For Mergers, Acquisitions & Bankruptcy

Built for M&A complexity. Designed for your deal timeline. 

Secure an end-to-end 401(k) plan termination solution that eliminates administrative strain, supports your plan’s safe harbor rollover process, and is designed to satisfy your wind-down timeline. 

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Simplify complex plan transitions

Corporate events such as mergers, acquisitions, and bankruptcies can create significant operational and fiduciary challenges. Issues with historical data and automatic enrollment defects within a target's 401(k) plan introduce fiduciary exposure and potential legal liability for acquirors. 

PensionBee is engineered for this complexity. We streamline corporate transitions through an institutional platform that ultimately reduces administrative burden and ensures you can focus on the success of your acquisition without also having to manage a complex 401(k) integration. 

Six Liabilities That Travel With an Acquired Plan

Maintaining or merging an inherited 401(k) forces your organization to take on six active operational and legal burdens directly from the legacy plan's history:

Annual ERISA Audit

As a large plan filer, you must file a Form 5500 with an audited financial statement every single year. Each audit presents a fresh opportunity for legacy operational defects such as employee and employer contributions, benefit payments, plan investments, participant data and allocations, and administrative expenses. While focused on financial reporting, they may also surface operational issues that require review or correction.

Fiduciary Liability Under ERISA 404 & 409

Plan fiduciaries, including internal committee members, are responsible under ERISA Section 404 for prudently overseeing investments, fees, share classes, and overall plan governance in the best interest of participants. ERISA Section 409 establishes that fiduciaries may be held personally liable for breaches of these duties, reinforcing the importance of ongoing oversight, documentation, and procedural prudence. 

Fee-Litigation Risk

Mid-size and large 401(k) plans are increasingly facing ERISA class-action lawsuits related to fees and fiduciary oversight, with 2025 settlements averaging just over $3 million.

Missing-Participant Burden

Managing missing participants creates an ongoing administrative burden. This includes address tracing, returned mail, and uncashed checks. The burden typically increases with participant count and is subject to Department of Labor fiduciary expectations

Stranded Compliance Issues

Legacy retirement plans may contain compliance errors, including plan document, operational, demographic, and employer eligibility issues, as recognized under IRS correction guidance (EPCRS). When a plan is assumed or merged, responsibility for addressing these issues transfers to the successor plan sponsor.

Distraction From Core Business

ERISA fiduciary requirements and ongoing plan administration obligations can require continued legal, finance, and administrative resources, which may divert attention from core transaction priorities.

A complete solution across the full transition lifecycle

PensionBee integrates with leading recordkeepers to deliver a streamlined, end-to-end experience from initial data sync through final participant distribution.

Bankruptcy & plan terminations

Manage terminated plans and bankruptcy-related wind-downs with structured processes designed to support timely distributions and reduce legacy fiduciary and administrative risk.

Operational efficiency

Streamline plan administration during periods of organizational change, reducing complexity across systems, recordkeepers, and participant records.

Your former participants deserve a real solution

PensionBee delivers a high-quality safe harbor IRA experience designed to support former participants through times of transition.

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Award-winning digital experience

A simple, intuitive platform that seamlessly reflects how modern savers manage money today.

Institutional-grade portfolios

Diversified model portfolios built exclusively with ETFs from State Street Investment Management, providing an investment approach designed to meet participants’ long-term retirement goals.

Transparent fees

A single, all-inclusive fee avoids the costs that can quietly erode small balances. 

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Real people, real help

Participants gain direct access to a dedicated, U.S.-based account manager (we call them “BeeKeepers”) for hands-on, end-to-end support via phone, chat, or email

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1% match on rollovers and contributions

Eligible transitioning participants receive a 1% match on rollovers and contributions, with opportunities for additional matches.
(Terms and conditions apply)

Images are hypothetical. Assuming your current age is 35 years, projections assume a retirement age of 65, an illustrative 7% annual return minus a 0.85% annual fee (6.15% net return). Projections are hypothetical and do not account for inflation.

Navigate Transitions with Confidence.

Corporate transitions don't run on flexible schedules. Distribution deadlines, regulatory requirements, and recordkeeper handoffs all have hard dates. PensionBee's team is trained to handle complex plan transitions across a wide range of corporate contexts; we know what can go wrong and how to get ahead of it. 

PensionBee works directly to your deal timeline, providing dedicated implementation support from initial kickoff through final asset distribution. Deliver a modern solution that simplifies plan transitions, supports rigid compliance, and keeps retirement savings working for the future. 

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Automatic rollovers made easy

Protect your former employees’ savings with one streamlined solution.
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