FranFund ROBS Review: FranPlan Fees, Services, and Fit

These definitions keep the provider review readable before the article relies on technical terms. A ROBS, or rollover as business startup, moves eligible retirement-plan assets into a new qualified retirement plan sponsored by a C corporation, then the plan buys stock in that corporation. A C corporation is the taxable corporation whose stock is purchased by the plan. A qualified retirement plan is an employer retirement plan that must satisfy tax and plan rules. A TPA, or third-party administrator, helps operate the plan but does not erase the owner's duties.

The plan sponsor is the business responsible for the retirement plan. A fiduciary is a person or entity that must act prudently and in participants' interests when managing plan duties or assets. 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 is the supportable value of the employer stock or business interest for plan records and transactions.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

FranFund publishes unusually useful public detail for a ROBS provider. Its pricing page lists a $4,995 one-time 401(k) Business Funding setup fee, $165 per month for third-party administration, and an optional $2,500 one-time standard business-loan packaging fee with add-on services available.^[7] Its FranPlan page says the process normally takes 15 to 20 business days, markets funding in as little as 10 days, and describes in-house TPA administration after implementation.^[8]

The decision is not whether the public page sounds complete. The decision is whether FranFund's written contract, quote, refund terms, pass-through fees, valuation support, audit-assistance language, employee-administration scope, and exit process match the buyer's risk. Provider pages support only what FranFund says about its own services. IRS and DOL sources explain why the sponsor still has real plan, fiduciary, filing, employer-stock, and valuation duties.^[1][2][4]

FranFund may fit franchise or acquisition buyers comparing ROBS equity with SBA or conventional debt, while buyers who need all refund, pass-through, valuation, audit, correction, termination, and exit terms public before a call should be cautious.^{[8][9][10][11]}

This responsive comparison uses cards as the table equivalent so each scenario keeps its setup input, monthly count, optional loan-packaging input, total, and exclusions visible on small screens. Use FranFund's public price inputs only for arithmetic, not as a complete quote. The setup input is $4,995. The ongoing TPA input is $165 per month. The optional business-loan packaging input is $2,500 one time, with add-on services available.^[7]

A calculator would not add much on this provider page because the public inputs are fixed: one setup fee, one monthly TPA amount, a chosen month count, and an optional one-time loan-packaging fee. These examples assume one setup fee, exactly 12 or 36 monthly TPA charges, and, where shown, one loan-packaging fee. They omit 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's setup bullets include consultations with a FranPlan Specialist, corporation establishment with expedited filing when necessary, organizational documents, minutes, bylaws, federal tax ID, assistance establishing a new 401(k) plan and corporate checking account, asset-transfer assistance, stock certificates, and attorney consultation on corporation and 401(k) plan formations.^[7]

FranFund's TPA bullets include consultations with a TPA Specialist, contribution allocation and reconciliation, annual compliance testing and contribution review, Form 5500, Form 1099-R, Form 945, annual fair-market-value support, Summary Annual Report and benefit statements, employee census review and enrollment support, required plan amendments and restatements, IRS and DOL audit assistance, transaction documentation for distributions, loans and transfers, employee notifications, trustee webinars, mid-year projections, plan-design consultations, and QDRO review.^[7]

The open issues are contract-level. Ask whether fair-market-value support is an independent appraisal or administrative support. Ask whether audit assistance includes agency contact, document production, attorney or representative fees, valuation disputes, owner error, taxes, penalties, and correction costs. Ask whether employee events, amendments, QDRO review, Form 8955-SSA when applicable, plan termination, employer-stock redemption, business sale, insolvency, merger, partner exit, death, disability, or entity conversion generate separate fees.

FranFund says the FranPlan process normally takes 15 to 20 business days, with most time allocated to moving funds from the current 401(k) custodian to the new custodian. It also markets funding availability in as little as 10 days.^[8] Treat those as provider timing statements, not closing guarantees.

Eligibility still depends on the retirement account, available distribution, receiving-plan acceptance, and plan terms. IRS rollover guidance describes direct rollovers, trustee-to-trustee transfers, 60-day rollovers, withholding rules, eligible rollover distributions, required minimum distribution exclusions, and plan acceptance limits.^[3] In a ROBS transaction, IRS sources describe the C corporation, qualified plan, rollover or transfer, and employer-stock purchase sequence.^[1][2]

Ongoing administration is not optional housekeeping. DOL guidance says plan fiduciaries must act prudently, follow plan documents, pay only reasonable plan expenses, select and monitor service providers, maintain records, provide participant information, handle bonding where required, and file required reports.^[4][5]

Use the same questions with FranFund and every other provider. The goal is a written duty file that shows who does what, what it costs, and what happens if the business plan changes.

Commercial disclosure: 401kROBS.com may receive referral or advertising compensation from some providers. FranFund publicly operates partner, franchisor, lender, CPA, and professional relationship pages.^[9][10][11] Commercial availability is not evidence of suitability, compliance quality, business success, lender approval, or the best price for a particular founder.

This review does not rank FranFund, endorse it, approve it, or score it. Its conclusion would need to remain the same whether or not a commercial relationship exists.

These answers summarize the contract, pricing, and compliance points readers usually need before comparing FranFund with another ROBS provider.

Provider sources establish FranFund's public pricing, service descriptions, timing statements, partner programs, loan-packaging language, and audit-rate claim. Government sources establish the legal, plan, rollover, fiduciary, filing, and employer-stock context. No source proves individualized suitability, final contract pricing, future compliance, investment merit, lender approval, or audit outcome.

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.