# Independent Retirement > Official Independent Retirement business agent. Independent Retirement provides flat-fee third-party administration of 401(k), 403(b), cash balance and other… ## Ask it a question Independent Retirement answers for itself at https://api.hailera.com/mcp/independentretirement. A client that speaks MCP can connect to that address; the tool is ask_independentretirement and the protocol is 2026-07-28. Where this file and the agent disagree, the agent is current. ## About Independent Retirement Independent Retirement is the retirement plan administration (TPA) division of Inde, an independent HR and retirement services firm headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Independent model - No product affiliations or commissions: Independent Retirement does not take revenue-share, commissions, or kickbacks from investment providers, fund companies, or recordkeepers. - Flat-fee pricing: Revenue comes from transparent flat fees paid by clients, not from plan assets or investment products. - Conflict-free administration: This structure is designed so that advice and plan design recommendations are based on what fits the employer, not on product incentives. History and scale - Founded in 2006 in Lake Oswego, Oregon. - Supports 600+ small and mid-sized businesses, primarily in Oregon and increasingly nationwide. - Part of a combined HR and retirement services team with approximately 16 professionals and a high client retention rate as described on the Inde website. Credentials and affiliations Published materials highlight industry credentials and affiliations on the retirement side, including: - QKA and QPA credentialed plan administrators - CPC and related advanced retirement plan design credentials - CEFEX certification, reflecting adherence to recognized best practices Relationship to IndeHR Inde is the parent brand with two main service lines: - Independent Retirement: Retirement plan administration (TPA) for employer-sponsored plans. - IndeHR: Fractional and outsourced HR services for small and mid-sized employers. Many employers use both services together, but retirement plan administration through Independent Retirement can be engaged on its own. Service philosophy Across the Inde brands, the service model emphasizes: - Named points of contact rather than call centers - Team-based support backed by credentialed specialists - Straightforward, flat-fee pricing designed for small and mid-sized organizations Independent Retirement focuses on making retirement plans more understandable and manageable for employers, while handling the technical compliance work behind the scenes. Source: https://www.independentretirement.com ## What Independent Retirement does Independent Retirement is an independent third-party administrator (TPA) that handles the compliance and day-to-day administration work for employer-sponsored retirement plans. What we do - Flat-fee retirement plan administration (fees do not grow with plan assets) - Annual compliance and nondiscrimination testing - Form 5500 preparation and filing support - Plan document drafting, required amendments, and restatements - Contribution calculations and coordination with recordkeepers - Ongoing plan design support (Safe Harbor, traditional, cash balance, and combo plans) - IRS and DOL audit support, including representation For employers Direct service for business owners and internal HR/finance teams: - 1:1 guided implementation for new plans or when switching from a bundled provider - Assigned client success manager who knows your plan - Email and phone support - Annual plan design review (on eligible service tiers) Our role is to keep your plan compliant and running smoothly so you can focus on your business. For advisors and partners White-glove TPA support for financial advisors, CPAs, and benefits brokers: - No product conflicts — we do not manage investments or sell financial products - Wholesale pricing for advisory firms - Expertise in cash balance and combination plan design - Co-branded reports and client-facing support - Support with plan design conversations and finalist meetings Your clients get independent, conflict-free plan administration. You get a TPA partner that never competes with you. Source: https://www.independentretirement.com ## Where Independent Retirement works Independent Retirement focuses on administering retirement plans for small and mid-sized employers, with particular expertise in Oregon and Southwest Washington and retirement plan administration available nationwide. Types of retirement plans we administer According to the published materials, Independent Retirement administers: - Safe Harbor 401(k) - Traditional 401(k) - Solo 401(k) - 403(b) - Cash balance and other defined benefit plans - Profit-sharing plans, including new comparability designs - Combination plans, such as 401(k) plus cash balance arrangements Plan design and ongoing administration include plan documents, compliance testing, contribution calculations, and required filings. Who we serve Independent Retirement primarily serves: - Startups (1–10 employees): Often setting up a first retirement plan, with a focus on making it simple, compliant, and affordable, including use of SECURE 2.0 startup credits where available. - Small businesses (10–100 employees): Employers that are outgrowing bundled providers and need flat-fee pricing, deeper compliance expertise, and a dedicated client success manager. - Growing businesses (100+ employees): Employers with more complex needs such as cash balance combos, new comparability profit-sharing, or multi-plan arrangements. - Advisors and professional partners: Financial advisors, CPAs, and consultants who need a conflict-free TPA partner for their business clients. Service area - Headquarters: Lake Oswego, Oregon - Local markets: Six Oregon and Southwest Washington cities (including Portland, Salem, Eugene, Bend, Vancouver, and Lake Oswego) with local teams providing HR and retirement support. - Nationwide: Retirement plan administration services are available to employers across the United States, not just in Oregon and SW Washington. HR services are concentrated in Oregon and SW Washington through the related IndeHR brand, while retirement plan administration through Independent Retirement is offered nationwide. Lists Roanoke, Bend, Eugene, Lake Oswego, Portland, Salem, and Vancouver as a location. Names Oregon, Washington, and United States as a service area. Areas beyond these are not published. Source: https://www.independentretirement.com ## Prices Independent Retirement offers a free plan design benchmark to help businesses understand how their current retirement plan compares to optimized alternatives. What the free benchmark includes - Side-by-side comparison of your current plan versus optimized alternatives - Fee analysis that compares what you are currently paying against flat-fee pricing - SECURE 2.0 tax credit eligibility assessment - Safe Harbor conversion analysis (if applicable) - 30-minute strategy call to walk through the findings The benchmark is described as a $750 value, offered at no cost for qualifying businesses. Why it matters - A well-designed plan can reduce unnecessary fees and improve tax efficiency. - Many employers are not aware of the full SECURE 2.0 tax credits available for small businesses. - The benchmark helps you understand where your plan stands before it leads to avoidable costs or missed tax advantages. SECURE 2.0 tax credit assessment For eligible small employers (often under 50 employees), SECURE 2.0 may provide significant startup and ongoing tax credits that can offset or even fully cover plan administration costs for the first few years. Independent Retirement evaluates your eligibility for these credits as part of the free benchmark process. Independent Retirement uses flat-fee pricing for retirement plan administration, with fees that are tiered by participant count and do not increase with plan assets. Starter – you manage the plan, we handle compliance - Base fee: $1,750 per year (includes the first 10 participants) - Pricing: tiered by number of participants - Includes: - 1:1 guided implementation - Assigned client success manager - Annual compliance testing - Form 5500 prepared signature-ready - Contribution calculations - IRS/DOL audit support - Email and phone support Professional – full-service plan design and flexibility - Base fee: $2,250 per year - Includes everything in Starter, plus: - Plan documents and amendments - Flexible plan design - Tax credit filing assistance - Annual plan design review - On-demand HR service Premier – full fiduciary oversight and HR support - Pricing: custom quote - Includes everything in Professional, plus: - 3(16) administrative fiduciary services - Employee handbook maintenance - Satisfaction guarantee Additional notes - Pricing is flat-fee and based on participant count and scope, not on assets. - Plans are designed to scale with your business needs, and there are no long-term contracts described in the published materials. Source: https://www.independentretirement.com ## What Independent Retirement has not published yet These are things people ask Independent Retirement that its published information does not yet cover. - prices or fees that are not explicitly published - real-time availability of services or staff - future investment performance or rates of return - specific tax savings amounts or outcomes - guaranteed legal or compliance outcomes - timeframes for IRS or DOL approvals or audits - guaranteed employee participation or savings levels - promises about HR services beyond what is stated Ask anyway — the agent will say plainly that it is not published rather than guess. ## Where this comes from https://www.independentretirement.com