Boise, Idaho, Nov. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ataraxis and STRIVE Wealth & Protection Planning are expanding their retirement plan offerings with the January 2027 launch of a Pooled Employer Plan (PEP). The PEP will be available to select clients based on their 401(k) plan size. Ataraxis does not charge an adopting employer a fee to participate in either the Ataraxis Multiple Employer Plan (MEP) or the new PEP. Competitive plan, fund and participant-level fees still apply.
As organizations grow, retirement plans often become more complex due to increased participation, evolving fiduciary obligations, and greater demands for employee financial wellness benefits. The expanded offerings are designed to help employers address these challenges while maintaining competitive retirement programs that support employee recruitment and retention.
Since 2016, Ataraxis and STRIVE have worked together to help employers offer competitive retirement benefits while navigating plan administration and fiduciary responsibilities. The Ataraxis MEP will continue serving small and midsize organizations, while the PEP is designed to help midsize to larger employers navigate increasing retirement-plan complexity through enhanced plan design flexibility, fiduciary governance and documentation, employee education resources, and tools that support efficient plan administration and oversight.
“Business owners want to take care of their employees, but retirement benefits also require thoughtful decisions about cost and oversight,” said Stephen Cilley, Founder and CEO of Ataraxis. “Our long relationship with STRIVE has given clients access to knowledgeable guidance as they make those decisions. For many growing employers, the annual plan audit is a significant cost. A standalone 401(k) plan with 100 or more participants is generally required to have an independent audit each year. Employers that participate in our plans do not need a separate audit of their own and do not pay an audit fee, because the audit is conducted at the MEP or PEP level. With this new PEP, we’re excited to relieve larger organizations of much of the administrative and labor-intensive work that comes with sponsoring a 401(k) plan and to create an opportunity for additional savings, with the annual audit as one example.”
Ataraxis provides hands-on HR and benefits administration, helping employers manage employee benefits as part of their broader workforce strategy, and sponsors the MEP and PEP. STRIVE serves as the investment fiduciary to both the MEP and PEP, as the ERISA 3(21) investment adviser to the MEP and the ERISA 3(38) investment manager to the PEP. To help employers manage their retirement plans with greater confidence, the PEP brings together experienced industry providers and coordinated administrative and fiduciary services. Empower serves as the plan's recordkeeper, while Momenta serves as the Third-Party Administrator (TPA), Pooled Plan Provider (PPP), and designated ERISA 3(16) fiduciary plan administrator.
“Most companies we meet did not set out to become experts in ERISA,” said Jed Reese, President of STRIVE Wealth & Protection Planning. “Leadership adopted a plan to help employees save, appointed a provider, and moved on to running the business. Years later the plan is larger, the rules have changed, and the people responsible for it may not be certain what their fiduciary obligations are or whether the arrangement is still appropriate for their organization’s needs. That is the gap we were built to fill. Through our continued partnership with Ataraxis, we can build on that approach by offering larger organizations an additional option in the PEP.”
“We are having more frequent conversations with business owners of all sizes about investing in their workforces as part of their long-term employee engagement, satisfaction and retention strategy,” said Eric Smith, Chief Revenue Officer of Ataraxis. “Retirement benefits are often at the center of those conversations, and between the MEP and the new PEP, employers at every stage of growth now have a practical way to offer a competitive plan.”
For more information about Ataraxis, visit www.ataraxis.com/. To learn more about STRIVE Wealth & Protection Planning, visit www.striveplanning.com/.
About Ataraxis
Ataraxis empowers organizations across the US with hands-on HR services across people ops, employee relations, payroll, benefits administration, compliance, and workers’ compensation. As a true integrated partner of their team, we provide expert, personalized, and scalable solutions that simplify operations, reduce risk, and eliminate administrative complexity so they can stay focused on their business and their people.
About STRIVE
STRIVE Wealth & Protection Planning is a corporate retirement plan consulting and wealth management firm based in Idaho, with nearly two decades of experience serving employers nationwide. STRIVE specializes in employer-sponsored retirement plans, including 401(k) fiduciary consulting, investment monitoring, fee benchmarking, committee governance and employee education, using a recordkeeper-independent approach. ERISA 3(21) and 3(38) investment advisory services are offered through Clear Creek Financial Management LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor. STRIVE also provides financial planning and wealth management for individuals and families.
STRIVE Wealth & Protection Planning is not a registered investment advisor. Advisory services are offered through Clear Creek Financial Management LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Clear Creek Financial Management LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. There is no common ownership or control between STRIVE Wealth & Protection Planning LLC and Clear Creek Financial Management LLC.
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Lisa Lavin Ataraxis (208) 906-2636 llavin@ataraxis.com Jed Reese STRIVE Wealth & Protection Planning (208) 853-0600 contact@striveplanning.com
