FAQs

In 2022, Ascensus and Newport became part of a unified organization under Ascensus. Since then, we've been engaged in a thoughtful, measured, and collaborative approach that builds upon our collective strengths to deliver the best of the best our unified organization has to offer.

Our unique approach means the award-winning Newport web experience* you and your participants value today will serve as the digital framework moving forward, even after your plan has fully migrated to the Ascensus recordkeeping services platform in 2024—with ongoing benefits and enhancements as your experience evolves over time.

*DALBAR Review. Q4 2021.

We believe everyone deserves to feel financially secure. That's why Ascensus is helping more people save for a better future. With more than 40 years of experience, Ascensus is a market-leading enabler of tax-advantaged savings, trusted by more than 15 million people (and counting).

We have over $742 billion in savings assets under administration and over 5,700 associates who are passionate about helping our clients achieve their goals. In the retirement business, Ascensus serves 155,500+ retirement plans.¹

Ascensus is the largest independent recordkeeping services provider, third-party administrator, and government savings facilitator in the United States.² Our independence enables financial advisors and employers to build their plans their way—choosing the investments and services that support their participants’ retirement readiness. Ascensus is well-positioned to bring a world-class experience to you and your participants.

Shared values and commitment to client experience, accountability, collaboration, quality, and integrity in the retirement solutions space formed the foundation of our unification strategy and vision.

You can learn more about Ascensus at Ascensus.com.

¹As of 6/30/2023.
²Cerulli Associates. The Cerulli Report: U.S. Retirement Markets 2021. March 2022.

In 2020, PlanMember teamed with Newport to expand and enhance the retirement services program. In 2022, Ascensus and Newport became one company under Ascensus, a premier tax-advantaged savings program provider.

Yes, your plan will be migrated to the Ascensus recordkeeping services platform. But with our focus on maintaining the best of the best from each of our organizations, you'll continue to have access to key features of your Newport experience.

You can expect a smooth journey with minimal action required from you or your participants.

You do not need to change plan documents.
You do not need to sign new service agreements unless there is a legal requirement to do so.
Your plan fees will stay the same through migration.
We will migrate data over a weekend, reducing time out of market.
Login credentials will remain the same.
Participants do not need to re-register in the plan.

Yes. There will be a brief quiet period when some activities will be suspended, allowing for your plan’s secure migration to Ascensus recordkeeping platform. Specific dates and cut-off times for processing transactions will be shared well ahead of migration.

As a plan sponsor, you can look forward to continuous innovation with benefits that include increased Payroll 360 integrations.

Participants will have access to many of the features and functionality they value today, along with ongoing enhancements.

Quick Enroll, My Forecast, and Personal Performance will still be available according to plan rules and participant investment elections.
Current whole percentage investment elections will be mapped over.
Participants will still have access to their Newport Financial Wellness Learning Center.

These experiences will continue evolving over time to further streamline your plan administration and provide new ways for your participants to save.

You'll also benefit from additional investments and upgrades behind the scenes when your plan moves. For example, a new customer relationship management tool implemented in 2023 enables even quicker resolution through expedited access to plan details and tracking. In addition, enhanced workflow technology was upgraded and relaunched for more efficient routing and processing.

Newport Trust Company will continue to serve as custodian and/or trustee of your plan.

Ascensus is committed to providing as much continuity as possible in your service model and maintaining the same high level of responsiveness and support you expect.

In line with our unique, phased approach to unification, we expect that the service model—like all aspects of our business—will continue to evolve over time. However, our primary goal is to continue to deliver the highest quality service to you and your participants, so any change that may take place in the future will be determined with your needs in mind and communicated in advance.

While the unified organization will be branded Ascensus, you will continue to see Newport in some parts of your experience following migration. For example, your service agreements will remain with Newport for now, so you will continue to see certain billing items including—but not limited to—invoices and fee disclosures that reference Newport. To ensure you don’t miss any important information, it's key to confirm with your IT department or email service provider that Ascensus IP addresses and domains are allowed by your organization's security filters.

Yes. Fees as outlined in your current schedule will remain the same through migration.

Yes. Your login credentials will remain the same and your current web experience will continue to serve as the digital framework moving forward, with ongoing enhancements over time. Once your plan has migrated, your login credentials will still work.

Yes. As we bring forward the best of each organization, some reports will remain the same, others will be enhanced, and new options will be added.

We will provide participant-focused resources as we get closer to migration. We are committed to making it easy for you to share what’s happening with your employees and answer any questions they may have.

Yes, participants will continue to access their accounts the same way they do today with their existing login credentials.

Whether you submit a file through a vendor, upload a file through the plan website, or enter contributions manually today, you can continue to do so after your plan has migrated. Though your experience might be slightly different, we’re taking great care to keep the process simple and streamlined. We’ll share more details well ahead of migration.

Yes. Your payroll integration will remain in place after your plan has migrated. In line with our best of the best approach that builds upon each organization’s strengths, we are ensuring that all payroll integrations continue to be supported.

Ascensus offers a wide array of payroll integrations with external vendors, with both 180 and 360 options. See a complete list here.

Last updated 11/14/2023

Frequently Asked Questions

General

Plan Migration

Continuity and Enhancements

Payroll & Contribution Funding

Additional questions?