MEP (Multiple Employer 401(k) Plan)
A multiple employer plan is a single 401(k) plan adopted by unrelated employers, the structure behind most PEO retirement offerings.
In a PEO MEP, the PEO typically acts as plan sponsor and handles administration, testing, and the plan-level audit, while each client adopts the plan for its employees. Compare its fees, investment options, fiduciary allocation, employer contribution rules, and exit process with a standalone plan or pooled employer plan.
The exit question matters more than the entry question: when you leave the PEO, your employees’ accounts usually spin off into a new plan you establish or into a successor arrangement, and the timing interacts with vesting, loans, and payroll cutover. Ask how a spin-off works, what it costs, and how long it takes before you join, not when you give notice.