Complementary Solutions to Enhance a PEP

Who doesn't love milk & coookies, or a Reese's candy bar?  I love how Reese's has a tagline of "Two Great Things that are even Better Together".  And who was the genius that first dipped a warm chocolate chip cookie into milk?

There are so many examples of two great things that are even better together.  It could be movies and popcorn, coffee and donuts, or the business strategy of coupling inexpensive printers with expensive printer ink.

Let's shift to the retirement savings world.  Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs) have become very popular.  In fact, PlanAdviser magazine stated that 24,000 employers adopted a PEP in 2024, and all signs show that this number is going to increase.  Studies have also shown that PEPs are not just for small plans or start ups.

If you are an advisor that has a PEP or sells multiple PEPs, you are reviewing the differences between a PEP and an individual plan.  You may be looking for differentiation, a way to make this great solution (PEP) even better.  A big benefit is certainly the elimination of audit fees for those plans that are large enough to have these fees.

Here is another creative idea of how to differentiate the PEP.  What if you could help the employer optimize their budgeted employer match by offering employees multiple accounts to match, not just the retirement account?  What if the employer could creatively expand the match to also apply to student loans, emergency savings, 529s, and HSAs?

Would this feature help a PEP be more attractive than the individual plan that doesn't offer this benefit?

That is what Thrive does.  A very easy-to-administer expansion to the retirement plan match/profit sharing contribution that meets employees where they are in their personal financial journey.