Benetrends vs My Solo 401k: Which ROBS Provider Fits Your Buyer Scenario?
Direct answer: there is no universal fit. Benetrends has stronger reviewed public support for bounded audit-support terms and financing-introduction language. My Solo 401k has stronger reviewed public support for lower base pricing and itemized setup, EIN, bank, brokerage, participant, testing and filing tasks. A buyer should decide by written scope, employee count, valuation needs, audit-support terms and who remains responsible after funding.[3][4][5][6][8][9]
By Dennis Shirshikov, senior financial writer focused on retirement-plan and small-business funding education. Updated and source-checked July 31, 2026.
The practical answer
Benetrends may fit a buyer who wants a provider with published Rainmaker pricing, published audit-support PDF terms, in-house retirement-plan support language, valuation help, and financing pre-qualification or bank-introduction support. The public record is less detailed for specific EIN, bank, brokerage, participant, amendment and correction tasks, so those items should be confirmed in the agreement.[3][4][9]
My Solo 401k may fit a buyer who wants lower published base pricing and a more itemized public task list for formation, plan setup, EINs, accounts, transfer forms, participant additions, annual filings, testing, amendments and valuation support. Its audit-support language is meaningful but more dependent on terms available upon request, so the written guarantee matters.[5][6][7][8]
What both providers are supporting
A ROBS transaction moves eligible retirement assets into a qualified retirement plan sponsored by a C corporation. The plan then purchases employer stock in that C corporation, and the corporation receives business capital. The IRS source describes this stock-purchase structure and flags operational issues such as Form 5500, Form 1120, participant rights, valuation, nondiscrimination and prohibited transactions.[1]
That structure means the comparison is not just setup speed or price. The provider may prepare or coordinate documents, but the corporation, retirement plan, trustee, fiduciaries, employees, tax filings, valuation work and later exit events still have to be handled correctly.
Product and pricing distinctions
| Scenario | Setup | Recurring | Year one | Three years | Formula and boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benetrends Rainmaker[3][4] | $4,995 | $1,860/year | $6,855 | $10,575 | $4,995 + ($155 × 12) = $6,855 year one; $4,995 + ($155 × 36) = $10,575 over three years This is the published Rainmaker package. It is not treated as the same product as Rainmaker Roth Advantage. |
| Benetrends Rainmaker Roth Advantage[3] | $9,995 | $2,340/year | $12,335 | $17,015 | $9,995 + ($195 × 12) = $12,335 year one; $9,995 + ($195 × 36) = $17,015 over three years This is a separate Benetrends option with a higher setup fee and higher monthly administration fee. |
| My Solo 401k first 10 participants[5] | $3,000 | $899/year | $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 for the first 10 participants. Add $75 per additional participant if the plan exceeds 10 participants. |
These totals are independently reproducible from the published inputs. Benetrends Rainmaker is $4,995 plus $155 per month, so year one is $6,855 and three years is $10,575. Benetrends Rainmaker Roth Advantage is $9,995 plus $195 per month, so year one is $12,335 and three years is $17,015. My Solo 401k is $3,000 for setup including first-year support, then $899 annually beginning 12 months later, so the first year is $3,000 and three years is $4,798 for the first 10 participants. Add $75 for each additional participant where applicable.[3][5]
Compact side-by-side service scope
| Question | Benetrends | My Solo 401k | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup pricing | Included in reviewed public source “Rainmaker option has a setup fee of $4995” [3] “Rainmaker (Roth) Advantage Plan has a setup fee of $9995” [3] | Included in reviewed public source “Setup Fee: $3,000 (including Free first-year annual support)” [5] | Both publish setup pricing, but My Solo includes first-year support in the setup fee. |
| Corporation and plan formation | Included in reviewed public source “set up a C corporation” [4] “design a new qualified retirement plan” [4] | Included in reviewed public source “form the Corporation as well as to establish the 401k/PSP” [5] “Formation of a New C-Corp” [6] | Both support the core ROBS formation sequence. |
| EINs | Not found in reviewed public source | Included in reviewed public source “EIN for 401k/PSP” [5] “EIN for Corporation” [5] | Exact EIN task language was found for My Solo only. |
| Bank and brokerage accounts | Not found in reviewed public source | Included in reviewed public source “Corporation Bank Account” [5] “Brokerage Account for 401k/PSP” [5] | My Solo itemizes these tasks. Benetrends may coordinate funding, but the checked pages do not name these account setup tasks. |
| Rollover, transfer and stock purchase | Included in reviewed public source “transfer your retirement funds into the new plan” [4] “issuance, and management of stock investments” [3] | Included in reviewed public source “Preparation of Transfer Forms” [5] “stock certificates are subsequently issued” [6] | Both support the funding mechanics. |
| Ongoing administration | Included in reviewed public source “On-going administration, record-keeping, and annual required reports are included” [3] | Included in reviewed public source “first 12 months of ongoing compliance support” [5] “$899 Annual Fee Covers the Following Ongoing Support” [5] | Both publish ongoing support; public wording does not prove equivalent scope. |
| Participant additions | Not found in reviewed public source | Included in reviewed public source “Addition of participants as they become eligible to participate in the plan” [5] “for first 10 participants; $75 per additional participant” [5] | My Solo names participant additions and participant fee boundaries. |
| Eligibility, contributions and vesting | Not found in reviewed public source | Included in reviewed public source “Monitor Contributions and Vesting” [5] “Computation of Plan contributions” [5] | My Solo names these annual support tasks. Employee eligibility still needs the plan document and employer facts. |
| Testing and filings | Coordinated or bounded in reviewed public source “annual required reports are included” [3] “all administrative, filing and insurance costs” [4] | Included in reviewed public source “Form 5500 preparation” [5] “Annual Nondiscrimination Testing” [5] | My Solo itemizes forms and tests. Benetrends publishes reports and filing-cost support without the same task list. |
| Participant notices | Not found in reviewed public source | Not found in reviewed public source | Neither reviewed provider source states participant notice timing, delivery method, content responsibility or signer. |
| Valuation and annual fair market value | Included in reviewed public source “stock appraisal at no added expense” [3] “annual assistance with determining the Corporation’s Fair Market Value” [3] | Included in reviewed public source “Annual Routine Corporation Valuation for Form 5500 Preparation” [5] “Valuation Report...$495 (free for new clients)” [7] | Both publish valuation support. My Solo's annual support and separate one-time valuation pricing should not be blended. |
| Audit support and guarantee | Included in reviewed public source “Assistance with IRS or DOL inquiry responses and preparation for IRS audits” [9] “Record Keeper and is not the Plan Administrator, Fiduciary or Trustee” [9] | Coordinated or bounded in reviewed public source “Assistance with responding to a IRS or DOL plan audit” [8] “we will provide reasonable legal counsel to represent you in tax court” [8] | Both claims are bounded by stated terms. Neither should be expanded into comprehensive audit representation, open-ended legal fees, tax, penalty or correction coverage. |
| Amendments and restatements | Not found in reviewed public source | Included in reviewed public source “Mandatory Amendments including the year 2020 IRS Required Plan Update” [5] | My Solo names mandatory amendments. Benetrends did not name amendments or restatements in the checked sources. |
| SBA or financing coordination | Coordinated or bounded in reviewed public source “Pre-Qualify For Financing” [4] “helped me find multiple banks who would provide sources for (SBA) funding” [4] | Not found in reviewed public source | Benetrends has financing pre-qualification and bank-introduction wording. This does not prove separate SBA packaging. |
| Corrections | Not found in reviewed public source | Not found in reviewed public source | Neither reviewed provider source states VCP, DFVCP, failed-testing correction, prohibited-transaction correction, correction fees or filing signer. |
| Sale, failure or plan termination | Not found in reviewed public source | Not found in reviewed public source | Neither reviewed provider source defines delivered exit, employer-stock buyback, trust liquidation, final valuation, final filing or transition work. |
| Cancellation and refunds | Not found in reviewed public source | Not found in reviewed public source | The reviewed guarantee wording does not establish cancellation rights, refund amount, timing or exclusions. |
| Data ownership and exports | Not found in reviewed public source | Not found in reviewed public source | Neither reviewed source states record ownership, export format, participant data handoff, transition files, cybersecurity contract terms or termination data rights. |
| Contract exclusions and pass-through costs | Not found in reviewed public source | Not found in reviewed public source | Starting prices do not prove total contract cost. State fees, custodian or brokerage charges, investments, extra participants, valuation add-ons, corrections and exit work need written confirmation. |
Fit scenarios
Contract questions before you sign
- Which corporation, plan, EIN, bank, brokerage, rollover and stock-certificate tasks are included?
- Which state fees, custodian fees, brokerage fees, valuation fees, amendment fees and participant fees are extra?
- Who prepares each Form 5500, Form 1099-R, participant notice, test, statement and required amendment?
- Who signs filings and retains fiduciary authority after the provider finishes setup?
- What exactly triggers audit support, Tax Court counsel, reimbursement, exclusions and current-client status?
- What happens if the business is sold, fails, admits partners, buys back employer stock, terminates the plan or changes providers?
- How are records exported, and in what format, if the contract ends?
- What cancellation or refund rights exist after work starts?
Professional responsibilities that do not disappear
The DOL source says fiduciaries should evaluate whether plan services are necessary, whether compensation is reasonable, how fees are charged, what conflicts may exist and whether service quality remains appropriate over time.[2] Provider help can be valuable, but it does not eliminate the employer's duty to monitor the plan, protect participant information, evaluate fees, and keep records.
Several issues need outside professional judgment rather than provider marketing: rollover eligibility, C corporation tax effects, employee eligibility, coverage and nondiscrimination testing, valuation independence, prohibited-transaction questions, business acquisition risk, SBA loan coordination, plan corrections, plan termination, and sale or failure mechanics.
FAQs
Is Benetrends or My Solo 401k better for ROBS?
There is no universal answer. Benetrends is easier to diligence for the reviewed audit-support PDF and financing-introduction language. My Solo 401k is easier to diligence for lower public base pricing and more itemized setup, participant, testing and filing tasks. The better fit depends on the written contract, employee count, valuation needs, financing plan and owner responsibilities.[3][4][5][6][8][9]
Why is My Solo 401k's first-year total $3,000 rather than $3,899?
My Solo 401k states that the $3,000 setup fee includes the first 12 months of support and that the $899 annual fee starts 12 months later. For the first 10 participants, the three-year base total is $3,000 + ($899 × 2) = $4,798.[5]
Does either audit guarantee remove owner responsibility?
No. Benetrends says it is a recordkeeper, not the plan administrator, fiduciary or trustee, and its guarantee is limited by current-client status and required procedures. My Solo 401k says terms and conditions are available upon request. Neither reviewed source turns the provider into the owner's fiduciary, CPA, attorney, valuation professional or lender.[8][9][2]
What should be verified before signing either agreement?
Ask for the full agreement, fee schedule, service list, audit-support terms, valuation terms, participant-charge schedule, correction-fee policy, exit process, data-export terms and responsible party for each filing or notice.[1][2][5][7][8][9]
Sources and update triggers
Source notes below identify what each source was used for. Provider pages establish what the provider states, charges or offers. Government pages establish regulatory and fiduciary boundaries, not provider quality.
- 1. IRS ROBS compliance project
IRS source checked July 31, 2026. It defines ROBS as a retirement plan using rollover assets to buy stock of a new C corporation, warns that determination letters do not approve plan operations, and identifies Form 5500/Form 1120, participant, rollover, stock valuation, nondiscrimination, prohibited-transaction, promoter-fee, Form 1099-R and business-failure issues.
- 2. DOL: Understanding Retirement Plan Fees and Expenses
DOL source checked July 31, 2026. It says plan fiduciaries should prudently select and monitor service providers, evaluate services and compensation, understand bundled and unbundled fees, provide participant fee information where required, and ask about cybersecurity practices.
- 3. Benetrends ROBS/RAPS cost
Provider source checked July 31, 2026. Benetrends states Rainmaker costs $4,995 plus $155 per month, Rainmaker Roth Advantage costs $9,995 plus $195 per month, and its ROBS plans include incorporation services, legal, administrative and state filing fees, minutes, bylaws, stock issuance and management, retirement plan creation and customization, transfer coordination, stock appraisal help at no added expense, ongoing administration, recordkeeping, annual required reports, fair-market-value help, and Gold Standard audit and liability protection.
- 4. Benetrends ROBS 401(k) Funding
Provider source checked July 31, 2026. Benetrends describes the ROBS sequence as setting up a C corporation, designing a qualified retirement plan, transferring retirement funds, and using plan funds to buy employer stock. The page also states Audit Shield protection, in-house retirement-plan experts, ongoing administration support, all administrative, filing and insurance costs plus certified and legal services described as unlimited, a financing pre-qualification tool, and a customer quote about bank introductions for SBA funding.
- 5. My Solo 401k pricing
Provider source checked July 31, 2026. My Solo 401k states a $3,000 setup fee includes the first 12 months of support; $899 annual support starts 12 months later for the first 10 participants; each additional participant costs $75. The setup list includes C corporation formation, plan establishment, plan and corporation EINs, corporation bank account, 401k/PSP brokerage account, transfer forms and audit guarantee. The annual support list includes Form 5500, participant additions, Form 1099-R, routine annual valuation, mandatory amendments, participant-statement review, contribution and vesting monitoring, contribution computation, nondiscrimination testing, and top-heavy, additions and coverage work.
- 6. My Solo 401k process
Provider source checked July 31, 2026. My Solo 401k says its Harvard Law-trained attorney and compliance officer are involved from beginning to launch. It lists rule explanation, C corporation formation, adoption of a 401k business financing plan, EINs for the corporation and plan, 401k brokerage and business bank accounts, transfers from former employer retirement funds and IRAs, employer-stock purchase, wiring funds to the corporation bank account, and stock certificates with corporation documents.
- 7. My Solo 401k valuations
Provider source checked July 31, 2026. My Solo 401k says an existing-business recapitalization needs an initial valuation, annual stock value is disclosed on Form 5500, one-time valuations may be needed for additional investment, stock buyback and distributions including required minimum distributions, and its valuation report service is $495 and free for new clients.
- 8. My Solo 401k business funding guarantee
Provider source checked July 31, 2026. My Solo 401k says its guarantee applies if customers follow procedures and requirements, and includes audit help from a compliance officer, a Harvard Law attorney specializing in 401k or IRA business funding, help responding to an IRS or DOL plan audit, 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.
- 9. Benetrends Rainmaker Guarantee
Provider PDF checked July 31, 2026. Benetrends says current clients who follow the Engagement Agreement receive help with IRS or DOL inquiry responses and preparation for IRS audits. Tax Court counsel applies only if the IRS or DOL tries to disallow the plan solely because of its investment in active C corporation employer stock and alleges that transaction is prohibited. The PDF limits the guarantee to current Benetrends clients, states Benetrends is a recordkeeper and not the plan administrator, fiduciary or trustee, and makes clients responsible for correction costs and expenses if they do not follow plan, ERISA, Benetrends, review, documentation or valuation requirements.
Update this page when either provider changes pricing, participant fees, valuation fees, audit-support terms, included services, ownership, contract disclosures, source availability, or when IRS or DOL guidance materially changes ROBS or retirement-plan fiduciary requirements.
Natural next step
Before speaking with either provider, write down your rollover amount, account type, business purchase or startup plan, expected employee count for the next three years, need for SBA or seller financing, valuation situation, and exit assumptions. Then request a written scope and fee schedule from both providers using the same facts. A clean comparison comes from identical inputs, not from a headline setup price.