Professional 401(k) Management, Without Leaving Your Plan
Here's exactly what 401K Pilot does, how it works, and what it costs.
Professional 401(k) Management, Without Leaving Your Plan
Here's exactly what 401K Pilot does, how it works, and what it costs.
The Service
A Fiduciary Financial Advisor in the cockpit of your existing 401(k).
401K Pilot provides ongoing, professional management of the investments inside your current employer-sponsored plan. We work with most employer-sponsored retirement accounts including 401(k)s, 401(a)s, 403(b)s, 457s, TSPs, and 529s.
401K Pilot doesn't ask you to leave your employer's plan or roll your balance into a new account. Instead, we portal directly through to your custodian and actively manage the investments already sitting inside your account.
Instead of picking a fund once and leaving it alone for years, your account is actively reviewed, allocated, and rebalanced by a Fiduciary Financial Advisor as your goals and the markets change.
The Service
A Fiduciary Financial Advisor in the cockpit of your existing 401(k)
401K Pilot provides ongoing, professional management of the investments inside your current employer-sponsored plan. We work with most employer-sponsored retirement accounts including 401(k)s, 401(a)s, 403(b)s, 457s, TSPs, and 529s.
401K Pilot doesn't ask you to leave your employer's plan or roll your balance into a new account. Instead, we portal directly through to your custodian and actively manage the investments already sitting inside your account.
Instead of picking a fund once and leaving it alone for years, your account is actively reviewed, allocated, and rebalanced by a Fiduciary Financial Advisor as your goals and the markets change
What stays exactly the same
Your employer, your plan, and your plan provider
Your payroll contributions and employer match
Your ability to log in and see your account at any time
What changes
Who's actively managing the investment strategy
How often your allocation is reviewed and adjusted
The level of personal guidance behind your retirement account
What's Included
Clear guidance before and after the first review.
01. Initial plan review.
In our no cost, no obligation phone/zoom consultation, we will review your 401K plan, learn more about your financial and retirement goals, and walk you through what professional management would look like for your 401K
02. Custom allocation strategy.
Your portfolio is built around your timeline, risk tolerance, and broader financial picture. Not a one-size-fits-all glide path.
03. Ongoing management.
Your account is monitored and re-balanced on a regular basis, not just once at time of onboarding. Periodic portfolio reviews are conducted throughout the year to ensure that you are kept up to date on market and economic developments and changes made to your portfolio.
04. Direct access to your dedicated Fiduciary Financial Advisor
Questions about your account, your portfolio fund selections, or your retirement timeline go straight to your dedicated Fiduciary Financial Advisor.
05. Coordination with your broader plan.
For clients who work with us on retirement planning more broadly, your 401(k) strategy is coordinated with your other accounts and goals.
How It Works
Step 1: Flight Check
If your 401K plan balance (or combined 401K balance) is at least $250,000, contact us here for a no cost and no obligation consultation with a Fiduciary Financial Advisor.
Step 2: Flight Plan
During our introductory call, we will review your 401K plan, learn more about your financial and retirement goals, and walk you through what professional management would look like for your 401K. No jargon, no pressure, no obligation
Step 3: Take Off
If it makes sense for your goals, we handle the setup within your existing plan and walk you through the two step, 15-minute process to establish the portal connection to your 401K plan
Step 4: Cruising Altitude & Course Adjustments.
Your account is monitored and re-balanced on a regular basis, not just once at time of onboarding. Periodic portfolio reviews are conducted throughout the year to ensure that you are kept up to date on market and economic developments and changes made to your portfolio.
How It Works
Step 1: Flight Check
If your 401K plan balance (or combined 401K balance) is at least $250,000, contact us here for a no cost and no obligation consultation with a Fiduciary Financial Advisor.
Step 2: Flight Plan
During our introductory call, we will review your 401K plan, learn more about your financial and retirement goals, and walk you through what professional management would look like for your 401K. No jargon, no pressure, no obligation
Step 3: Take Off
If it makes sense for your goals, we handle the setup within your existing plan and walk you through the two step, 15-minute process to establish the portal connection to your 401K plan
Step 4: Cruising Altitude & Course Adjustments.
Your account is monitored and re-balanced on a regular basis, not just once at time of onboarding. Periodic portfolio reviews are conducted throughout the year to ensure that you are kept up to date on market and economic developments and changes made to your portfolio.
What it costs
One clear
advisory fee.
1%
Transparent Advisory Fees:
1% Annual Advisory Fee, Billed Monthly
We believe you should understand what you pay for investment advisory services. 401(k) Pilot’s current annual advisory fee is 1%, billed monthly.
This fee applies to advisory services only and may be changed. Additional fees and expenses, including those charged by your plan provider, custodian, or other third parties, may apply and are not controlled by The401kPilot.
Please review the applicable fee disclosures and agreements for details about the costs associated with your account.
You can cancel your advisory arrangement in accordance with the terms of your advisory agreement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still control my 401(k)?
Yes, completely. You retain full ownership and control of your account at all times. We manage the investment strategy inside it. We never take custody of your money, and you can end the arrangement whenever you choose
Does my money leave my employer's plan?
No. Your balance stays inside your existing 401k the entire time. We portal directly through to your custodian and actively manage the investments already sitting inside your plan. There are no rollovers and no lapses in your payroll contributions.
How is this different from a target-date fund?
A target-date fund adjusts its allocation on a fixed schedule based only on your expected retirement date. 401K Pilot builds and adjusts your strategy around your actual goals, risk tolerance, and full financial picture with a Fiduciary Financial Advisor reviewing it, not a preset formula. After all, the year that you expect to retire is not an investment strategy
Who is this for?
401K Pilot works with employees who have at least a $250,000 balance in their retirement plan (or combined balance among multiple plans). We work with most employer-sponsored retirement accounts including 401(k)s, 401(a)s, 403(b)s, 457s, TSPs, and 529s.
Although we work with professionals at any stage of their career, we are an especially great solution for busy professionals who are 5 -10 years away from retirement and want to ensure that their nest-egg is professionally managed to help mitigate market risk.
Do you act as a fiduciary?
Yes, 401K Pilot is a service of Gateway Capital Management, an Investment Advisory Representative firm under Balboa Wealth Partners. As an SEC – Registered Investment Advisory firm, Balboa Wealth Partners is built on the fiduciary standard, meaning your adviser is legally obligated to act in your best interest and disclose any conflicts of interest
What it costs
One clear
advisory fee.
1%
Annual advisory fee
Flat, published advisory fee: 1% annual fee, billed monthly. No commissions and no hidden charges
We believe you should be able to see exactly what you're paying and exactly what you're getting for it. There are no surprise fees layered on top of the advisory rate and you are free to cancel the arrangement at any time without penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still control my 401(k)?
Yes, completely. You retain full ownership and control of your account at all times. We manage the investment strategy inside it. We never take custody of your money, and you can end the arrangement whenever you choose
Does my money leave my employer's plan?
No. Your balance stays inside your existing 401k the entire time. We portal directly through to your custodian and actively manage the investments already sitting inside your plan. There are no rollovers and no lapses in your payroll contributions.
How is this different from a target-date fund?
A target-date fund adjusts its allocation on a fixed schedule based only on your expected retirement date. 401K Pilot builds and adjusts your strategy around your actual goals, risk tolerance, and full financial picture with a Fiduciary Financial Advisor reviewing it, not a preset formula. After all, the year that you expect to retire is not an investment strategy
Who is this for?
401K Pilot works with employees who have at least a $250,000 balance in their retirement plan (or combined balance among multiple plans). We work with most employer-sponsored retirement accounts including 401(k)s, 401(a)s, 403(b)s, 457s, TSPs, and 529s.
Although we work with professionals at any stage of their career, we are an especially great solution for busy professionals who are 5 -10 years away from retirement and want to ensure that their nest-egg is professionally managed to help mitigate market risk.
Do you act as a fiduciary?
Yes, 401K Pilot is a service of Gateway Capital Management, an Investment Advisory Representative firm under Balboa Wealth Partners. As an SEC – Registered Investment Advisory firm, Balboa Wealth Partners is built on the fiduciary standard, meaning your adviser is legally obligated to act in your best interest and disclose any conflicts of interest
Find Out in Minutes if Your Plan Qualifies
No cost. No obligation. No rollover required.
401K Pilot is a service of Gateway Capital Management, a DBA of Balboa Wealth Partners, a registered investment advisor. Balboa Wealth provides investment advisory and related services for clients nationally. Balboa Wealth will maintain all applicable registrations and licenses required by the various states in which it conducts business. For additional information, please visit our website at www.balboawealth.com
Studies have shown that accounts managed with professional guidance have the potential to deliver higher returns on an annual basis
This range comes from the conclusions of multiple studies:
Vanguard released the whitepaper “Putting a value on your value: Quantifying Vanguard Advisor’s Alpha” in July 2022. Based on several factors, the whitepaper concludes that “advisors can potentially add up to, or even exceed, 3% in net returns” on an annual basis. The largest contributing factors they identified were behavioral coaching (up to 2+% alpha), spending strategy (up to 1.2% alpha), asset location (up to 60 basis points), cost-effective implementation (expense ratios; 30 basis points), and rebalancing (14 basis points). When combined with other value-adds, the whitepaper concludes that the effect is likely to exceed 3% of annual additional gains, net of fees.
In their 2024 Value of an Advisor paper (available upon request - contact us), Russell Investments concludes that “the value of an advisor in the U.S. is approximately 5%” on an annual basis. The paper indicates that the contributing factors were behavioral coaching (2.82%), customization and holistic wealth management (1.13%), tax-smart planning and investing (0.94%), and rebalancing (11 basis points). Subtracting a general fee basis of 1% results in 4% alpha annually, net of fees.
Industry studies show that professionally managed 401(K)s on average earn 3.32% more than participant managed according to the “Help in Defined Contribution Plans” report conducted by AON Hewitt. The Link: “Help in Defined Contribution Plans” should take the user to the attached report to this email: Help in Defined Contribution Plans: 2006 through 2012
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