Direct Answer: Different Fits, Not One Winner
Guidant and FranFund both publish ROBS pricing and ongoing-administration support, but the decision turns on what you need to verify. Guidant gives a $5,495 starting setup price, $149/month starting administration, audit-defense fee language, ERISA-attorney access, in-house valuation language and adjacent business-service options.[4][5] FranFund gives a $4,995 FranPlan setup price, $165/month required TPA support, detailed formation/transfer/stock-certificate wording, employee administration detail and separate Business Loans pricing with lender coordination.[6][7]
Compare each provider by matching its published scope to the tasks you need and by identifying unanswered contract terms that would change your choice. DOL guidance says service-provider fees should be evaluated with the services and arrangements attached to them, and fiduciaries remain responsible for prudent provider selection and monitoring.[2][3] The IRS ROBS project describes operational issues around valuation, participant treatment, filings, discrimination and prohibited transactions; it does not endorse any provider.[1]
Pricing: Public Scope Before Arithmetic
The first step is to separate base ROBS pricing from adjacent or optional services. Guidant's public ROBS inputs are a starting $5,495 setup price plus $149/month starting administration. FranFund's base ROBS inputs are a $4,995 FranPlan setup fee plus required $165/month TPA. FranFund separately lists Business Loans at a $2,500 standard fee with add-on services available, so that amount is not blended into FranPlan/TPA totals.[4][5][6]
| Provider/product | Setup | Monthly | First year | Three years | Formula and scope limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guidant: 401(k) Business Financing plus starting administration [4][5] | $5,495 | $149/month | $7,283 | $10,859 | $5,495 + ($149 × 12) = $7,283; $5,495 + ($149 × 36) = $10,859 Starting public inputs only. SBA Loan Packaging, payroll, tax, bookkeeping, state fees, pass-through items, corrections, termination support and contract-specific services are outside this total unless a written agreement includes them. |
| FranFund: FranPlan 401(k) Business Funding plus required TPA [6] | $4,995 | $165/month | $6,975 | $10,935 | $4,995 + ($165 × 12) = $6,975; $4,995 + ($165 × 36) = $10,935 Published FranPlan setup plus required TPA only. FranFund Business Loans packaging is a separate $2,500 standard fee with add-on services available, so it is not included in base FranPlan/TPA arithmetic. |
Separate FranFund loan packaging
FranFund also publishes Business Loans standard packaging at $2,500 [6]. Separately displayed because FranFund prices Business Loans at a $2,500 one-time standard fee with add-on services available; it is not part of base FranPlan/TPA ROBS arithmetic.
Use these numbers as reproducible public math, not equivalent-scope totals. The same written quote should answer whether state filing fees, trustee or custodian costs, payroll or tax services, audit exclusions, valuation reliance, corrections, termination help, data exports and renewal terms are included or separately billed.
Service Comparison: Same Questions for Both Providers
The table uses the same diligence questions for both providers. “Supported publicly” means the checked public page answers the point. “Adjacent or separate” means the public page shows related support that should not be treated as included base ROBS scope without a contract. “Not found publicly” is an explicit unknown, not a claim that the provider cannot perform the work.
| Question | Guidant public support | FranFund public support | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup / implementation | “Starting at $5,495” [5] | “$4,995 (One-time set-up fee)” [6] | Both publish setup pricing. The amounts are public inputs, not proof of identical scope. |
| C corporation and plan formation | Not found publicly in the checked sources. | “Establishment of the corporation with the appropriate state agency” [6] “Creation of company's organizational documents including meeting minutes, bylaws, federal tax ID” [6] “Assistance in establishing a new 401(k) plan and corporate checking account” [6] | Guidant describes ROBS setup, but the checked pages do not itemize C-corporation documents or plan-formation deliverables. FranFund does. |
| Rollover, asset transfer and stock issuance | “ROBS funding can be accessed in as little as three weeks” [5] | “Assistance in facilitating all necessary asset transfers” [6] “Issuance of stock certificates for all personal and plan investments” [6] | Both support ROBS funding. FranFund gives more exact transfer and stock-certificate wording in the checked public page. |
| Ongoing administration and filings | “401(k) Plan Administration starting at $149 per month” [4] “Compliance Review” [4] | “$165/month (Required to remain in compliance with IRS and DOL regulations)” [6] “Preparation of and filing of annual plan Form 5500, 1099-R, Form 945” [6] | Both publish recurring administration. Specific filing support is cited only where the public passage names it. |
| Employee census, enrollment, contributions and notices | Not found publicly in the checked sources. | “Allocation and reconciliation of employer and employee contributions” [6] “Employee census review and enrollment support” [6] “Provide employer with required employee notifications” [6] | Guidant's adjacent payroll wording does not prove employee-plan responsibilities. FranFund names employee workflows. |
| Valuation / annual fair market value | “we have an in-house team of expert valuation analysts” [4] | “Annual fair market value support” [6] | Both publish valuation or FMV support. Independence, reliance and transaction-level valuation standards remain written-scope questions. |
| IRS / DOL audit assistance | “covers qualified attorney defense fees if the IRS ever audits your plan” [4] | “IRS and DOL audit assistance when necessary” [6] | Both publish audit-support language. Guidant names qualified attorney defense fees for IRS plan audits; FranFund names IRS and DOL audit assistance. |
| SBA loan packaging / lender coordination / closing | “SBA Loan Packaging” [4] “$ 2500 one-time setup fee.” [4] “Use ROBS as a Down Payment for Your Franchise or Small Business Loan” [5] | “$2,500 (One-time standard fee with add on services available)” [6] “Strategic lender matching & presentation” [6] “Support through closing” [6] | Both show adjacent financing support. Loan packaging is separate from base ROBS totals unless included by written scope. |
| Franchise buyer context | “small business or franchise financing” [5] | “proprietary franchise-specific FranScore® report” [7] “extensive network of franchise-friendly lenders” [7] | Both position for franchise buyers. That is context, not proof of every franchise-related task. |
| Plan corrections | Not found publicly in the checked sources. | Not found publicly in the checked sources. | Neither checked provider source states VCP, DFVCP, prohibited-transaction correction, failed-testing correction, amendment correction, correction-fee scope or who signs correction filings. |
| Business sale, plan termination and provider transition | Not found publicly in the checked sources. | Not found publicly in the checked sources. | Neither checked source states business sale, plan termination, provider transition, employer-stock buyback, trust liquidation, final valuation or final filing scope. |
| Cancellation / refunds | Not found publicly in the checked sources. | Not found publicly in the checked sources. | Guidant setup-satisfaction wording and FranFund consultation/no-surprise-billing language do not establish refund amount, cancellation right, timing, exclusions or mechanics. |
| Data ownership and exports | Not found publicly in the checked sources. | Not found publicly in the checked sources. | Neither checked 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 publicly in the checked sources. | Not found publicly in the checked sources. | Starting prices do not prove total fees. State fees, custodian or trustee fees, add-on loan services, legal exclusions, valuation reliance, renewal terms and pass-throughs require written agreements. |
Who Each Provider May Fit
Use fit as a short list of decision priorities: Guidant is the more natural diligence path for buyers who value lower published monthly administration and adjacent service breadth, while FranFund is the more natural diligence path for buyers who value lower published setup and more itemized public implementation detail. The pause scenarios identify terms that can outweigh either public advantage.
Plan and Fiduciary Context
A ROBS arrangement moves eligible retirement assets into a qualified retirement plan sponsored by a C corporation. The plan then buys employer stock, which exposes retirement-plan assets to the value of one privately held business. That concentration risk remains even when setup and administration are handled correctly.
Provider support also does not remove sponsor and fiduciary duties. DOL fiduciary materials emphasize prudent selection and monitoring of service providers, plan documents, a trust, recordkeeping and disclosures.[2] DOL fee guidance says fees should be understood with the services and compensation arrangements behind them.[3] The IRS ROBS page highlights operational concerns that can arise after formation, including valuation, filings, discrimination and prohibited transactions.[1]
Affiliate compensation has no role in this comparison, and no provider receives preference for commercial value.
Contract Questions Before Signing
Ask both providers for written answers to the same questions. If the answer is material and not written, treat it as unresolved.
- Which corporation, bylaws, minutes, stock ledger, share issuance, retirement-plan and trust documents are included?
- Who coordinates rollover paperwork, custody or trust movement, direction of investment and employer-stock purchase documents?
- What employee eligibility, census, enrollment, deferral, contribution, notice, testing and participant-statement work is included?
- Which filings are prepared or reviewed: Form 5500, Form 1120, Form 1099-R, Form 945, summary annual report and plan amendments?
- Who provides initial and annual valuation help, what independence is claimed, and what reliance or appraisal exclusions apply?
- What exactly triggers audit help, who pays attorney fees, and which IRS or DOL issues are excluded?
- Are correction programs, late filings, prohibited-transaction cleanup, amendments or restatements included or separately billed?
- What are the cancellation, refund, termination, stock-redemption, record-export, data-ownership, renewal and pass-through terms?
Frequently Asked Questions
These answers summarize the public-source comparison and the terms that still need written confirmation.
Who is better, Guidant or FranFund?
Neither provider is better for every buyer. Guidant may fit buyers who want public starting prices, lower published monthly administration, audit-defense fee wording, in-house valuation wording and adjacent SBA/tax/bookkeeping options. FranFund may fit buyers who want lower published setup, detailed formation and transfer wording, employee administration detail and separately priced lender coordination.
Can I compare the three-year totals directly?
Only as arithmetic from public inputs. Guidant uses starting prices, FranFund combines FranPlan setup with required TPA, and loan packaging or contract exclusions are outside the base totals unless written agreements include the same scope.
Is FranFund's $2,500 Business Loans fee included in the ROBS total?
No. FranFund lists Business Loans as a separate $2,500 standard fee with add-on services available, so this page displays it separately and excludes it from base FranPlan/TPA arithmetic.
What remains unknown from public sources?
Corrections, exit or termination support, cancellation and refund mechanics, data export or record handoff, and complete contract exclusions remain written-agreement questions for both providers. Guidant's checked pages also do not itemize C-corporation formation details or employee-plan workflows.
Does provider audit support remove the owner's responsibilities?
No. DOL fiduciary guidance still places prudent provider selection and monitoring with responsible fiduciaries, and IRS ROBS materials describe operational issues that depend on how the plan is established and run.
Sources
- [1] IRS ROBS compliance project
Official source re-opened August 13, 2026: the IRS describes ROBS arrangements as using rollover assets to buy stock of a new C corporation and highlights operational issues involving plan status, valuation, participants, stock purchases, business operations, Forms 5500/5500-EZ and 1120, promoter fees, discrimination and prohibited transactions. The page was last reviewed or updated November 16, 2025.
- [2] DOL: Meeting Your Fiduciary Responsibilities
Official source re-opened August 13, 2026: employers and other fiduciaries are responsible for prudent provider selection and monitoring; plans need written documents, a trust, recordkeeping and required participant/government disclosures; fiduciary status depends on functions performed.
- [3] DOL: Understanding Retirement Plan Fees and Expenses
Official source re-opened August 13, 2026: fiduciaries should understand the services provided, fees charged, bundled and unbundled arrangements, provider compensation, individual service fees and ongoing monitoring; fees should be evaluated alongside services.
- [4] Guidant pricing
Provider-controlled source re-opened August 13, 2026: 401(k) Business Financing starts at $5,495; 401(k) Plan Administration starts at $149 per month; Lifetime Audit Protection covers qualified attorney defense fees if the IRS audits the plan; the page references ERISA attorney access, ROBS/SBA/payroll/tax/bookkeeping/business valuation services, compliance review, plan amendments, business valuation, lifelong business support and SBA Loan Packaging as a separately listed $2,500 one-time setup fee.
- [5] Guidant 401(k) Business Financing
Provider-controlled source re-opened August 13, 2026: ROBS funding can be accessed in as little as three weeks; setup starts at $5,495; the page references coordinated banking, compliance assurance, lifetime audit protection, ROBS/SBA/payroll/tax/bookkeeping/business valuation services, tailored financial strategy, Guidant Guarantee setup-satisfaction wording, at least $60,000 in a rollable retirement or pension account and Roth IRA ineligibility for ROBS.
- [6] FranFund pricing
Provider-controlled source re-opened August 13, 2026: FranPlan 401(k) Business Funding has a $4,995 one-time set-up fee; required TPA support is $165/month; setup includes corporation establishment, organizational documents, federal tax ID, assistance establishing a 401(k) plan and corporate checking account, asset transfers, stock certificates and attorney consultation; TPA includes contribution allocation/reconciliation, annual compliance testing/contribution review, Form 5500/1099-R/Form 945, fair-market-value support, summary annual reports, benefit statements, employee census review and enrollment support, amendments/restatements, IRS/DOL audit assistance, transaction documentation, employee notifications, webinars, projections, plan design and QDRO review; Business Loans are separately $2,500 standard fee with add-on services available.
- [7] FranFund homepage
Provider-controlled source re-opened August 13, 2026: FranFund describes exploring SBA Loans and FranPlan 401(k)/IRA Rollover Funding, a free pre-approval letter based on a FranScore report, in-house teams, continued guidance through TPA services, a franchise-specific lender network, FranPlan ROBS, SafetyNet and franchise/small-business positioning.