This guide can help new plan sponsors and administrators understand your role, navigate the 401(k) dashboard, and find key resources for managing your Gusto 401(k).
If you've taken on a sponsor or collaborator role for your company's 401(k), you are a plan administrator — an employer representative responsible for overseeing and managing the plan.
There are five administrator roles: trustee, plan sponsor, primary benefit administrator (PBA), administrator, and finance role. Each has different access permissions. You may assign roles to HR or financial professionals within your organization.
Learn more about plan roles and permissions and how to add new admins.
Your 401(k) administrator dashboard is where you will manage your company's 401(k) plan. Choose the path that matches how you signed in.
Sign in to Gusto and go to Benefits. Under Savings, find 401(k) and select View, then select Manage 401(k)
Sign in directly at the Gusto Retirement sign-in page.
How you manage your 401(k) depends on your payroll provider.
We automatically collect payroll details to process contributions, set up deferral rates, and manage your employee roster in real time. Learn how our payroll integrations work.
If your company uses a non-Gusto payroll provider, you can still use a 401(k) plan with Gusto as a self-service solution. Learn about your responsibilities as a self-service plan sponsor.
Keeping your roster up to date is critical for properly allocating employee contributions to participant accounts. Make sure you know how to:
All Gusto 401(k) plans include automatic enrollment. Employees will get an email notification about 30 days before the plan start date or when they become eligible. The email includes their auto-enrollment date. If an employee does not self-enroll or opt out by the deadline, they will be automatically enrolled at your plan's default deferral rate.
Check out the guide to employee enrollment for a full overview of the enrollment process. We also recommend sharing information about auto-enrollment with your employees, so they know what to expect once they become eligible.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires compliance testing each year after year-end. Its purpose is to confirm that your plan does not unfairly favor owners and highly compensated employees, and that it stays within IRS-required limits. Failing compliance tests can result in penalties and added costs.
Keep an eye on the Compliance tab of your 401(k) administrator dashboard throughout the year so you can prepare to make corrections if your plan approaches nondiscrimination limits.
Note: If you offer a safe harbor or Starter 401(k) plan, your plan will automatically meet most nondiscrimination requirements and will be exempt from most required tests. Learn more about safe harbor plans.
We've created resources for both administrators and employees to help answer questions about managing and participating in a Gusto 401(k).
Getting started
Plan, contribution, and employee management
How can I fix incorrect employee information on my 401(k) roster?
What is a missed deferral opportunity and how is it corrected?
How delayed contribution deposits may result in penalties for plan sponsors
IRS requirements and deadlines
We also offer live retirement support in English and Spanish to help answer specific plan questions for both administrators and participants.