When you transfer your 401(k) plan to Gusto Retirement from another provider, one of your first tasks is uploading a plan participant census. This article explains what the census includes, how to gather and format the data, and how to upload it in your administrator dashboard.
When your plan transfers to Gusto Retirement from another 401(k) provider, you will get several notifications and tasks in your retirement administrator dashboard. One key task is sharing your plan participant census.
A census gives us each participant's personal and 401(k) information so we can import their data, send them required notices, and file your plan's Form 5500.
The plan participant census includes relevant details about your participants, covering all active and dismissed employees with a balance in your plan. The information needed can vary depending on your plan type and whether you are part of a legally related group (LRG).
Once you begin the participant census task, you will see a list of the specific information needed for your plan. Here is what you can expect:
Company name (if uploading information for multiple 401(k) plans under an LRG, indicate which company each employee works for)
Full name
Email address
Birth date
Hire date
Termination date (if the participant is dismissed)
Full address
For qualified automatic contribution arrangement (QACA) plans, you also need to include:
Wage type (W-2 or self-employed income)
Current pre-tax deferral rate
Current Roth deferral rate
Election type (self-elected or auto-enrolled)
First year of auto-escalation — the first plan year the participant's deferral rate was automatically increased (only required for participants who were auto-enrolled)
We recommend contacting your prior provider or recordkeeper for a report of the participant information listed above. You need all the requested information for both current and former employees who have a balance in your 401(k) plan.
If any former employee contact information is missing, try reaching out to them directly using any available information you have, like emergency contacts, other benefit information like COBRA, or social media accounts.
If you still cannot find the information, a professional search service can help.
When you are ready to share your plan participant census, follow the steps below using a desktop computer.
The participant census needs to be uploaded as a spreadsheet. Whether you got the data in a spreadsheet from your prior provider or you need to format it yourself, follow the steps below. You can also use the sample template linked within the task to help format the spreadsheet.
To format your spreadsheet correctly, follow these steps:
If the information is currently listed in multiple tabs or files, compile it into a single spreadsheet.
Use the first row of the file as column headers to identify the information below. You should have a column header for each category of data requested for your participants.
Save the file in CSV format. This is the only format our system accepts.
To upload the spreadsheet into the task workflow, drag and drop the file or select the Add file button to search for it in your computer documents. Once your file is processed, you will automatically go to the next step.
To make sure each column is categorized correctly, confirm each incoming field matches the correct destination field in our system. We take our best guess based on the column headers in your spreadsheet, but you will want to adjust them as needed.
If any fields are not mapped correctly, select the drop-down menu next to that specific column label and select the correct field from the list. If you choose a field already selected, the duplicate will turn blank and a new mapping will be required. You can review a preview of the data each category will be applied to by hovering over any row.
Note: Fields may vary depending on your plan type.
Once all the labels are properly mapped, select Continue.
The next screen shows the imported data. Scroll through the chart to review any flagged errors:
Orange (warning) — Gusto Retirement needs to review this information to make sure it is what we need to properly administer your plan. You can still submit your participant census with warnings.
Red (invalid) — This information needs to be resolved before you can move forward. You can quickly see all invalid entries by selecting Invalid above the census chart. You may need to scroll to the right to see the flagged cells.
To see a description of the error, hover over the highlighted cell. Then double-select to edit or enter the requested information manually. You can also go back and upload a new file if you need to fix issues in bulk. The Invalid button should show 0 before you can submit the census.
To submit your census, follow these steps:
Select Submit once all errors are corrected.
Wait several moments for your plan participant census to upload.
Look for a confirmation notice that the upload is done.
We will review your census within two to three business days and contact you if we need more details.
If you need to delete the uploaded data and start over, follow these steps:
Check the open box in the top left corner of the data list to select all rows. Once selected, you should see all rows checked and highlighted.
Select the trash can icon.
Select Delete records in the pop-up notification to confirm.
Once your data is cleared, you can upload a new file by following the upload instructions above.
If you need to add more participants to your census, you can upload a new spreadsheet to an existing census list.
To add new records, follow these steps:
Go to Files.
Select Add file.
Select Import.
Select the button next to Census to import the sheet, then select Continue.
Map the fields as outlined above and select Continue.
Your new data should appear in your existing census.
Important: Uploading new information for an existing participant will create a duplicate record, which will be flagged. You need to delete the outdated duplicate listing before you can save your new records.