Documented ten-year method
The model reuses canonical provider records and the provider-fee calculator presets. A calculable provider must have a documented setup fee, documented required recurring administration fee, and documented recurring cadence. Missing or quote-only setup or recurring inputs produce a visible unknown status, never a zero, estimate, rank, score, or omission.[4]
For most monthly providers the formula is setup + monthly fee × 120. For quarterly providers it is setup + quarterly fee × 40. For annual providers it is setup + annual fee × 10 unless the source says the first year of support is included in setup; then only years 2 through 10 are counted.
Worked example independently checked
FranFund remains calculable from the canonical record: $4,995 setup plus $165 monthly required TPA service. Ten-year base total: 4,995 + 165 × 120 = 24,795.
My Solo 401k Financial remains calculable from the canonical record with a first-year-included exception: $3,000 setup includes the first 12 months, and $899 annual support starts 12 months later for the first 10 participants. Ten-year base total: 3,000 + 899 × 9 = 11,091.
Why these totals are not apples to apples
Published provider pages do not describe identical service scope. One provider may include first-year support, another may preserve starts-at pricing, another may bundle valuation or registered-agent work differently, and another may require a written proposal before any arithmetic is possible. DOL fee materials support comparing fees with services, compensation, and monitoring duties together rather than selecting only the lowest number.[2][3]
- Provider contact verification still matters: request written setup fee, recurring fee, cadence, included services, exclusions, pass-throughs, employee charges, valuation scope, audit support, correction support, cancellation, and exit fees.
- This page does not provide legal, tax, fiduciary, investment, valuation, accounting, provider-selection, or suitability advice. ROBS can involve plan qualification, employer stock, C corporation, employee, Form 5500, Form 1120, prohibited-transaction, valuation, and failure issues.[1]
- Ten-year totals are not present-value calculations and do not model inflation, mid-horizon renewal changes, fee increases, discounts, changed employee counts, or future service-scope changes. Provider contracts can change after source checks. Current-as-of dates, direct source links, authorship, and canonical records are shown so arithmetic can be reproduced.
Editorial independence, privacy, and current-as-of status
Provider presets inherit canonical provider records; affiliate status does not affect defaults or ordering. The tool uses browser-local FormData inputs and does not store inputs, set cookies, persist query strings, request a quote, ask for an email or phone number, display selected-customer stories, or send entries to providers.
No taxes, investment losses, business costs, lead forms, rankings, or quote requests are included in the arithmetic. Unknown or non-equivalent scope remains explicit until provider contact verification supplies written comparable terms.
Sources
- [1] IRS ROBS compliance project
Official IRS source describes ROBS arrangements, rollover/direct-transfer records, participant information, stock valuation and purchases, Form 5500 or 5500-EZ, Form 1120, promoter-fee concerns, prohibited transactions, discrimination, business failure, bankruptcy, liens, and dissolution. Page last reviewed Nov. 16, 2025; checked Aug. 13, 2026.
- [2] DOL: Understanding Retirement Plan Fees and Expenses
Official DOL source explains that fiduciaries should compare services and costs together, evaluate bundled and unbundled arrangements, understand direct and indirect compensation, and monitor providers. Checked Aug. 13, 2026.
- [3] DOL: Meeting Your Fiduciary Responsibilities
Official DOL source supports fiduciary prudence, written plan documents, service-provider selection and monitoring, reasonable fees, Form 5500 reporting, plan expenses, corrections, and employer-stock fair-market-value boundaries. Checked Aug. 13, 2026.
- [4] Canonical 401kROBS provider records
This tool inherits the maintained provider records and provider-fee calculator presets used by the provider directory, profiles, interactive provider comparison, and fee calculator. Direct provider pricing links and retrieval dates are displayed per provider. Internal canonical records reviewed Aug. 13, 2026.