ERISA Services

What ERISA Services does

ERISA Services, Inc. is a family-owned third-party administrator (TPA) founded in 1981 by Dale Horst and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. The company designs and administers qualified retirement plans for small and mid-sized businesses, spanning 401(k), profit sharing, money purchase, 403(b), defined benefit, cash balance, 457, pooled employer plans (PEPs), multiple employer plans (MEPs), and Solo(k) plans. The company explicitly does not provide investment advice or sell investments, operating a revenue-neutral model that is positioned as a differentiator against vertically integrated TPAs. Service pillars include plan administration and consulting, document preparation and reporting, compliance, and employee communication, with adjacent specialty lines in fiduciary services (ERISA 316 Services) and actuarial consulting (ERISA Actuarial Services).

The business is delivered through a regional sub-brand structure — ERISA Services of Alabama, ERISA of the Carolinas, ERISA Services of Florida, ERISA Services of Georgia, ERISA Services Midwest, ERISA Services Upper Midwest, and ERISA Services Nashville — each led by a Partner/VP of Business Development covering a defined U.S. territory. Distribution is sales-led and partner-driven, with deep referral relationships to financial advisors, CPAs, and a broad network of national 401(k) platform and recordkeeping providers including Fidelity, Empower, Principal, Voya, Vanguard, T. Rowe Price, John Hancock, and others. The company reports administering 3,200+ plans for 2,387+ clients with a 72% retention rate across five offices nationwide. Underlying technology is described as an evolving client management database for plan tracking and follow-up; no API, app, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the company is privately held with no external funding; the employee base is reported at 11-50, and leadership is concentrated within the Horst family — Tommy Horst serves as President & CEO, Jessica Horst as CFO, and Tiffany Horst as VP of Business Development & Marketing. Operating geographies are limited to the southeastern and midwestern United States, with no international footprint claimed.

Name

ERISA Services

Legal name

ERISA Services, Inc.

Website

https://erisaservices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ERISA Services is a family-owned third-party administrator, founded in 1981, that designs and administers qualified retirement plans (401(k), profit sharing, defined benefit, PEPs, MEPs, and others) for small and mid-sized businesses across the southeastern and midwestern United States through seven regional sub-brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retirement Plan Administration (Third-Party Administration / TPA)

NAICS

Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds (524292)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Self-Funded Employer Plan TPA (ASO Administration) (HLAEALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Retirement Plan Advisory RIAs (ERISA 401(k)/403(b)) (FSAAACAF), Compliance, Reporting & Regulatory Administration (ERISA/ACA/No Surprises) (HLAEALAJ)

Keywords

• Retirement plan administration
• Third party administration
• 401(k) plan services
• Defined benefit consulting
• Compliance testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Third-Party Administration (TPA) Services: Full-service retirement plan administration including plan design, document preparation, compliance testing, and reporting. Services provided to plan sponsors for a competitive price while remaining revenue neutral on investments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ERISA Services is a Third Party Administrator (TPA) that designs and administers qualified retirement plans for small and mid-sized business plan sponsors. The firm offers a full-service bundle covering plan design, document preparation, ongoing compliance testing, IRS/DOL audit support, government reporting (Form 5500), participant communications, loan and distribution processing, and fiduciary administration, applied across 10 plan types including 401(k), profit sharing, money purchase, 403(b), defined benefit, cash balance, 457, pooled employer, multiple employer, and Solo(k) plans. The company operates as revenue-neutral, meaning it does not provide investment advice or sell investment products, instead contracting directly with plan sponsors and through financial-advisor and CPA channel partners.

Product overview

ERISA Services is a Third Party Administrator (TPA) organization that does not provide investment advice or sell investments, offering revenue-neutral administration services for retirement plans. The company operates as a single unified service offering with multiple regional sub-brands (ERISA Services of Alabama, ERISA of the Carolinas, ERISA Services of Florida, ERISA Services of Georgia, ERISA Services Midwest, ERISA Services Upper Midwest, ERISA Services Nashville) and specialized divisions (ERISA 316 Services for fiduciary management, ERISA Actuarial Services for defined benefit consulting). The core product portfolio includes 10 plan types: 401(k) Plans, Profit Sharing Plans, Money Purchase Plans, 403(b) Plans, Defined Benefit Plans, Cash Balance Plans, 457 Plans, Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs), Multiple Employer Plans (MEPs), and Solo(k)/One Person Plans. These are supported by four service pillars: Plan Administration & Consulting, Document Preparation & Reporting, Compliance Services, and Employee Communication. The company administers more than 3,200 plans using state-of-the-art technology, with a client management database for tracking and efficient plan management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 401(k) Plans Design and ongoing third-party administration of 401(k) defined contribution plans, allowing participants to elect to defer a percentage of pay with potential employer matching or profit-sharing contributions. Targeted at small to mid-sized business plan sponsors across industries.
• Profit Sharing Plans Plan design and TPA administration for employer profit sharing plans in which employer contributions are allocated to participants based on a predetermined formula and remain discretionary in nature.
• Money Purchase Plans Design and administration of money purchase defined contribution plans with fixed employer contribution obligations based on a percentage of each participant's compensation.
• 403(b) Plans Design and administration of tax-advantaged 403(b) retirement savings plans intended for tax-exempt organizations, schools, and charitable organizations.
• Defined Benefit Plans Design and administration of defined benefit pension plans that provide specific retirement benefits based on salary history and years of service, with the employer bearing the investment risk.
• Cash Balance Plans Design and administration of cash balance hybrid retirement plans that combine defined benefit features with individual account-style allocations, enabling larger annual tax-deductible contributions.
• 457 Plans Design and administration of 457 savings plans for state and federal government agencies, similar to 401(k) but without employer matching contributions.
• Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) Design and administration of Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) enabling multiple unrelated employers to participate in a single multiple-employer plan, achieving economies of scale and shared compliance.
• Multiple Employer Plans (MEPs) Design and administration of Multiple Employer Plans (MEPs) adopted by multiple unrelated employers, providing administrative efficiencies, shared compliance, and reduced fiduciary burden per employer.
• Solo(k) / One Person Plans Design and administration of Solo(k) / one-person retirement plans tailored for self-employed individuals or business owners with no employees, supporting high contribution limits and individual tax-advantaged savings.
• Plan Administration & Consulting Full-service plan administration and consulting covering eligibility determination, service record maintenance, contribution allocation, trust reconciliation, benefit statements, and loan processing for plan sponsors.
• Document Preparation & Reporting Document preparation and reporting services covering plan document design, Summary Plan Description (SPD) preparation, amendments, IRS determination letters, Form 5500 preparation, and required annual notices.
• Compliance Services Ongoing compliance services including IRS Code and tax law updates, fee disclosure support, annual compliance testing (ADP/ACP, top-heavy), VCP submission support, and IRS/DOL audit support for plan sponsors.
• Employee Communication Employee communication services for plan sponsors covering document distribution, educational meetings, enrollment support, and 401(k) participation education for plan participants.
• ERISA 316 Fiduciary Services Outsourced fiduciary service acting as plan fiduciary to manage administrative and fiduciary tasks including participant loans, distributions, terminations, eligibility tracking, participant notices, and Form 5500 preparation.
• ERISA Actuarial Services Actuarial consulting for Defined Benefit and Cash Balance plans including plan design, coordination with plan actuaries, joint plan testing across related employers, and tax-savings optimization.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,200+ retirement plans administered
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• VoyaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRecord keeper and retirement services partner. ERISA Services works with Voya as one of the platform providers for client retirement plans.
• AmeritasminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance and retirement services partner providing retirement plan platform options.
• AscensusminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetirement plan recordkeeping and compliance partner for plan administration services.
• EmpowerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational 401(k) platform provider partner for retirement plan administration.
• FidelityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor retirement services and wealth management platform partner.
• NationwideminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetirement plan services and insurance partner.
• John HancockminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetirement plan platform and investment services partner.
• Lincoln Financial GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetirement and insurance services partner.
• The StandardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance and retirement plan services partner.
• OneAmericaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetirement plan services partner.
• Principal FinancialminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor retirement plan platform and services partner.
• VanguardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInvestment management and retirement plan platform partner.
• TransAmericaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetirement plan and insurance services partner.
• T. Rowe PriceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInvestment services and retirement plan platform partner.
• Mass MutualminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetirement plan and insurance services partner.
• Mutual of OmahaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetirement plan and insurance services partner.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sentinel Pension Advisors: Sentinel Pension Advisors (part of Sentinel Benefits Group) provides retirement plan design, administration, actuarial, and consulting services for SMB plans. A comparable mid-market TPA peer delivering similar 401(k), profit sharing, and defined benefit plan administration.
• Haefele Flanagan: Haefele Flanagan is a regional accounting, benefits, and TPA firm providing retirement plan administration, audit support, and consulting to small and mid-sized employers. Comparable in size and SMB focus to ERISA Services, with overlapping 401(k) and defined benefit plan administration services.
• Milliman: Milliman is a global actuarial and consulting firm with a substantial retirement plan practice providing defined benefit administration, actuarial valuation, and compliance services. Comparable to ERISA Services on retirement plan actuarial and administration work, especially for defined benefit and cash balance plans.
• Retirement Plan Advisors: Retirement Plan Advisors is a regional retirement plan services firm providing TPA administration, design, and consulting to plan sponsors. Comparable mid-sized TPA competitor serving a similar SMB plan sponsor client base across the US.
• OneDigital: OneDigital is a national insurance, financial services, and HR consulting firm that provides retirement plan administration, design, and consulting to SMBs and mid-market employers. It competes head-to-head with ERISA Services on third-party administration for small and mid-sized 401(k), profit sharing, and defined benefit plans.

Broad incumbents

• Empower Retirement: Empower is a major US recordkeeper and retirement plan services provider serving millions of participants. As an ERISA Services partner, Empower also offers bundled TPA-administration capabilities, competing for the same SMB plan sponsors through one-stop-shop pricing and scale advantages.
• Ascensus: Ascensus is one of the largest independent retirement and education savings plan service providers in the US, offering TPA-style administration, recordkeeping, and compliance services. As an established ERISA Services partner, it overlaps directly on retirement plan administration but at much greater scale and product breadth.
• Stifel Financial: Stifel provides wealth management and institutional services including retirement plan advisory and administration through its Stifel Retirement Plan Advisors group. It serves a similar SMB plan sponsor base with bundled investment advisory and administration offerings.
• Principal Financial Group: Principal is a large financial services group with a major retirement plan recordkeeping and administration business serving SMB and mid-market employers. Listed as an ERISA Services partner, it also bundles administration services that compete for the same plan sponsors.
• Fidelity Investments: Fidelity is one of the largest US retirement plan providers, offering recordkeeping, administration, and investment services to workplace plans. As an ERISA Services partner for recordkeeping, it also offers administration services that bundle against the standalone TPA model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHfK0TwREY1B5AiL6Ufa0Lg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ERISAservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/erisa-services-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries9 records

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 ERISA Services