Direct answer: compare fit, not just price
Guidant publishes a higher starting setup price and monthly administration price than Accelefund, but it also publishes broader language around in-house valuation support, a one-stop business-financing model, separate SBA Loan Packaging, ERISA attorney access and qualified attorney defense fees if the IRS audits the plan.[3][4] Those claims are provider statements, not proof that every contract includes every service a reader may need; the same diligence lens applies when you compare Guidant with Aprio.
Accelefund publishes lower price inputs and more detailed task language for corporation formation, retirement-plan setup, transfers from up to three existing retirement accounts, stock subscription agreements, initial cash value appraisal, plan administration, compliance testing, Form 5500/8955-SSA, participant statements, employee census/enrollment support, amendments/restatements and IRS/DOL audit assistance.[5] Its process page describes six steps: review financing options, form the corporation, set up the plan, roll over funds, purchase stock and fund the business.[6]
The practical answer depends on the written scope: who performs each task, who signs filings, which pass-through charges remain, what audit help means, what happens if the setup is cancelled, and what support exists at sale, failure or plan termination.
Public price math and exclusions
These totals should not be treated as equivalent-scope quotes. Guidant's public total excludes any separately quoted SBA packaging, payroll, tax, bookkeeping, state, correction, termination and contract-specific costs. Accelefund's public total excludes state incorporation reimbursement, the approximate fidelity bond cost, partner add-ons, exit work, correction-program work, pass-through costs and annual valuation work beyond the initial appraisal unless the contract says otherwise.[3][5]
When each provider may fit
Use these scenarios as starting points, then confirm the written contract before treating either provider as the better fit.
Contract questions before choosing
Ask both providers the same questions in writing so the comparison turns on contract scope rather than sales-page emphasis.
- Which setup documents are included: corporation, bylaws, plan/trust, EINs, rollover forms, stock subscription, bank/brokerage/custodian/trustee records and signed board or plan resolutions?
- Which annual tasks are included for your participant count: testing, Form 5500, Form 8955-SSA, Form 1099-R, Form 945, participant notices, benefit statements, valuation and amendments?
- What exactly is included in audit help: document production, ERISA attorney access, attorney defense fees, IRS-only or DOL help, hours, exclusions and who chooses counsel?
- What happens if the transaction stops after signing: deposits, refunds, document ownership, transition records, professional fees and state fees?
- What happens later at business sale, stock redemption, plan termination, business failure, correction filing, data export or provider change?
Important unknowns and responsibility boundaries
The IRS describes ROBS as a plan using rollover assets to buy stock of a new C corporation. It also warns that a favorable determination letter addresses plan terms, not whether the plan is operated correctly. IRS compliance questions include rollover/direct-transfer information, participants, stock valuation, stock purchases, business information and annual filings.[1] The DOL adds that fiduciaries must evaluate services, compensation, bundled arrangements, participant information, cybersecurity practices and ongoing monitoring.[2]
Professional access does not automatically move fiduciary responsibility from the plan sponsor to the provider. Ask for the contract language before treating any provider's attorney, valuation, trustee, custodian, filing or audit wording as a complete transfer of responsibility.
Common questions
These are the questions most likely to change the practical choice between Guidant and Accelefund.
Sources
[1] IRS ROBS compliance project
IRS page last reviewed November 16, 2025; checked July 27, 2026. The IRS describes ROBS as retirement funds used to buy stock of a new C corporation, warns that determination letters do not protect operational failures, and identifies compliance questions around rollovers, participants, valuation, stock purchases, Form 5500/5500-EZ and Form 1120.
Open source[2] DOL retirement plan fees
Checked July 27, 2026. The Department of Labor explains that plan fiduciaries must evaluate service-provider costs, services, compensation, bundled or unbundled arrangements, participant communications, cybersecurity practices and ongoing monitoring.
Open source[3] Guidant pricing
Checked July 27, 2026. Guidant publishes 401(k) Business Financing starting at $5,495 and 401(k) Plan Administration starting at $149 per month; the same page states Lifetime Audit Protection, ERISA attorney access, compliance review, plan amendments, business valuation, lifelong business support, a one-stop shop including ROBS/SBA/payroll/tax/bookkeeping/valuations, and separate SBA Loan Packaging at $2,500.
Open source[4] Guidant 401(k) Business Financing
Checked July 27, 2026. Guidant states ROBS funding can be accessed in as little as three weeks, starts at $5,495, includes coordinated banking, compliance assurance, lifetime audit protection, a Guidant Guarantee for setup-service satisfaction, at least $60,000 in rollable retirement or pension assets, and Roth IRA ineligibility.
Open source[5] Accelefund pricing
Checked July 27, 2026. Accelefund publishes a one-time $4,500 setup fee with a $1,000 non-refundable deposit, says the remaining fee is not collected until the plan is set up and the business is funded, publishes $99 per month administration, and itemizes corporation, plan, transfer, legal-document, stock-subscription, initial appraisal, testing, filing, employee, amendment, restatement, audit-assistance and professional-specialist support.
Open source[6] Accelefund ROBS Plan service page
Checked July 27, 2026. Accelefund describes its six steps as reviewing financing options, forming a closely held corporation, setting up the corporation’s retirement plan, rolling funds into the new ROBS plan, purchasing company stock and funding the business; it says it can use the Pension Transfer Trust Plan or a new single-employer plan.
Open source