Ascensus, in Partnership with OneDigital, Unveils Two New Technology-Driven Pooled Retirement Plans
Published: 27 Mar 2026
Author: Precedence Research
Ascensus, one of the largest and most respected retirement plan administrators in the U.S, has announced the launch of two new Pooled Employer Plans(PEPs). These plans are aimed at revolutionizing the way employers deliver retirement benefits to their employees through the power of advanced software and automation technologies. The two retirements plans are named Path Forward 401(k) PEP and Path Forward 403(k) PEP which are developed in collaboration with OneDigital, a leading national financial services company. This has facilitated Ascensus to deliver cutting-edge and automated benefits administration software to a wider section of the market.
Software-Based Automation at the Core of PEP Launch
The Ascensus system, which manages the newly developed PEPs, provides a cohesive software environment. Under the agreement:
Ascensus’s platform manages recordkeeping, trust and custody, regulatory compliance support and administrative fiduciary services, which were earlier disparate processes, in a unified software environment. This platform allows employers to minimize administrative burden, increase accuracy and streamline internal resources.
OneDigital provides 3(38) investment fiduciary services, to facilitate automated investment guidance to participants’ plans, in addition to integrating investment and contribution data with Ascensus’s system.
The partnership provides a digitally managed benefits admin experience, which removes errors associated with checks and balances. Plan sponsors can access a range of metrics in real-time. This launch is in line with the broader trend of cloud-based integrated HR benefits platforms, which provide seamless connection between retirement plans and HRIS/payroll platforms.
The benefits administration software market size was calculated at USD 1.92 billion in 2025 and is predicted to increase from USD 2.18 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 6.97 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 13.76% from 2026 to 2035 as the demand grows for managing employee benefits, tracking complains and integration with the payroll system.
Market Impact and Trend Alignment
Through its comprehensive administrative software integration within its PEP platform, Ascensus appears to be competing in the same space as traditional benefits administration software providers. The realm of retirement plan administration modules needs to accommodate sophisticated compliance, reporting, and multi-employer scalable functionality. As more organizations look to technology-based benefits administration solutions to minimize workload and risk, Ascensus’ latest offerings appear to position company as a benefits plan provider as well as a software-based admin solution within the market.
A recent report by Precedence Research highlights that the benefits administration software market is benefiting from advancements in the cloud technology, Artificial Intelligence and HR digitalization services.