Ascensus Launches National 403(b) PEP for Nonprofits

Financial technology and service platform Ascensus LLC announced Monday the launch of its National Nonprofit 403(b) Pooled Employer Plan, meant for nonprofit organizations.

The 403(b) PEP comes with a bundled administrative structure combining recordkeeping, fiduciary oversight and plan administration. Newport, an Ascensus company, will serve as the pooled plan provider and administrative fiduciary, Ascensus will be the recordkeeper, and Arpio Inc. will provide independent investment fiduciary oversight.

The plan is currently available through open distribution to advisers nationwide, according to the announcement.

In March, Ascensus announced a first 403(b) PEP, the Path Forward 403(b) PEP, distributed through OneDigital’s adviser network.

According to PLANSPONSOR’s 2025 Recordkeeping Survey, Ascensus ranked fifth in PEP assets, with $1.8 million in plan assets. Additionally, it ranked sixth in the survey’s list of pooled-employer or multiple-employer 401(k) participants, with 77,856 participants.

“As we look forward, PEPs are a core pillar of our retirement strategy at Ascensus,” said Dan Morrison, the Ascensus president of retirement, in a statement. “We also see the nonprofit segment as underserved and a priority area for future focus and investment.”

Across all plans, Ascensus served more than 16 million plan participants, oversaw more than $913 billion in assets under administration and employed more than 5,000 associates as of March 31.