Notify your prior recordkeeper.
As soon as you notify your prior recordkeeper of your intent to change providers, your assigned installation contact (IC) can contact them to obtain the instructions needed to complete the transfer.
- As soon as possible, complete this prior recordkeeper letter and return it to your prior recordkeeper with your IC on copy.
Join a call with your plan installation contact.
Your IC is your main point of contact and project manager during onboarding and sets up this initial call to:
- Review any outstanding items from the plan design phase
- Orient you to the next phase of onboarding and the cadence of tasks and communications you can expect
Register for your plan website.
Your plan website is where you'll handle ongoing administration of your plan.
- Following the initial call, you'll receive an email from donotreply@activity.ascensus.com with a link to register your account. Please register your account within 72 hours of receiving the link, otherwise the link will expire.
Confirm information from prior recordkeeper.
Your IC works with your prior recordkeeper to assist in obtaining instructions for the transition to Ascensus, and also confirms the transition timeline.
- Your IC will explain what's needed from you during this step, including any paperwork that's required for the transfer.
Share employee census information with us.
Your IC will explain which employee census information is required and how to provide it.
- Now you'll review the census file you provided to your IC during onboarding. You'll be able to make updates and provide any new hire information before we generate the participant accounts.
- Be sure to include employee workplace email addresses. This helps us deliver plan-related communications to your employees.
- For details on the requested information, refer to the census instructions.
- Send this sensitive data via our secure messaging system.
- Following your initial call, your IC will send you an email from this system. To access it, you'll need to set up an account.
- Once logged in, replying to your IC's email with the files will be secure.
Share plan notices with employees.
Ascensus will generate the appropriate required disclosures and notices for the employees.
- The blackout (Sarbanes Oxley) notice will be provided to the employer to distribute to all employees, including any terminated employees, with a balance in the plan.
- Ascensus will mail out all other required disclosures and notices to addresses on file.
Sign plan documents.
We're preparing all the transition-related plan documents and agreements you need to review and sign.
- Your IC will let you know when they're ready to review, and you'll receive an email from Document Delivery (Sertifi), our electronic signature site, that will include a link to access the documents.
- Your IC will also deliver additional agreements or documents required for any optional services selected for your plan.
Convert your employees to your new plan.
Your employees are "mapping" to Ascensus (no re-enrollment needed) or re-enrolling in the plan, depending on the conversion method you selected.
Your IC will request deferral and fund election information for all participants transitioning to Ascensus, according to the fund mapping strategy you chose.
- Complete the template, including current deferral data to be mapped over, that your IC will send to you via email.
- Share this participant onboarding page (mapping) with your employees so they know what to expect.
- Please note: Beneficiary information does not transfer from your previous plan. Your employees will need to assign beneficiaries once the plan is live.
Your employees can begin to join the plan.
- Your IC will email digital plan enrollment guides for you to send to your employees.
- Employees will have two weeks to enroll before the enrollment window closes in advance of your first payroll submission. This is a great time to make sure your employees assign their beneficiary(ies).
Host an education session
The most effective way to help ensure employees join the plan is to host an enrollment education session and walk them through how to enroll online. Our team education consultants can be available to help you lead this.
Before the education session:
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- Share this participant onboarding page (re-enroll) with your employees so they know what to expect.
- Notify them of the re-enrollment window with this re-enrollment window notification
- Advertise your education session with this enrollment session flyer
Join a call with your payroll consultant.
During this call, your dedicated payroll consultant reviews everything you need to know to get set up for payroll and can assist you in choosing your submission method.
- Before the call, your coordinator will send you an Automated Clearing House (ACH) agreement via DocuSign. Please fill it out and include the banking details used to debit and fund the plan.
Begin blackout period for final asset and record transfer.
During the blackout phase, no changes or transactions will be accepted from your prior recordkeeper while they transfer assets and records to Ascensus. Once all assets and reports are received, we’ll reconcile and prepare them for investment.
Go live.
Your plan installation is complete and the plan is officially live! Your employees can access the employee website and participant services team.
- Your IC provides you with flyers to share with participants to announce the plan is live and remind them how to access their account online.
- You will receive a link to a confidential survey about the installation process, including the quality of your IC, meeting deadlines and deliverables, and your overall experience. Your feedback helps us identify the strengths of the onboarding process and where we can improve—and is a valued element of our commitment of service to you and other employers.
Meet your client service team.
Your client service team, who will support you in managing your plan going forward and contacts you for introductions and a demonstration of your plan website.
Submit your first payroll.
Your payroll consultant contacts you when it's time to make your first payroll submission and can walk you through it if you need any assistance.