ERISA Services
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersKnoxville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
ERISA Services firmographics
Firmographics- 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
ERISA Services industry classification
Industry- 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
Where ERISA Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Knoxville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
ERISA 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
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Plan administration and consulting services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
ERISA Services product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use ERISA Services
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ERISA Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
ERISA Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- VoyaminorRecord keeper and retirement services partner. ERISA Services works with Voya as one of the platform providers for client retirement plans.
- AmeritasminorInsurance and retirement services partner providing retirement plan platform options.
- AscensusminorRetirement plan recordkeeping and compliance partner for plan administration services.
- EmpowerminorNational 401(k) platform provider partner for retirement plan administration.
- FidelityminorMajor retirement services and wealth management platform partner.
- NationwideminorRetirement plan services and insurance partner.
- John HancockminorRetirement plan platform and investment services partner.
- Lincoln Financial GroupminorRetirement and insurance services partner.
- The StandardminorInsurance and retirement plan services partner.
- OneAmericaminorRetirement plan services partner.
- Principal FinancialminorMajor retirement plan platform and services partner.
- VanguardminorInvestment management and retirement plan platform partner.
- TransAmericaminorRetirement plan and insurance services partner.
- T. Rowe PriceminorInvestment services and retirement plan platform partner.
- Mass MutualminorRetirement plan and insurance services partner.
- Mutual of OmahaminorRetirement plan and insurance services partner.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ERISA Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
ERISA Services social profiles
Digital presenceERISA Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ERISA Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
ERISA Services subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries9 records
ERISA Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ERISA Services M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ERISA Services
What does ERISA Services do?
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.
Is ERISA Services a public or private company?
ERISA Services is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was ERISA Services founded?
ERISA Services was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ERISA Services based?
ERISA Services is headquartered in Knoxville, United States, in the North America region.
How does ERISA Services make money?
One revenue line is on record: third-Party Administration (TPA) Services.
Who are ERISA Services's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sentinel Pension Advisors, Haefele Flanagan, Milliman, Retirement Plan Advisors and OneDigital. Broad incumbents are Empower Retirement, Ascensus, Stifel Financial, Principal Financial Group and Fidelity Investments.
Does ERISA Services have an API?
No public API is recorded for ERISA Services.
What industry is ERISA Services in?
ERISA Services's product category is Retirement Plan Administration (Third-Party Administration / TPA). Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAEALAA, Self-Funded Employer Plan TPA (ASO Administration), with a secondary code of FSAAACAF, Corporate Retirement Plan Advisory RIAs (ERISA 401(k)/403(b)). Its NAICS code is 524292 and its SIC code is 8700.