Quintes

What Quintes does

Quintes Administrative & Insurance Services, Inc., operating as Quintes, is a privately held Third-Party Administrator (TPA) headquartered in Watsonville, California, founded in 1986 by Steve Shearn. The firm provides retirement plan administration, compliance oversight, plan design, 5500 preparation, non-discrimination testing, annual valuations, and distribution/loan processing for employers sponsoring 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), and Profit Sharing plans, primarily serving small-to-mid-size employers, tax-exempt organizations, and for-profit companies across California's Central Coast and Bay Area (Salinas, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Jose markets). Its core technology is a web-based Plan Sponsor Portal hosted at myretirementaccounts.com, supported by a small internal technology function (Platform Developer and IT Administrator) responsible for database, web development, and IT operations.

The firm's differentiated offering is the Quintes 401(k) Pooled Employer Plan (PEP), under which Quintes acts as plan sponsor, named fiduciary, and administrator — a higher-value role than standalone TPA services — enabling multiple unrelated employers to participate in a single professionally managed 401(k) and access institutional-quality investment options and economies of scale. Quintes earns revenue through managed-services fees on third-party administration engagements and on PEP participation, with annual, quote-based B2B pricing tailored to organization size and plan complexity. The firm is also a co-distributor of ERISA Fidelity Bonds via a partnership with Colonial Surety Company, providing immediate online bond issuance to plan sponsors.

The company is founder-led with no disclosed institutional capital, no subsidiaries, no acquisitions, and no M&A activity; ownership and executive leadership remain concentrated with Steve Shearn (CEO/Founder) and Christy Santaella (COO). The team of approximately 13 staff includes senior practitioners with 28-30 years of tenure, an in-house ERISA attorney with 35+ years of experience, and professionals holding QPA, QKA, CPFA, and APM credentials. Distribution is sales-led and relationship-driven, executed via direct contact, the firm website, and the Plan Sponsor Portal — with no public references to enterprise customers, integrations, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Quintes

Legal name

Quintes Administrative & Insurance Services, Inc.

Website

https://quintes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Quintes is a privately held, founder-led Third-Party Administrator in Watsonville, California, providing retirement plan administration (401(k), 403(b), 457(b), Profit Sharing) and the Quintes 401(k) Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) for small-to-mid-size employers and tax-exempt organizations across California's Central Coast and Bay Area.

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)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAEALAJ

Compliance, Reporting & Regulatory Administration (ERISA/ACA/No Surprises)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Health Insurance & Managed Care/Third-Party Administration (TPA) & Administrative Services Only (ASO)

Keywords

• Retirement plan administration
• Third-party administrator services
• Pooled employer plan
• 401(k) plan management
• ERISA compliance consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Salinas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Third-Party Administration (TPA) Services: Comprehensive retirement plan administration services for employers sponsoring their own plans including 401(k), Profit Sharing, 403(b), and 457 plans. Revenue generated through professional service fees for plan administration, compliance oversight, and consulting.
2. Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) Management: Quintes serves as Pooled Plan Provider (PPP) for the Quintes 401(k) PEP, handling plan sponsor, named fiduciary, and administrator roles for multiple participating employers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Quintes provides Third-Party Administration (TPA) services and sponsors the Quintes 401(k) Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) for employer plan sponsors. Its core offerings include the administration of 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), and Profit Sharing plans, plus compliance oversight, plan design, 5500 preparation, non-discrimination testing, annual valuations, distribution and loan processing, and ERISA Fidelity Bonds delivered through a partnership with Colonial Surety Company.

Product overview

Quintes is a retirement plan Third-Party Administrator (TPA) and sponsor of the Quintes 401(k) Pooled Employer Plan (PEP), offering a unified platform of retirement plan solutions. The core offering consists of the Quintes 401(k) PEP for employers seeking reduced fiduciary responsibility through pooled plan participation, complemented by TPA services for employers sponsoring their own plans. The product portfolio includes 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b) plan administration, ERISA Fidelity Bonds through a partnership with Colonial Surety Company, and a Plan Sponsor Portal for plan management access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Quintes 401(k) Pooled Employer Plan (PEP): A Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) that allows multiple unrelated businesses to participate in a single professionally managed 401(k) plan with reduced fiduciary responsibility and administrative burden.

Products and services

• Quintes 401(k) Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) A Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) that allows multiple unrelated businesses to participate in a single professionally managed 401(k) plan, reducing fiduciary responsibility and administrative burden for employers. Quintes serves as plan sponsor, named fiduciary, and administrator.
• Retirement Plan Administration (TPA) Third-party administration services for employers sponsoring their own retirement plans, including 401(k), Profit Sharing, 403(b), and 457 plans, with compliance oversight, plan design, 5500 preparation, non-discrimination testing, annual valuations, and distribution and loan processing.
• 401(k) Plan Tax-advantaged retirement savings plan allowing employees to defer compensation with optional employer matching or discretionary contributions, administered by Quintes for for-profit company sponsors.
• 403(b) Plan Tax-sheltered annuity plan for public schools, churches, tax-exempt hospitals, and nonprofit organizations under section 501(c)(3), exempt from 401(k) discrimination testing.
• 457(b) Plan Non-qualified deferred compensation plan for state/local government agencies or tax-exempt organizations (e.g., universities and hospitals), allowing employee salary deferrals and employer contributions with tax-deductible contributions.
• ERISA Fidelity Bonds Fidelity bond services delivered through a partnership with Colonial Surety Company to help plans meet ERISA mandates covering plan assets against fraud or dishonesty. Colonial is registered in all 50 states and U.S. territories and is the largest direct seller of ERISA/Pension Fidelity Bonds in the U.S.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced fiduciary responsibility for plan sponsors through PEP structure
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Colonial Surety CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuintes has partnered with Colonial Surety Company, a leading provider of ERISA/Pension Fidelity Bonds since 1930. Colonial is registered in all 50 states and U.S. territories and is the largest direct seller of ERISA/Pension Fidelity Bonds in the U.S. They provide immediate online issuance of fidelity bonds for Quintes clients.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ubiquity Retirement + Savings: Ubiquity provides retirement plan administration and pooled employer plan services for small and mid-size employers, directly mirroring Quintes' dual TPA + PEP positioning. They are a head-to-head competitor for the same employer segment.
• Pentegra: Pentegra is a defined-contribution and defined-benefit plan administrator offering TPA services and pooled employer plans to mid-market employers, with similar fiduciary and administration capabilities as Quintes.
• Vestwell: Vestwell is a 401(k) and 403(b) recordkeeping platform that also serves as a Pooled Plan Provider, competing for the same mid-market and small-business plan sponsors as Quintes with a more technology-forward delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• ADP Retirement Services: ADP bundles retirement plan administration with its payroll and HR platform, serving small and mid-size employers with integrated recordkeeping — directly competing with Quintes in the same segment but at significantly greater scale.
• Paychex Retirement: Paychex combines payroll processing with retirement plan administration and 401(k) recordkeeping for small and mid-size businesses, targeting the same employer buyer as Quintes via a one-stop-shop model.
• Empower Retirement: Empower is one of the largest U.S. retirement plan recordkeepers serving plans of all sizes including mid-market, and competes with Quintes for the same employer customers with broader investment menus and scale advantages.
• Fidelity Investments: Fidelity Workplace Investing is a top-tier 401(k) recordkeeper offering full-service plan administration to mid-market and large employers, providing bundled services that compete with Quintes' TPA-only offering.
• Schwab Retirement Plan Services: Charles Schwab provides 401(k) recordkeeping and plan administration to a broad range of employer sizes, including the mid-market segment where Quintes competes.

Emerging players

• Guideline: Guideline is a technology-forward 401(k) platform targeting small businesses with automated onboarding and flat-fee pricing, representing the digital-native competitor profile that could pressure regional TPAs like Quintes.
• ForUsAll: ForUsAll is a 401(k) provider focused on small and mid-size employers, combining recordkeeping with financial wellness tools, and competes for the same employer customers as Quintes with a more modern technology stack.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Quintes