Our Heritage

2004 was a major year for our company culture and service structure. We officially established the Core Values by which we still live today — People Matter. Quality First. Integrity Always.^®

We also became the first independent recordkeeper to introduce a scalable, fee-based retirement plan solution for financial advisors.

We built from this momentum, entering the health savings account (HSA) market immediately after these new savings tools were introduced. Ascensus quickly became an industry leader in HSA education and administration.

Ascensus was named to the 2015 and 2017 Inc. 5000 lists of fastest-growing private companies in the United States, attributing our continued growth to key partnerships,  hard-working associates, and service-oriented culture.

In late 2015, Ascensus was acquired by private equity firms Genstar Capital and Aquiline Capital Partners, signaling. They’ve expressed their commitment to supporting Ascensus as we continue to build our capabilities and help more people save.

As part of the evolution our national TPA rollout strategy that began in 2017, Ascensus launched the FuturePlan by Ascensus brand identity. FuturePlan is made up of more than 30 acquired TPAs.

In early 2019, Ascensus owners Genstar Capital and Aquiline Capital Partners welcomed new investors led by Atlas Merchant Capital LLC, to their ownership group.

Ascensus was recognized as Retirement Leader of the Year at the 2019 Fund Intelligence Mutual Fund Industry Awards, celebrating the funds, fund leaders, providers, marketers, trustees, and independent counsel who stood out for their successes, achievements, and contributions. Ascensus was honored as a finalist for the same recognition in 2020.

Ascensus transitioned more than 95% of its workforce to working from home within a matter of days when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. Our associates collaborated to sustain client satisfaction levels and network availability.

Ascensus launches READYSAVE, its first-ever mobile app for retirement savers. Driven by data and behavioral science, READYSAVE helps savers stay on track, includes accessibility features for visually impaired users, and is offered in English and Spanish.

We expanded our mobile app reach to education savers with the launch of the READYSAVE 529 app, allowing individuals to manage their accounts on the go.

In April, we announced that funds managed by Stone Point Capital, a leading financial services-focused private equity firm, and the private equity team of GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, would acquire Ascensus and invest in our continued growth.

Ascensus announces plans to add nearly 400 new associates through 2022, supporting growth and investments in expertise, technology, and service; expanded sales territories; and expanded scale and capabilities across its lines of business.

In November, Ascensus announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement under which Newport—the Walnut Creek, California-based retirement services provider—would merge with Ascensus, bringing industry leading capabilities in tax-advantaged savings, insurance, and other financial services to an even broader array of advisors, partners, and clients.

Franklin Templeton selects Ascensus to host its Personal Retirement Path managed account service, expanding on Ascensus’ existing managed account offerings with Morningstar, NextCapital, OneDigital, and Stadion on the firm’s open-architecture platform.

Ascensus’ Ugift program, which allows family and friends to contribute to a beneficiary’s 529 or ABLE savings account, surpasses $2 billion in contributions, a 300% increase in giving in just four years.

Ascensus and Newport announced their merger agreement has met all closing conditions and the companies begin efforts to combine—serving more than 15 million people across America saving in an industry-leading 150,000+ retirement plans, as well as 529 and ABLE savings accounts, and health savings and spending accounts.

Ascensus unveiled and celebrated the evolved brand identity and design of Ascensus. This update brings together our most impactful experiences to showcase and demonstrate who we are and build on our leading position in the market.