Trustee Empowerment & Protection Inc. (TEPI)

What Trustee Empowerment & Protection Inc. (TEPI) does

TEPI is a Troy, Michigan-based SEC-registered internet-only investment adviser that provides retirement plan monitoring and decision-assistance tools to trustees, plan sponsors, and fiduciaries of 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans. In operation for approximately 15 years, the firm targets a narrow professional buyer set that includes plan auditors (CPA firms), individual plan participants, and licensed investment advisors — a niche driven in part by the surge of class-action litigation against plan sponsors and trustees (200+ lawsuits in the prior two years cited by the company).

Its core product is the ProRapidReview Tool (ProRRT), a patented decision-assistance technology licensed from Decision Technologies Corporation (DTC), which evaluates investments across 48 quantitative performance factors drawn from a database of 10,000+ mutual fund and ETF managers. The platform has been used to review over $9 billion in plan assets. The product portfolio has expanded to include RITA (launched 2024), a related analytical tool, and the Trustee Empowerment Engagement service (launched 2025), a higher-priced advisory subscription aimed at trustees and plan sponsors.

TEPI operates a subscription SaaS model with two pricing tiers: $4,999/year for the Trustee Empowerment Engagement product and $599/month or $2,999/year for ProRRT for auditors. The company is unusually small — 6 employees — privately held, founder-led (President Eric S. Smith, J.D., who also chairs DTC), and shows no visible external funding, M&A, or social-media-driven go-to-market activity. Revenue mechanics depend on a relatively low-volume, high-touch book of professional subscriptions rather than enterprise contracts or large plan-sponsor anchor deals.

Name

Trustee Empowerment & Protection Inc. (TEPI)

Legal name

Trustee Empowerment and Protection, Inc.

Website

https://tepi.tech

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TEPI is a Troy, Michigan-based SEC-registered investment adviser that provides retirement plan monitoring tools and decision-assistance technology to 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plan sponsors, trustees, and CPA auditors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retirement Plan Investment Analytics

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Retirement Plan Advisory RIAs (ERISA 401(k)/403(b)) (FSAAACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE)

Keywords

• Retirement plan fiduciary services
• Investment choice analytics
• 401(k) plan oversight
• Decision-assistance technology
• ERISA compliance tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Troy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Fees (SEC-Registered): TEPI is an SEC-registered internet-only investment adviser. Revenue is generated through investment advisory fees for services including the Trustee Empowerment Engagement and connections to licensed investment advisors for iCPR services.
2. Technology Licensing: Licensing fees for ProRRT technology access, training, and support. The annual engagement fee of $4,999 includes the $2,999 technology license cost.
3. Professional Tool Subscriptions: ProRRT subscriptions for plan auditors at $599/month (monthly), $299/month (annual), or $2,999/year. Checkup tool is free with limited features.
4. Professional Services (Consulting): Consulting services available for auditors and plan sponsors needing assistance with the analytical process and Investment Choice Protective Review execution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TEPI is an SEC-registered internet-only investment adviser that helps 401(k) and 403(b) plan sponsors, trustees, and auditors comparatively evaluate mutual fund and ETF investment choices. The company licenses the patented ProRapidReview Tool (ProRRT), which scores and ranks funds using up to 48 customizable quantitative performance factors, and delivers protective second-opinion Investment Choice Protective Reviews (iCPR) performed by licensed investment advisors. A free anonymous Checkup Tool and the Trustee Empowerment Engagement provide DIY access, while RITA targets individual plan participants.

Product overview

TEPI offers a suite of investment decision-assistance tools and services centered on its patented ProRapidReview Tool (ProRRT) technology. The core ProRRT enables scoring and ranking of mutual funds and ETFs using up to 48 quantitative performance factors. The free Checkup Tool provides limited anonymous access for self-diagnosis. The Investment Choice Protective Review (iCPR) is a professional advisory service using ProRRT for plan trustees. RITA targets individual plan participants with 24 factors, while the Trustee Empowerment Engagement enables DIY protective reviews for plan sponsors and trustees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ProRapidReview Tool (ProRRT): Professional investment analysis tool enabling comparative evaluation of mutual funds and ETFs using up to 48 performance parameters with customizable scoring and ranking.
• Investment Choice Protective Review (iCPR)
• Checkup Tool
• RITA (Retail Investment Tracking Application)
• Trustee Empowerment Engagement

Products and services

• Professional RapidReview Tool (ProRRT) A patented decision-assistance technology enabling professional investment advisors and plan trustees to score and rank mutual funds and ETFs against all available choices within each asset class using up to 48 customizable quantitative performance factors. Sold via subscription to plan auditors and licensed to investment advisors performing protective reviews.
• Checkup Tool A free web-based version of ProRRT that allows plan trustees to anonymously comparatively evaluate their plan's investment choices against available alternatives without identifying specific fund names, used to self-diagnose the need for a full protective review.
• Investment Choice Protective Review (iCPR) An annual protective second-opinion advisory service performed by licensed investment advisors using ProRRT technology to comparatively evaluate 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plan investment choices and identify chronically underperforming investments.
• RITA (Retail Investment Tracking Application) A simplified version of the patented decision-assistance technology designed for individual retirement plan participants to score and rank their personal mutual fund and ETF investments using 24 of the 48 performance factors available in ProRRT.
• Trustee Empowerment Engagement A DIY investment protective review service for 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plan sponsors and trustees providing 24/7 interactive internet access to ProRRT technology, initial training, and periodic advice sessions. Annual fee of $4,999 includes training, support, and ProRRT access.

Quantifiable outcome

• Performance gaps between existing plan choices and iCPR-revealed top ranked alternatives often range from 400-800+ basis points, sometimes with less volatility and equal or lower costs
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cohen & BuckmanncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw firm providing consulting help for auditors and plan sponsors on the analytical process and Investment Choice Protective Review. Firm partner Jeff Mamorsky (deceased 2025) was one of ERISA's original drafters and created the Fiduciary Audit Protection Program. TEPI refers clients to Cohen & Buckmann for legal consulting on plan operations and compliance.
• Licensed Investment AdvisorscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of investment advisors vetted and licensed by TEPI to use ProRRT technology and perform Investment Choice Protective Reviews for plan sponsors and trustees. TEPI connects clients with these qualified advisors who have been trained in TEPI's protocols and intellectual property.
• Wagner Law GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationally prominent ERISA law firm that provided legal opinion strongly supportive of TEPI's decision-assistance technology, especially for meeting Reg BI and ERISA fiduciary requirements. Opinion characterizes the technology as potential 'evolving best practice.'
• Decision Technologies Corporation (DTC)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCreator and patent holder of the proprietary decision-assistance technology (ProRRT) that powers TEPI's services. DTC has licensed the technology to TEPI for use in connecting retirement plan fiduciaries with advisors trained to perform protective reviews. Eric Smith is Chairman/CEO of both DTC and TEPI.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• CAPTRUST: Independent retirement plan advisory firm serving 401(k), 403(b), and defined benefit plan sponsors with investment advisory, fiduciary oversight, and plan benchmarking services. Comparable business model to TEPI's iCPR protective review positioning for plan sponsors and trustees.
• Prudent Retirement Solutions: Provider of 3(21) and 3(38) fiduciary services, investment menu construction, and plan benchmarking for retirement plan advisors. Directly comparable to TEPI's protective review and trustee fiduciary empowerment offerings.
• Fi360 (Broadridge): Provider of fiduciary investment oversight tools and AIF/AIFP training/certification for retirement plan advisors. Directly comparable to TEPI in serving the 401(k)/403(b) fiduciary market with technology-enabled investment due diligence and oversight services.
• BrightScope (Broadridge): Data and analytics platform rating 401(k) and 403(b) plans and their investment lineups. Closely comparable to TEPI in providing comparative, quantitative evaluation of retirement plan investment choices and surfacing performance gaps.
• RINA Accountancy: Accounting and consulting firm specializing in 403(b) and ERISA plan audits, including compliance and investment choice review services. Comparable to TEPI's auditor segment and uses overlapping investment menu analytics methodology.

Broad incumbents

• Morningstar, Inc. Global investment research firm offering mutual fund/ETF analytics, screening, and rating tools. Comparable to TEPI's quantitative scoring/ranking approach at vastly greater scale, and serves the same retirement plan advisor and fiduciary buyer segments.
• Empower Retirement: Largest US retirement plan recordkeeper offering investment advisory, managed account, and fiduciary services to plan sponsors. Operates in the same retirement plan ecosystem with overlapping advisor/trustee relationships, though with bundled recordkeeping economics.

Emerging players

• Pontera: Technology platform enabling financial advisors to manage and trade inside their clients' held-away 401(k)/403(b) workplace retirement accounts. Adjacent to TEPI's RITA offering and serves the same participant and advisor segments.
• YCharts: Investment analytics and screening platform offering mutual fund and ETF comparison tools for financial advisors. Comparable data-driven approach to ProRRT but at a more generalist advisor-audience level rather than retirement-plan-fiduciary specific.
• Vestwell: Retirement plan recordkeeping and program management platform for 401(k), 403(b), and defined benefit plans, including advisor-led fiduciary oversight tooling. Comparable end market (plan sponsors, advisors) with bundled SaaS-based distribution model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tepi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Trustee Empowerment & Protection Inc. (TEPI)