FranFund ROBS Review: FranPlan Fees, Services, and Fit

A rollover as business startup, or ROBS, moves eligible retirement assets into a qualified 401(k) plan sponsored by a C corporation. The plan then buys stock in that corporation. A third-party administrator, or TPA, supports plan testing, filings, notices, and records while the plan sponsor and fiduciaries retain their legal duties.

A direct rollover or trustee-to-trustee transfer moves eligible retirement assets between retirement arrangements without paying the owner personally. Form 5500 is the annual employee-benefit-plan report. Fair market value supports the value of employer stock for plan records and transactions.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

FranFund publishes a $4,995 one-time FranPlan setup fee, $165 per month for 401(k) plan administration, and a $2,500 one-time standard business-loan packaging fee with add-on services available.^[7] FranFund says the ROBS process normally takes 15 to 20 business days and describes in-house TPA administration after setup.^[8]

The written agreement should define refunds, pass-through fees, valuation support, audit assistance, employee administration, plan termination, employer-stock redemption, and business-sale support. The C corporation and 401(k) plan sponsor retain fiduciary, filing, employer-stock, and valuation duties.^[1][2][4]

FranFund may fit franchise and business-acquisition buyers who want published ROBS fees, ongoing 401(k) plan administration, and coordination with SBA or conventional financing.^{[8][9][10][11]}

FranFund publishes a $4,995 setup fee, $165 monthly TPA fee, and $2,500 standard business-loan packaging fee with add-on services available.^[7]

The totals exclude add-on services, state filing costs, registered-agent renewals, franchise taxes, business licenses, payroll, bookkeeping, tax preparation, participant surcharges, fidelity-bond premiums, valuation upgrades, plan corrections, audits, termination, business-sale work, and contract-specific fees.

FranFund lists corporation establishment, organizational documents, a federal tax ID, 401(k) plan setup, corporate checking account assistance, retirement-asset transfer assistance, stock certificates, and attorney consultation on corporation and plan formation in its setup service.^[7]

FranFund lists contribution allocation, annual compliance testing, Form 5500, Form 1099-R, Form 945, fair-market-value support, benefit statements, employee enrollment support, plan amendments, IRS and DOL audit assistance, transaction documents, employee notices, plan-design consultations, and QDRO review in its TPA service.^[7]

The agreement should identify whether fair-market-value support includes an independent appraisal and whether audit assistance includes agency contact, document production, attorney fees, valuation disputes, taxes, penalties, and correction costs. It should also list fees for employee events, Form 8955-SSA, plan termination, employer-stock redemption, a business sale, insolvency, merger, partner exit, death, disability, or entity conversion.

FranFund says the FranPlan process normally takes 15 to 20 business days, with most of that time used to move funds from the current 401(k) custodian to the new custodian. FranFund also advertises funding in as little as 10 days.^[8] Actual timing depends on the retirement account, custodian, C corporation setup, and required documents.

IRS guidance covers direct rollovers, trustee-to-trustee transfers, 60-day rollovers, withholding, eligible rollover distributions, required minimum distributions, and receiving-plan limits.^[3] A ROBS transaction uses a C corporation, qualified 401(k) plan, rollover or transfer, and employer-stock purchase.^[1][2]

DOL guidance requires plan fiduciaries to follow plan documents, pay reasonable plan expenses, select and monitor service providers, maintain records, provide participant information, maintain required bonding, and file required reports.^[4][5]

1. [1] IRS: Rollovers as Business Start-Ups Compliance Project

   Defines ROBS as retirement funds used to pay new business startup costs through a plan purchase of new C corporation stock. Notes determination letters do not protect sponsors from operational failures, identifies Form 5500, Form 1120, valuation, promoter-fee, employee-access, and business-failure concerns, and shows Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 16-Nov-2025. Accessed August 13, 2026.

2. [2] IRS: ROBS Examination Guidelines

   October 1, 2008 Employee Plans memorandum describing the C corporation, qualified plan, rollover or trustee transfer, employer-stock purchase, nondiscrimination, prohibited-transaction, and valuation examination issues. Accessed August 13, 2026.

3. [3] IRS: Rollovers of Retirement Plan and IRA Distributions

   Explains direct rollovers, trustee-to-trustee transfers, 60-day rollovers, withholding, eligible rollover distributions, plan conditions, required minimum distribution exclusions, and plan acceptance limits. Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 31-May-2026. Accessed August 13, 2026.

4. [4] DOL EBSA: Meeting Your Fiduciary Responsibilities

   September 2021 DOL publication describing written plan, trust, recordkeeping, participant documents, fiduciary status, prudence, service-provider selection and monitoring, fees, employer stock, bonding, participant notices, Form 5500 reporting, and plan termination duties. Accessed August 13, 2026.

5. [5] DOL EBSA: Form 5500 Series

   States the DOL, IRS, and PBGC jointly developed the Form 5500 Series for annual employee-benefit-plan reporting and that Form 5500 and Form 5500-SF filings must be completed and filed electronically through EFAST2-approved software or IFILE. Accessed August 13, 2026.

6. [6] IRS: Instructions for Form 1120 (2025)

   Current IRS instructions for the U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return, used here only for the C corporation filing context. Accessed August 13, 2026.

7. [7] FranFund: Pricing

   Publishes $4,995 one-time 401(k) Business Funding setup, $165 monthly TPA, and $2,500 one-time standard business-loan packaging with add-on services available. Lists setup, TPA, loan-packaging, and Veteran Discounts/VetFran language. Footer shows 2026 copyright. Accessed August 13, 2026.

8. [8] FranFund: 401(k) Business Funding

   Describes FranPlan as FranFund's ROBS program, lists examples of plans that may qualify, markets funding in as little as 10 days, says the process normally takes 15 to 20 business days, describes SafetyNet, states in-house TPA administration, and makes provider-reported audit-rate and no-disqualified-plans claims. Accessed August 13, 2026.

9. [9] FranFund: Partners

   Describes franchising partners, franchisors, consultants, brokers, lenders, CPAs, professionals, co-branded educational resources, a Franchisor Relations team, a lending network, and a Become A Partner path. Accessed August 13, 2026.

10. [10] FranFund: Business Loans

    Describes pre-approval, lender introductions, FranScore, credit, equity, collateral, burn-rate factors, SBA loan context, Preferred Lender status for FranFund lenders, and conventional-loan context. Accessed August 13, 2026.

11. [11] FranFund: Franchisor Relations

    Describes FranFund's franchisor-relations team, emerging to enterprise franchisor support, multi-brand and franchise sales organizations, and coordination of brand information with in-house teams and funding partners. Accessed August 13, 2026.