Loren D. Stark Company

Name

Loren D. Stark Company

Legal name

Loren D. Stark Company

Website

https://ldsco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Loren D. Stark Company is a privately held, multi-generational boutique retirement plan consulting and third-party administration firm in Houston, Texas, designing and administering qualified retirement plans for employers and business owners across multiple U.S. regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retirement Plan Consulting & Third-Party Administration

NAICS

Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds (524292), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Group Life Administration/Enrollment Platforms (TPA & Benefits Admin) (FSAIADAJ)

Keywords

• Retirement plan consulting
• Third party administration
• 401(k) plan administration
• Defined benefit administration
• Employee benefits consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retirement Plan Consulting and Administration Services: Provides comprehensive retirement plan consulting services including plan design, document preparation, compliance testing, reporting, participant loan and distribution documentation, Form 5500 preparation, and ongoing plan administration for Pension, Profit Sharing, Cash Balance, Employee Stock Ownership (ESOP), and 401(k) plans.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Loren D. Stark Company (LDSCO) is a boutique retirement plan consulting and third-party administration (TPA) firm providing plan design, document preparation, compliance testing, reporting, participant loan and distribution documentation, and signature-ready Form 5500 preparation for Pension, Profit Sharing, Cash Balance, Employee Stock Ownership (ESOP), and 401(k) plans. Services also include 3(16) fiduciary administration, custom plan illustrations (Safe Harbor, New Comparability, Integrated allocations, Defined Benefit designs), and participant-facing tools including RPD4U document distribution and a participant call center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RPD4U (Retirement Plan Documents for You) Electronic document distribution system that enables retirement plan participants to access and manage plan documents online. Used by plan sponsors to distribute ERISA-required and plan-related documentation to employees.
• 3(16) Administration Fiduciary administration services under ERISA Section 3(16) providing plan management and oversight responsibilities for employer-sponsored retirement plans.
• 401(k) Cash Balance Plan Combined retirement plan design merging 401(k) savings features with cash balance pension plan characteristics. Targeted at employers seeking both defined contribution flexibility and defined benefit predictability.
• 401(k) Deferral Payroll Submission Payroll submission services for processing 401(k) employee deferrals and employer contributions.
• ADP Tested Plan 401(k) plan design with average deferral percentage (ADP) testing compliance features to satisfy nondiscrimination requirements under ERISA.
• Combo DC & DB Plan Combined Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit retirement plan administration for employers seeking both plan types within a single integrated offering.
• Combo DC & DB Plan with Insurance Combined Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit plan with integrated insurance component for employer-sponsored retirement and risk management benefits.
• Employee Ownership (ESOP) Employee Stock Ownership Plan design and administration services enabling business owners to transfer ownership to employees while providing retirement benefits.
• New Comparability Plan Design Cross-tested retirement plan design allocating contributions based on age and/or compensation disparities to maximize benefits for owners and select employees while satisfying nondiscrimination testing.
• Owner Only 401(k) & Defined Benefit Plan Integrated retirement plan combining owner-only 401(k) with defined benefit components designed to maximize tax-advantaged retirement savings for business owners and key employees.
• Owner Only 401(k) Plan Single-employer 401(k) plan design for business owners and key employees without broader employee coverage requirements.
• Participant Call Center Phone-based support services for retirement plan participants with inquiries about account balances, distributions, loans, contribution rates, and plan rules.
• Safe Harbor Match Plan 401(k) plan design incorporating safe harbor matching contributions to automatically satisfy ADP/ACP nondiscrimination testing requirements.
• Upside Down 401(k) Plan Alternative 401(k) allocation design with inverted contribution patterns based on age and compensation, designed to favor older or higher-compensated participants.
• Social Security Integration Plan Design Retirement plan design integrating Social Security benefits with employer-sponsored plan allocations to optimize total retirement income for participants.
• Pension Plan Administration Traditional pension plan administration services including actuarial calculations, benefit calculations, and ongoing plan management.
• Profit Sharing Plan Administration Profit sharing plan design and administration services enabling employers to make discretionary contributions based on business performance.
• Compliance Testing and Reporting Annual ERISA compliance testing including ADP/ACP, top-heavy, and coverage testing, with required regulatory reporting to ensure plans remain qualified.
• Form 5500 Preparation Annual federal tax and information return preparation and filing services for qualified retirement plans, delivered as signature-ready forms.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• PentecminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStark and Pentec combined forces as referenced in company newsletter, indicating a strategic partnership or merger of consulting capabilities.
• PathwayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPathway and Stark teamed up as referenced in company newsletter, indicating a collaborative partnership in the retirement plan consulting space.
• SBC Benefit ConsultantsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBC Benefit Consultants and Stark combined forces as referenced in company newsletter, indicating a strategic partnership in the employee benefits consulting industry.

Scale indicators2 records

Broad incumbents

• Empower Retirement: One of the largest US retirement plan recordkeepers serving plans of all sizes — broad incumbent providing retirement services that compete with LDSCO for the same mid-market employer customers but at vastly larger scale.
• Fidelity Workplace Investing: Major retirement plan provider offering 401(k), 403(b), and defined benefit administration to employers nationwide — broad incumbent with overlapping customer base and significantly broader service portfolio.
• ADP Retirement Services: Major retirement plan recordkeeper bundled with payroll and HR services — broad incumbent offering integrated retirement administration competing for employer customers seeking one-stop solutions.
• Principal Financial Group: Diversified financial services firm with substantial retirement plan administration business serving employers of all sizes — broad incumbent competing for the same mid-market employer customers as LDSCO.

Direct peers

• SageView Advisory Group: National retirement plan consulting firm specializing in 401(k), 403(b), and defined benefit plan design and administration for mid-sized employers — directly comparable boutique consulting model with overlapping specialties.
• Pentec: Strategic partner of LDSCO providing complementary benefits and retirement consulting services — directly comparable retirement plan consulting firm referenced in LDSCO's own partnership announcements.
• Abel HR: HR consulting and benefits administration firm offering retirement plan services alongside broader HR support — partially comparable with overlapping retirement plan consulting practice and similar mid-market focus.
• Sentinel Pension Advisors: Boutique retirement plan consulting firm providing 401(k), defined benefit, and ESOP administration to mid-market employers — directly comparable in service mix, customer profile, and firm size to LDSCO.
• The ASA Group: Boutique retirement plan consulting and TPA firm serving employers with 401(k), profit sharing, and defined benefit plans — comparable in size, service mix, and customer base to LDSCO.
• DWC - The 401(k) Experts: Specialized 401(k) plan design and administration firm focused on mid-market employers — comparable niche consulting focus similar to LDSCO's retirement plan specialization.

Market position

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ERISA_LDSCO
• Facebookfacebook.com/LorenDStark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/loren-d--stark-company-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Loren D. Stark Company