mid-sized employers since 1994 through a tiered subscription platform and a national field-sales organization.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersWaco, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What July Business Services does
July Business Services (JULY) is a privately-held, Waco, Texas-based provider of 401(k) and related retirement plan services founded in 1994. The company focuses on the small and micro 401(k) market, serving financial advisors, third-party administrators (TPAs), and small-to-mid-sized employers across the continental United States through a national field-sales organization of eight regional sales directors and inside-sales consultants.
The product portfolio centers on tiered 401(k) plan administration (SOLOK for owner-only plans, Launch for growing companies, Flex, Advanced, and Custom tiers, plus Combo 401(k) + Cash Balance), the Launch401k Pooled Employer Plan, and Cash Balance Plans. Underlying the offering is proprietary technology built over a decade - notably Payroll Pilot (integrating with 8+ leading payroll providers under both 180° and 360° data-flow models with 20+ validation checks), the participant-facing 401k.julyservices.com platform, JULYPortal and JULYRecordkeeping for employers, and an eight-module Financial Wellness Curriculum. Fiduciary services are delivered in-house (3(16) administrative and 3(38) investment fiduciary through subsidiary Expand Financial, an SEC-registered investment advisor), and the firm holds the first CEFEX certification as a Pooled Plan Service Provider from Broadridge and SOC 2 Type 2 certification. The wholly-owned DataPath subsidiary in Dhaka, Bangladesh (350+ ASPPA-credentialed professionals) supports plan administration outsourcing and software development.
JULY generates revenue through recurring subscription pricing: a quarterly flat plan fee plus a quarterly per-participant fee across tiers (e.g., Launch at $385 + $18/participant; Custom at $625 + $24/participant), supplemented by an Annual Plan Service Fee of 0.20% on PEP assets and a 0.17% average core-fund expense ratio. Distribution combines a direct enterprise field-sales motion with channel partnerships serving TPAs and advisors, supported by an extensive advisor education webinar program. The firm has executed seven acquisitions in two years (including Sunwest Pensions, Acuff, and Employee Incentive Plans) and operates a South Africa entity (JULY SA), reflecting active M&A and international operational footprint beyond its US-centric customer base.
July Business Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- July Business Services
- Legal name
- July Business Services, LLC
- Website
- https://julyservices.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- July Business Services is a Waco, Texas-based, privately-held provider of 401(k) plan administration, recordkeeping, and fiduciary services for the US small and micro employer market, serving financial advisors, TPAs, and small-to-mid-sized employers since 1994 through a tiered subscription platform and a national field-sales organization.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
July Business Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retirement Plan Administration
- NAICS
- Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds (524292), Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities (523991), Pension Funds (52511)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Employee Benefits Brokerage & Consulting (FSAEADAC), Benefits Administration (BPACAPAC), Retirement & Pension Planning (401(k)/IRA) (FSAEAAAD)
Keywords
Where July Business Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Waco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices16 records
Markets served
July Business Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 401(k) Plan Services - Subscription/Fees: Quarterly flat fees plus per-participant fees for 401(k) plan administration, recordkeeping, fiduciary services, and plan management. Multiple plan tiers (SOLOK, Launch, Flex, Advanced, Custom, PEP, Combo) with different pricing structures.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Quarterly | SOLOK - 401k for one or more owner companies |
| Subscription | Quarterly | Launch - 401k for growing companies |
| Subscription | Quarterly | Flex - New or Converting Plans |
| Subscription | Quarterly | Advanced - Enhanced Features |
| Subscription | Quarterly | Custom - Companies and advisors with custom needs |
| Subscription | Quarterly | PEP 401k - Pooled Employer Plan |
| Subscription | Quarterly | Combo - 401k with Cash Balance Plan |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
July Business Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
July Business Services administers 401(k) retirement plans on behalf of small and mid-sized employers, financial advisors, and third-party administrators, providing plan setup, recordkeeping, compliance testing, Form 5500 preparation, payroll integration, and 3(16)/3(38) fiduciary services through tiered subscription plans (SOLOK, Launch, Flex, Advanced, Custom, PEP, and Combo with Cash Balance). The company supplements administration with Cash Balance Plans, a Pooled Employer Plan (Launch401k), an employee Financial Wellness Curriculum, and TPA partner outsourcing services delivered through proprietary technology platforms.
Product overview
July Business Services offers a comprehensive 401(k) retirement plan services platform with three core plan tiers (SOLOK for owner-only plans, Launch for growing businesses, and Custom for complex advisor-managed plans), supplemented by the Launch401k PEP pooled employer plan. The product portfolio includes Payroll Pilot for payroll integrations (supporting Paychex, Intuit, Paylocity, Paycom, Paycor, iSolved, CyberPay, and Payentry), Cash Balance Plans as an add-on for higher contribution limits, a Financial Wellness Curriculum with eight educational modules, Retirement Calculators suite, and TPA Partner Services. The company also provides participant (401k.julyservices.com) and employer (JULYPortal, JULYRecordkeeping) platforms for account management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Launch401k: A Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) offering a modern retirement plan solution for small businesses seeking a low-cost 401k.
- Payroll Pilot
- Expand Financial
Products and services
- SOLOK 401(k) Plan
- Launch 401(k) Plan
- Flex 401(k) Plan
- Advanced 401(k) Plan
- Custom 401(k) Plan
- Launch401k PEP (Pooled Employer Plan)
- Combo 401(k) with Cash Balance Plan
- Cash Balance Plans
- Payroll Pilot
- Financial Wellness Curriculum
- Retirement Calculators
- TPA Partner Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Lower investment expenses: 0.20% Annual Plan Service Fee vs industry average of 1.89%
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use July Business Services
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
July Business Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
July Business Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Chairvolotti Financial PartnershipcoreStrategic partnership aligning JULY's modern recordkeeping technology and high-touch service model with Chairvolotti's fiduciary investment expertise. Provides advisors a simpler, more scalable path to growing their retirement plan business.
- Employee Incentive Plans, Inc. (EIP)majorAcquisition marking JULY's seventh successful acquisition in two years. Expands national reach and deepens retirement plan capabilities.
- Investors Asset Management of GeorgiamajorStrategic collaborative Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) 401(k) solution (Launch401k) with JULY and Expand Financial. Reputable investment management firm contributing to PEP solution for small businesses and charter schools.
- Expand FinancialcoreSEC registered investment advisor and JULY subsidiary. Provides 3(38) investment fiduciary services for Launch401k and other plans. Specializes in building and managing 401k investment lineups with professional investment management.
- DataPathcoreWholly-owned subsidiary established in 2006, located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Provides plan administration outsourcing and software development support with 350+ professionals, many with ASPPA credentials.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
July Business Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Empower Retirement: One of the largest U.S. retirement plan recordkeepers serving plans of all sizes, including small/micro plans. Directly comparable to JULY as a national recordkeeper, but operates at dramatically greater scale with broader plan administration, advisory, and investment capabilities.
- ADP Retirement Services: Major incumbent 401(k) recordkeeper bundled with ADP's payroll platform, serving small and mid-sized employers. Comparable to JULY in target market and payroll-integration strategy, but operates at much greater scale with broader HCM capabilities.
- Paychex Retirement Services: Payroll-bundled 401(k) recordkeeping serving SMB employers, integrated with Paychex's payroll platform. Comparable to JULY's Payroll Pilot strategy with Paychex and overlapping focus on the small employer segment.
- Principal Financial Group: Large diversified financial services company with a substantial retirement plan recordkeeping business serving small/mid-sized employer plans. Comparable to JULY in serving employer-sponsored retirement plans, with much broader investment and insurance capabilities.
- Schwab Retirement Plan Services: Major incumbent recordkeeper serving employer-sponsored plans across size tiers, often distributed through independent advisors. Comparable to JULY in serving the advisor channel and employer plans, with dramatically greater scale and brand recognition.
Direct peers
- Guideline: Tech-enabled 401(k) platform purpose-built for small businesses with flat-fee pricing, automated administration, and integrations with payroll providers — the closest direct comparable to JULY's small/micro market focus and Payroll Pilot strategy.
- Vestwell: Recordkeeping and administration platform serving small/mid-sized employer 401(k), 403(b), and SEP-IRA plans, with strong advisor-channel distribution. Directly comparable to JULY's small/micro 401(k) focus and advisor-led GTM motion.
- ForUsAll: 401(k) provider focused on small and mid-sized businesses, with particular strength in pooled employer plans (PEPs) and Crypto 401(k) offerings. Comparable to JULY in targeting the small/micro segment and competing in the PEP market.
- Slavic401k: Independent 401(k) recordkeeper specializing in micro and small employer plans, with strong advisor-channel distribution and competitive flat-fee pricing — directly comparable to JULY's micro-market focus and pricing model.
Others
- DataPath (industry context): Note: DataPath is a JULY subsidiary, but the broader DataPath ecosystem of pension administration software providers and outsourcing firms is relevant context; comparable ecosystem participants include firms providing outsourced recordkeeping and plan administration technology to TPAs and recordkeepers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
July Business Services social profiles
Digital presenceJuly Business Services compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
July Business Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
July Business Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
July Business Services subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
July Business Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
July Business Services M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about July Business Services
What does July Business Services do?
July Business Services administers 401(k) retirement plans on behalf of small and mid-sized employers, financial advisors, and third-party administrators, providing plan setup, recordkeeping, compliance testing, Form 5500 preparation, payroll integration, and 3(16)/3(38) fiduciary services through tiered subscription plans (SOLOK, Launch, Flex, Advanced, Custom, PEP, and Combo with Cash Balance). The company supplements administration with Cash Balance Plans, a Pooled Employer Plan (Launch401k), an employee Financial Wellness Curriculum, and TPA partner outsourcing services delivered through proprietary technology platforms.
Is July Business Services a public or private company?
July Business Services is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was July Business Services founded?
July Business Services was founded in 1994. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is July Business Services based?
July Business Services is headquartered in Waco, United States, in the North America region.
How does July Business Services make money?
One revenue line is on record: 401(k) Plan Services - Subscription/Fees.
Who are July Business Services's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Empower Retirement, ADP Retirement Services, Paychex Retirement Services, Principal Financial Group and Schwab Retirement Plan Services. Direct peers are Guideline, Vestwell, ForUsAll and Slavic401k. DataPath (industry context) is listed as an others.
Does July Business Services have an API?
No public API is recorded for July Business Services.
What industry is July Business Services in?
July Business Services's product category is Retirement Plan Administration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEABAE, Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension), with a secondary code of FSAEADAC, Employee Benefits Brokerage & Consulting. Its NAICS code is 524292 and its SIC code is 6282.