Losing rollover assets? This digital tool provides a solution

Imagine a futuristic metropolis where residents glide between skyscrapers in flying electric vehicles. Yet, in one neighborhood, they’re still navigating the streets in horse-powered buggies. That neighborhood is the legacy 401(k) rollover process.

It’s only getting worse. Your participants are now accustomed to managing their finances with the ease of a modern banking app. A paper-based process that takes weeks feels fundamentally broken, and it’s vulnerable to lost checks, fraud, and manual data entry errors that cause even further setbacks.

Changing jobs is already stressful; having their hard-earned retirement savings stuck in limbo makes it worse. It’s a painful experience many participants put off until the last minute — at which point they’ll simply do a 401(k) rollover with one of the ‘big guys’ like Schwab, Vanguard, and Fidelity when they start with their new employer.

For TPAs, this isn’t merely an inconvenience — it’s a loss of management fees.

A modern digital solution can help turn potential loss into an opportunity to retain clients— and continue earning fees for the assets under management.

Good news for TPAs — and participants.

Apex has been delivering modern technology to fintechs, advisory firms, and other businesses for years. Now, we’re reshaping retirement. Our tech-forward solution empowers you to not only retain assets but also attract new clients, establishing the foundation for valuable, long-term relationships.

Apex’s digital 401(k) rollover experience: Your competitive edge

No more paper checks or legacy paperwork. Participants can put their funds to work instead of waiting, and TPAs will have the opportunity to continue managing these assets.

Apex’s digital 401(k) rollover product delivers a paperless experience, reducing funding timelines to days, instead of weeks, while minimizing data entry errors.

Seamless digital 401(k) rollover to IRA, no matter the account size

With Apex you can open a new IRA for a participant — in seconds*. No more weeks-long waiting game for a paper check to arrive in the mail. With Apex’s Instant Cash Transfer (ICT) or flexible ACH options, the liquidated funds can be moved directly into the IRA in as little as two days.** The entire process is secure, digital, and decisively fast, closing the window of vulnerability for good.

Your single source of truth

Instead of patching together multiple, disconnected systems, our API-first design creates one unified workflow shown in one unified workstation. From the initial 401(k) rollover request to account creation, fund transfers, and self-directed or robo investing options, every step is connected, alleviating your administrative burden and reducing the risk of data entry errors.

A smoother ride than legacy solutions

With end-to-end digital tracking, both you and the participant have complete visibility into the rollover status at every step. It’s like swapping a bumpy, weeks-long road trip for a nonstop flight — the new journey is faster, more secure, and provides peace of mind from takeoff to landing.

Real investment choices

To retain a client, you need to provide a compelling reason for them to stay. Our platform enables you to offer the modern investment options that clients desire. This flexibility ensures you can present an attractive offering that competes effectively with major national providers.

Be the TPA you want to be: More than an administrator

Our digital solution for 401(k) rollovers is your entry point into a larger opportunity. Through the Ascend Investor platform, you’ll have the ability to deliver the digital infrastructure and tech-forward tools you need to enable participants to transfer funds and invest in a diverse range of options.

Here’s what that means:

Seamlessly retain rollover assets. Instead of losing participants to competitors, you can now offer them a modern IRA experience, complete with automated solutions for both rollovers and mandatory force-outs.

Your preferred investment experience. With the Ascend Investor platform, you can empower participants by offering them a choice of investment options for their rollover funds — without the development time upfront.

Ascend Investor is designed to support two investing options:

• Self-directed model: A “hands-on” experience where the participant chooses their own investments (e.g., picking individual stocks and ETFs).
• Robo-advisor model: For participants who want a “hands-off” experience, this fully automated option invests their funds for them based on their preferences. A built-in Risk Tolerance Questionnaire (RTQ) algorithmically matches them to a model portfolio, and their funds are then automatically invested and rebalanced over time — requiring almost no human intervention from your team.

Lower investment minimums with fractional shares. This technology is the key to serving smaller, forced-out accounts. By allowing participants to invest in fractions of a share, a $1,000 balance can be put to work in a properly diversified portfolio, turning what was once an administrative headache into a real growth opportunity for participants — and your business.

Help meet safe harbor requirements. Our platform provides the compliant infrastructure needed to establish Safe Harbor IRAs for forced-out accounts. This allows you to securely manage these mandatory rollovers while providing a clear path for participants to later move their funds into a real, growth-oriented investment portfolio.

Flexible integration options with Ascend Investor

The power of this solution lies in its flexibility. Whether you want the fastest possible path to market with a pre-built, branded experience, or the total creative control to build a custom solution from the ground up, the platform is designed to meet you where you are. For those who wish to explore the specific technical integration paths, you can learn more in our detailed Ascend Investor fact sheet.

Reduce managing departures. Build deeper relationships

You didn’t become a TPA to be overwhelmed by administrative challenges. Apex’s digital rollover technology is designed to alleviate those hassles for you. It empowers you to streamline your operations, retain assets, and provide the modern experience that your participants deserve. This isn’t just the future of 401(k) rollovers; it’s the new standard — and it’s tailored to fit the way you work today.

Ready to have a 401(k) rollover and force-out competitive advantage?

It’s time to retire the horse-and-buggy process of chasing checks and stuffing envelopes. See how a fully digital, real-time rollover experience can transform your operations. Let’s connect and discuss how you can serve participants more effectively, all while reducing the administrative burden on your team.

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