Group Plan Systems, Llc

What Group Plan Systems, Llc does

Group Plan Systems, LLC (GPS) is a private, San Diego-based fiduciary services firm specializing in the administration of Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) introduced under the SECURE Act. Founded in 2021, GPS operates within the Pension Resource Institute (PRI) ecosystem alongside affiliated Fiduciary Law Center, delivering an integrated stack of PEP fiduciary, compliance infrastructure, and legal support to financial institutions and advisors. The company is described as the largest independent pooled employer plan fiduciary, with more than 30 PEPs in operation or launch phase.

GPS serves four primary customer segments: broker-dealer firms, Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs), banks, and independent retirement plan advisors. Its core offering is pooled employer plan administration and compliance infrastructure, packaged as a recurring fiduciary service. The integrated PRI/GPS/Fiduciary Law Center model is positioned to reduce coordination friction for clients navigating PEP setup, ongoing compliance, and legal obligations. The firm employs 1-10 people and is privately held under Pension Resource Institute.

The business model is a B2B professional services model monetized through fiduciary and administrative fees on each PEP sponsored or co-sponsored for institutional clients. No pricing structure, contract terms, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed. Recent strategic activity centers on a two-year leadership integration plan culminating in 2026, including the appointment of Haley Erickson as Chief Compliance Officer of GPS, the elevation of Annie Messer to President of PRI, and the transition of Steve Niehoff from COO to a financial operations contractor role. No AI/ML technology stack, funding events, or acquisitions are disclosed in the available data.

Name

Group Plan Systems, Llc

Legal name

Group Plan Systems, LLC

Website

https://groupplansystems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Group Plan Systems is a San Diego-based independent fiduciary administering 30+ Pooled Employer Plans for broker-dealers, RIAs, banks, and retirement plan advisors, operating within the Pension Resource Institute ecosystem alongside Fiduciary Law Center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retirement Plan Fiduciary Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Pension Funds (52511)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Pooled employer plans
• Retirement plan fiduciary
• Group retirement plans
• PEP administration
• Retirement plan compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Core offering

Group Plan Systems provides independent fiduciary and consulting services for group retirement plans, with a core focus on administering Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs). It serves broker-dealers, Registered Investment Advisors, banks, and independent retirement plan advisors with compliance infrastructure, plan administration, and fiduciary support, operating more than 30 PEPs in coordination with the Pension Resource Institute ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) Fiduciary Services Independent fiduciary and administrative services for Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs), delivering compliance infrastructure, plan administration, and fiduciary support to broker-dealers, Registered Investment Advisors, banks, and independent retirement plan advisors. GPS currently operates or is in launch phase for more than 30 PEPs, positioning itself as the largest independent PEP fiduciary in its ecosystem.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Pension Resource Institute (PRI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2026PRI is the parent/affiliated organization of Group Plan Systems. The leadership appointments across PRI, GPS, and Fiduciary Law Center mark a two-year plan to integrate leadership across the retirement plan ecosystem. Annie Messer was named President of PRI, while Haley Erickson was appointed CCO of GPS.
• Fiduciary Law Center (FLC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2026FLC is an affiliated law firm within the PRI ecosystem alongside GPS. The leadership integration plan spans PRI, GPS, and FLC, providing a comprehensive retirement plan ecosystem including compliance infrastructure, pooled employer plan administration, and legal support.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Principal Financial Group: A large financial services company offering retirement plan administration, fiduciary services, and investment products to employers and advisors, with overlapping capability to GPS.
• OneAmerica: A mutual insurance and retirement services company offering ERISA plan administration, fiduciary support, and pooled plan services overlapping with GPS's retirement offerings.
• John Hancock Retirement Plan Services: John Hancock provides workplace retirement plan administration and fiduciary services to plan sponsors and advisors, operating as a broad incumbent in GPS's competitive set.
• Schwab Retirement Plan Services: Charles Schwab's retirement plan services division serves plan sponsors and advisors with recordkeeping and administrative capabilities overlapping GPS's compliance infrastructure.
• Empower Retirement: One of the largest U.S. retirement plan recordkeepers and service providers, serving as a broad incumbent competing across the same plan-administration and fiduciary territory as GPS.
• Ascensus: A major independent retirement and college savings services provider that offers PEP and ERISA plan administration infrastructure similar to GPS.
• ADP Retirement Services: ADP's retirement services arm offers 401(k) plan administration for small and mid-sized businesses, providing an alternative compliance and plan administration solution to GPS's target segments.
• Vanguard Retirement Plan Services: Vanguard's institutional retirement plan services compete for the same RIA, broker-dealer, and plan sponsor relationships that GPS serves, with comparable fiduciary and administration capabilities.
• Fidelity Investments: One of the largest retirement plan providers in the U.S., offering workplace retirement plan administration and fiduciary services that compete with GPS's offerings at scale.

Direct peers

• Vestwell: A leading digital retirement platform that offers Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) administration for advisors and employers, making it the most direct competitor to GPS in the independent PEP fiduciary space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/group-plan-systems-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Group Plan Systems, Llc