College Savings Director

Ascensus has completed its previously announced acquisition of AmericanTCS, expanding its capabilities across retirement services, trust and custody, and financial technology.

Ascensus expands and enhances Small Business Retirement strategy with launch of Ascensus Essentials. Aug 11, 2026, 08:30 ET Enhanced offering adds 3(16) administrative fiduciary services and a new 401(k) solution featuring Vanguard investments, giving small businesses and advisors expanded capabilities and greater flexibility DRESHER, Pa., Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Ascensus, the engine at the center of America's savings ecosystem, today unveiled an enhanced version of its small business retirement offering, reintroduced as Ascensus(R) Essentials. The prior iteration of this offering was known as Ascensus CoPilot. Building on a proven foundation, the enhanced solution features new capabilities designed to simplify plan setup and administration for small business owners while supporting future growth. Ascensus Essentials reflects the company's continued focus on making it easier for small businesses and advisors to offer retirement plans. Ascensus is expanding the Ascensus Essentials product suite with the addition of 3(16) administrative services to its existing 401(k) offering, as well as the introduction of a new small business 401(k) featuring Vanguard investments. Together, these enhancements broaden the range of solutions available to small business owners, providing more flexibility to support a variety of retirement plan needs. The addition of 3(16) administrative fiduciary services addresses a persistent awareness gap. Ascensus research finds that 48% of plan sponsors don't know what a 3(16) fiduciary is, and 26% have never had 3(16) services presented to them[1] - even though fiduciary risk ranks as the number one concern among plan sponsors.[1] By outsourcing day-to-day responsibilities such as eligibility tracking, contribution monitoring, and filing requirements, 3(16) services help small business owners reduce administrative burden and fiduciary exposure while advisors deepen their role as trusted partners. "Small business owners want a retirement plan solution that is simple to adopt, easy to manage, and built to grow with their business," said Mary Torgerson, Head of Small Business Retirement at Ascensus. "Ascensus Essentials brings together streamlined plan design, scalable capabilities, and an improved onboarding experience to help advisors and business owners move forward with greater confidence. This enhanced offering underscores our relentless commitment to making retirement benefits more accessible and easier to administer for small businesses." The launch of Ascensus Essentials fills a gap and comes as employers increasingly recognize that offering a plan is only the first step. While 98% of organizations offer a qualified retirement plan, only 58% believe their employees fully take advantage of it[1] - a gap that points to the need for simpler setup, clearer administration, and stronger support for the small businesses and advisors driving adoption. A key component of the expanded offering is an enhanced onboarding experience that supports a more seamless online plan setup process. By making onboarding easier and more efficient, Ascensus Essentials helps reduce complexity for small business owners and enables advisors to deliver a faster, easier, and more intuitive experience to clients. The results are measurable. The Ascensus Essentials digital onboarding experience has reduced plan setup time from 20+ days to as few as 2.5 days, achieved 100% good-order submissions, and significantly reduced plan cancellations during onboarding.[2] Today, plans go live in an average of 2.5 days for Individual(k) plans and 8 days for group plans, which provides a meaningful benefit for small business owners who are under immense time constraints. "The Ascensus Essentials Individual(k) digital onboarding experience was clear and efficient from start to finish," noted Kyle Worthy, Director of Retirement Plans at Spartan Wealth Management. "I didn't need to make a single phone call and my clients were able to easily navigate the onboarding tasks. It's changed how I think about doing more business with Ascensus." Advisors can now directly access plan setup for Individual(k) products from Advisor Central, a hub for retirement solutions, client engagement tools, and advisor-focused resources. Ascensus Essentials is part of Ascensus' broader suite of retirement solutions that are easy for employers to understand, implement, and manage. Designed as an accessible starting point for small businesses, Ascensus Essentials combines a simplified product structure with enhanced digital onboarding to make it easier to establish a retirement plan. As businesses grow and their needs change, advisors can help clients transition to additional Ascensus solutions, providing scalable support throughout their retirement plan journey. Sources 1. Newport, an Ascensus company. 2025-2026 Compensation, Retirement, and Benefits (CRB) Trends Report. Newport Group, Inc., 2025-2026. 2. Ascensus internal plan data, 2026. About Ascensus Ascensus is the engine at the center of America's savings ecosystem. The company makes saving easier by bringing together intuitive technology, AI, and high-touch service to support better financial outcomes for savers, small- to mid-sized businesses, state governments, and leading corporations and financial institutions. Ascensus offers comprehensive qualified and nonqualified retirement plan solutions, third-party retirement plan administration, 529 education and ABLE savings program administration, corporate- and bank-owned life insurance solutions, as well as fiduciary and total rewards services. Through its complete range of solutions, the company supports more than 16 million savers nationwide. For more information, visit ascensus.com. SOURCE Ascensus

FuturePlan, Voya launch PATH PEP to expand pooled plan options for employers. New pooled employer plan combines FuturePlan's administrative and fiduciary services with Voya's recordkeeping platform, Mesirow as 3(38) June 18, 2026 FuturePlan by Ascensus today announced the launch of the PATH Pooled Employer Plan in collaboration with Voya Financial. Designed to support employers across multiple market segments, and the advisors who serve them, the companies said in a press release that PATH PEP delivers an institutional quality pooled plan solution emphasizing scale, choice, and strong fiduciary oversight. As demand grows for simplified plan structures without sacrificing investment flexibility or fiduciary rigor, the release said PATH PEP addresses a gap in the current pooled plan landscape. PATH PEP brings together a coordinated group of experienced retirement industry providers. Voya serves as recordkeeper and trustee, Mesirow will provide 3(38) investment fiduciary services, and FuturePlan acts as pooled plan provider (PPP), TPA, and 3(16) administrative fiduciary. "This launch reflects where the retirement market is headed - and where FuturePlan continues to lead with innovation," said Kasey Price, President of FuturePlan. "PATH PEP extends the advantages of pooled plans to larger, more complex organizations by pairing institutional-grade infrastructure with the flexibility advisors value. In partnership with Voya, we're delivering a scalable solution that strengthens governance while preserving choice." The collaboration reflects a shared focus on delivering flexible, scalable retirement solutions that meet the evolving needs of employers and advisors. PATH PEP supports an open-architecture approach with greater advisor discretion. "We're pleased to collaborate with FuturePlan on a solution that helps employers and advisors navigate complexity while maintaining flexibility and strong fiduciary practices," said Christina Buettel, VP, Specialty Sales and Sales Strategy at Voya Financial. "This relationship reflects our continued focus on supporting partners with scalable retirement solutions." Developed through close collaboration, PATH PEP simplifies plan management, strengthens fiduciary oversight, and delivers a compliant retirement solution designed to scale with employer needs. For FuturePlan, this launch underscores its continued commitment to innovation in the pooled plan space and expanding access to high-quality, scalable retirement solutions across the market. Backed by Ascensus, FuturePlan brings more than 45 years of experience in retirement plan service and administration. The company supports more than 33,800 plan sponsors, represents more than $101 billion in assets under administration, and is powered by more than 1,500 team members, including one of the industry's largest in-house ERISA teams. Ascensus offers comprehensive qualified and nonqualified retirement plan solutions, third-party retirement plan administration, 529 education and ABLE savings program administration, corporate- and bank-owned life insurance solutions, as well as fiduciary and total rewards services. The company supports over 16 million savers, oversees $913+ billion dollars in assets under administration, and employs more than 5,000 associates as of March 31, 2026.