ROBS comes before the provider comparison
A rollover as business startup is not a loan from a retirement account. In the standard structure, a C corporation sponsors a qualified retirement plan. Eligible retirement-plan assets move into that plan through a rollover or direct transfer. The plan then buys stock in the C corporation, and the corporation receives cash it can use for an operating business. The IRS describes the plan as using rollover assets to purchase stock of the new C corporation.[1]
For another My Solo 401k pricing comparison, see Business Funding Trust vs My Solo 401k.
That structure creates separate actors and assets. The individual is not simply withdrawing cash. The retirement plan holds employer stock. The C corporation holds business cash and operating assets. A trustee, custodian, recordkeeper, administrator, attorney, valuation provider, bank or brokerage may each touch a different part of the transaction. The provider can coordinate documents and administration, but the plan sponsor and fiduciaries still need to evaluate fees, services and ongoing monitoring under the DOL's fee guidance.[2]
The practical sequence is corporation formation, plan adoption, EINs and accounts, rollover paperwork, stock subscription or purchase documents, movement of cash to the corporation, stock issuance, and annual plan and corporate administration. Accelefund and My Solo 401k both describe this basic path, but they disclose different details about who does what.[4][6]
Price comparison: the arithmetic is clear, the scope is not identical
My Solo 401k publishes the lower base numbers. Accelefund publishes a $4,500 setup fee and $99 per month. My Solo 401k publishes a $3,000 setup fee that includes the first 12 months of support, followed by $899 annually starting 12 months later for the first 10 participants.[3][5]
| Provider | Setup | Recurring administration | Year one | Three years | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accelefund | $4,500 | $1,188 | $5,688 | $8,064 | $4,500 + ($99 × 12) = $5,688; $4,500 + ($99 × 36) = $8,064 $1,000 non-refundable deposit affects timing and refund risk; it is not an extra charge added on top of the $4,500 setup fee. |
| My Solo 401k | $3,000 | $899 | $3,000 | $4,798 | $3,000 first year; $3,000 + ($899 × 2) = $4,798 over three years for the first 10 participants The $899 annual fee starts 12 months later; $75 per additional participant is outside the base first-10-participant math. |
The Accelefund $1,000 non-refundable deposit is a timing and cancellation fact inside the $4,500 setup fee, not an additional line item in the formulas above.[3] My Solo 401k's $75 per additional participant begins after the first 10 participants, so it is not included in the base three-year total.[5]
Do not treat $8,064 versus $4,798 as an equivalent-scope verdict. The numbers compare published base fees only. They do not answer every state fee, bond, participant, valuation event, correction, audit, refund, data-export, termination or exit question.
Service scope: where each public page is more specific
Both providers describe attorney or professional involvement. Accelefund lists professional specialists including an ERISA pension attorney, registered investment adviser, administrative services provider and investments custodian.[3] My Solo 401k states that a Harvard Law-trained attorney and compliance officer are involved from beginning to launch.[6] Those statements do not, by themselves, prove that either provider assumes all fiduciary, tax, valuation or legal responsibility. The contract has to say what is included, excluded and separately charged.
Timing, documents and money movement
Accelefund's process page describes six steps: review financing options, form the corporation, set up the retirement plan, roll over funds, purchase stock, and fund the business. It says Accelefund executes the corporate charter, articles, resolutions, bylaws and stock certificates, expedites transfer, and provides documents for the plan to buy stock.[4]
My Solo 401k's process page states that the corporation documents are drafted and filed with the secretary of state, the 401k business financing plan is adopted, EINs are obtained, bank and brokerage accounts are set up, former-employer retirement funds are transferred, funds are wired from the plan to the corporation bank account, and stock certificates are issued with corporation documents.[6]
On timing, Accelefund discloses fee collection timing: apart from the $1,000 non-refundable deposit, it says it will not collect its fee until the retirement plan has been set up and the business has been funded.[3] My Solo 401k's guarantee page states that setup is typically two to three weeks, subject to following its procedures and requirements.[8]
Realistic scenarios where the answer changes
Risks and unknowns to resolve before signing
The IRS ROBS project highlights operational issues that are not solved by choosing a provider name: annual filings, participant information, stock valuation, stock purchases, prohibited discrimination, prohibited transactions, promoter fees, failures to file Form 5500 or Form 1120, and failure to issue Form 1099-R when required.[1] A provider comparison should therefore focus on the complete operating relationship, not only setup.
Contract questions to ask both providers
- Which documents are delivered: articles, bylaws, resolutions, plan document, trust, stock subscription agreement, certificates, minutes, rollover forms, valuation file and annual filing workpapers?
- Who obtains each EIN, opens each bank or brokerage account, signs each document and keeps the original records?
- What exactly is included in setup, year-one support and recurring administration?
- Which fees are separate: state filing, registered agent, fidelity bond, extra participant, partner, valuation, amendment, restatement, Form 1099-R, Form 945, correction, audit, termination, stock redemption and data export?
- What support is provided if employees become eligible, the business misses a filing, the plan needs a correction, the company is sold, or the corporation shuts down?
- For My Solo 401k, request the guarantee terms and conditions before relying on the audit or tax-court language.[8]
- For Accelefund, confirm whether annual valuation, EINs, final filings, exit support and data handoff are included, coordinated or separately billed.[3][4]
A practical next step
Ask both providers for the same written scope using the questions above, then put the answers beside the published arithmetic. If the main goal is the lowest published base cost and the facts stay within the first-10-participant scenario, My Solo 401k is the lower-cost public option. If the buyer values Accelefund's disclosed monthly administration cadence, deposit timing and named ongoing notice/restatement items, the higher published price may be easier to evaluate. If the planned transaction involves employees, acquisition complexity, additional financing, weak retirement diversification, uncertain valuation, or a likely sale or shutdown, neither public page is enough; review the contract with a qualified attorney, CPA, valuation professional or benefits adviser before rolling retirement-plan assets into employer stock.
Sources checked
[1] IRS ROBS compliance project
The IRS describes a ROBS as an arrangement in which retirement assets buy stock of a new C corporation, and its compliance questions include rollovers, participants, stock valuation, stock purchases, business information, Form 5500 or 5500-EZ, and Form 1120. Page last reviewed or updated November 16, 2025; current public source support checked July 27, 2026.
Open source[2] DOL retirement plan fees
The DOL explains that plan fiduciaries must evaluate whether services are necessary and costs are reasonable, compare fees with the services provided, monitor providers over time, and consider participant information and cybersecurity practices. Current public source support checked July 27, 2026.
Open source[3] Accelefund pricing
Accelefund publishes a $4,500 one-time setup fee with a $1,000 non-refundable deposit, $99 monthly plan administration, a possible small state incorporation fee reimbursement, an additional $1,000 partner cost, initial cash value appraisal, annual filings including Form 5500 and 8955-SSA, Summary Annual Report and benefit statements, amendments and restatements, fidelity-bond facilitation, and IRS/DOL audit assistance when necessary. Current public source support checked July 27, 2026.
Open source[4] Accelefund ROBS Plan service page
Accelefund describes six steps: review financing options, form a closely held corporation, set up the corporation's retirement plan, roll over funds, purchase stock, and fund the business. It states that it executes charter, articles, resolutions, bylaws and stock certificates, expedites transfer, and provides stock-purchase documentation. Current public source support checked July 27, 2026.
Open source[5] My Solo 401k pricing
My Solo 401k publishes a $3,000 setup fee including the first 12 months of support, an $899 annual fee starting 12 months later for the first 10 participants, $75 per additional participant, C-corporation formation, corporation and plan EINs, corporation bank account, plan brokerage account, transfer forms, audit guarantee, Form 5500 preparation, Form 1099-R reporting, annual routine corporation valuation, amendments, participant-statement review, contributions, vesting, plan contributions, nondiscrimination testing, top-heavy, additions and coverage. Current public source support checked July 27, 2026.
Open source[6] My Solo 401k process
My Solo 401k states that its attorney and compliance officer are involved from beginning to launch, and describes formation of a new C corporation, adoption of a plan that can buy employer stock, EINs, bank and brokerage accounts, transfer of former-employer retirement funds, wire of funds to the corporation bank account, and stock certificates. Current public source support checked July 27, 2026.
Open source[7] My Solo 401k valuations
My Solo 401k states that existing-business recapitalization needs an initial valuation, annual company-stock value is disclosed on the annual 5500 filing, one-time valuations may be needed for additional investment, stock buyback and RMD distributions, and its valuation report service is $495, free for new clients. Current public source support checked July 27, 2026.
Open source[8] My Solo 401k guarantee
My Solo 401k states that its guarantee applies at no additional cost as long as customers follow its procedures and requirements; it includes timely setup, transfer without taxes or penalties, audit-response assistance, and reasonable legal counsel in tax court if the IRS or DOL alleges the initial company-stock investment is a prohibited transaction. Terms and conditions are available upon request. Current public source support checked July 27, 2026.
Open source