Affordable 401(k) administration that integrates with your existing payroll
Human Interest is a 401(k) provider that automates the painful bits of running a US retirement plan: payroll integration, plan documents, eligibility tracking, employee onboarding, IRS Form 5500 filing and annual non-discrimination testing. We picked it because for a 50-person company without an existing plan, the alternative is normally a Fidelity/Vanguard small-business product that is roughly twice the price, plus paperwork. Human Interest is one of the few options under $200/month base that still acts as the 3(16) administrator and handles the federal and state mandates that increasingly require small employers to offer a plan.
You connect your payroll provider (Gusto, Rippling, ADP, Paychex, Justworks, QuickBooks Payroll and 30+ others), Human Interest builds your plan documents, and employees self-enrol via a simple web flow that maps to a model portfolio (Vanguard target-date funds by default). Each pay run, contributions sync automatically — no spreadsheets, no manual journal entries. They handle compliance: ERISA bonding guidance, annual 5500 filing, ADP/ACP testing, and required participant disclosures. The 3(16) fiduciary tier means Human Interest signs the plan document as administrator, which transfers the highest-risk paperwork off the employer.
Employees get a clean dashboard with contribution sliders, projected balance, retirement-readiness score and access to model portfolios or self-direct from a curated low-fee fund menu. Roth and traditional contributions are supported. Loans and hardship withdrawals are available where the plan allows them.
Three plans on annual billing. Essential at $120/month + $4/employee/month covers payroll integration, model portfolios, 3(16) admin, 5500 filing and testing — fine for most under-50-staff plans. Complete at $160/month + $7/employee/month adds custom investment menu, vesting schedules, profit-sharing and Safe Harbor matching support. Concierge is custom pricing for plans over 100 staff or with high-touch needs. On top of the per-month fees, there is a 0.50 per cent AUM advisory fee charged to participant balances, plus the underlying fund expense ratios (typically 0.03-0.10% on Vanguard target-date funds). For a 50-employee firm with $1M in plan assets, total annual cost lands around $11,000 — about half what a traditional payroll-bundled 401(k) costs at that size.
| Provider | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Human Interest | $120-160/month + $4-7/EE | SMBs without an existing 401(k), payroll-integrated |
| Guideline | $89-159/month + $8/EE | SMBs on Gusto/Rippling wanting low base fee |
| ForUsAll | $185/month + $8/EE | Plans wanting crypto window and ESG menus |
| Fidelity Advantage 401(k) | From $300/month | Companies wanting Fidelity brand and managed funds |
| Employee Fiduciary | $1,500/year + $30/EE/year | Cost-conscious plans that will self-administer |
Quote and plan-design call are free. The setup fee is waived through partner referrals like ours. Use the link below to start the discovery flow.
Finance teams at 100-500-person companies spend weeks each fall gathering contribution records, testing discrimination rules, and preparing Form 5500. Human Interest Maven pre-stages all compliance data, cutting prep time from 60 hours to 10-15. Payroll integration means no manual reconciliation after each pay cycle.
Remote-first companies with employees across multiple states face complex eligibility and deferral tracking. Human Interest Maven centralizes participant data, automates safe harbor testing, and surfaces compliance gaps before they become audit findings. The self-service portal cuts HR support volume by 30-40%.
Consultants handling 20-50 client plans need a single system to track compliance deadlines, file Form 5500s, and respond to regulatory changes. Human Interest Maven consolidates multi-plan administration, reducing the time spent chasing client payroll data and reconciling contribution errors.
Quarterly access to product leadership.
Bonus credits redeemable on partner tooling.
We re-verify the offer every quarter so it never goes stale.
Hit the button on this page — opens the partner site in a new tab.
Check your investor or accelerator benefits portal for the Human Interest partner code. Y Combinator, Sequoia, and most Tier 1 VCs have codes available.
Renewals stay at the same rate — verified by us, not the vendor.
| Feature | Human Interest |
|---|---|
| Free trial | 14 days |
| Cheapest paid plan | $0/mo |
| Annual discount | Up to 25% |
| Refund window | 30 days |
| Setup time | < 1 hour |
| Best for | Founders |
“Finally made a 401k benefit accessible for our small team”
“Best 401k option for startups that want compliance without headaches”
“Affordable 401k that we set up in a week”
