We use cookies to give users the best content and online experience. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to allow us to use all cookies. Visit our Privacy Policy to learn more.

Manage Cookies
Resources for Businesses My BBB
Share
Business Profile

Employee Benefits Insurance

Empower Retirement

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Employee Benefits Insurance.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Empower Retirement's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Find a Location

Empower Retirement has 6 locations, listed below.

*This company may be headquartered in or have additional locations in another country. Please click on the country abbreviation in the search box below to change to a different country location.

    Please enter a valid location.

    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 570 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 173 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

    Sort by

    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/16/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      7-7-2025 was the original request i have gone back and forth with them now for over a week to get this done. I had to resubmit my form over 5 times then they tell me i have to physically sign it so on 7-15-2025 i did that first thing in the morning and resubmitted it again. At this point i want to take all my money out and roll it over. but i still want my check for my hardship i requested overnighted to me. I was spoken to by ***** in the hardship Department with a very heartless attitude this is for my money for my retirement i work for this money and to be treated like this i would not recommend anyone to be involved with this company.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/17/2025

      Thank you for bringing BBB Complaint # ******** dated 7/16/2025 to our attention. In order to protect the privacy of our account holders, we will research the situation and will respond directly to Ms. ********** We again appreciate you bringing this matter to us for review. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/14/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Resolved
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I was mislead by more than 2 Empower Retirement representatives about conducting a complete 457b Rollover from Empower to ******. I canceled the ****** Rollover Account while the check for $3222.30 was enroute in the ** mail to ****** to fund that ****** Rollover Account. So, there is no ****** Rollover account for this check to go to. I canceled the complete rollover transaction with ****** and Empower. ****** when they receive the check will notify Empower that the check will be rejected by ****** and the money, $3222.30, sent back to Empower to be redeposited into the fund from which it came, the *********************** The reason for this compete Rollover Cancellation was because I was told that my Empower CD in the Empower self-directed broker would either have to be sold, for a loss, or wait for it to mature in 2032 to be transferred. However, I found this out after I was told by more than 2 Empower representatives that my stock and CD in the Empower self-directed brokerage would transfer in-kind to the ****** Rollover account, meaning that nothing, my stocks and CD in the self-directed brokerage, would have to be sold. Again, that they would transfer from Empower to ****** in-kind. Therefore, since there is no ****** Rollover Account, because I closed it before the Empower check for $3222.30 was received by ****** and deposited into my ****** Rollover Account, I would like that $3222.30 to be redeposited into my Empower *********************** from which it was withdrawn.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/14/2025

      Happy Monday, 

       

      We received a complaint on the BBB Portal intended for a different Empower. The complaint references a retirement account, which is not a product Empower offers. 

       

      Please let us know if you have any additional questions.

       

      Business Response

      Date: 07/25/2025

      Thank you for bringing BBB Complaint # ******** to our attention. In order to protect the privacy of our account holders, we will research the situation and will respond to the customer directly in writing. We again appreciate you bringing this matter to us for review.

      Sincerely,

      Empower

      Customer Answer

      Date: 07/25/2025

       
      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

      Sincerely,

      ******* *********

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/09/2025

      Type:Order Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I received a letter from Empower retirement stating I haven't touched this account in months and they were closing it and will send me a check minus 20% for taxes etc. When I called twice over the last 3 weeks they are now stating they won't close or send a check until I fill out paperwork and have it approved by the 1776 union I have proof of the letter and will send pictures of it plus I haven't worked for the cannabis company in years where this retirement plan came from. Please just have them send me my check like they printed in the letter they wrote. I would never invest in this company because they seem like they keep changing the situation and denying what the letter said that they sent over a month ago. I do not want anything from this retirement company except my check they owe me.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/11/2025

      Thank you for bringing BBB Complaint # ******** dated 7/09/2025 to our attention. In order to protect the privacy of our account holders, we will research the situation and will respond directly to Mr. ******* We again appreciate you bringing this matter to us for review

      Customer Answer

      Date: 07/11/2025

       
      Complaint: 23576262

      I am rejecting this response because:  The company just needs to send me my check like the letter stated and I'll delete all this. If not, then we will make this go further.

      Sincerely,

      **** ******

      Business Response

      Date: 07/21/2025

      Thank you for bringing the follow up to BBB Complaint # ******** dated 5/15/2025 to our attention. The distribution was processed as outlined in the mass mailing from the Plan Sponsor.  In order to protect the privacy of our account holders, we have responded directly to Mr. ****** with the details. We again appreciate you bringing this matter to us for review. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/07/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I requested to withdraw ****** taxes and a fee to have it direct deposited in my checking account. All funds was withdrawn but not deposited in my checking account. I called my bank no deposit , I call Empower and the agree the funds were removed but they dont know where my money is and is opening a case but cant redeposit my money.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/08/2025

      Thank you for bringing BBB Complaint # ******** dated 7/34/2025 to our attention. In order to protect the privacy of our account holders, we will research the situation and will respond directly to Ms. ******* We again appreciate you bringing this matter to us for review. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/30/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      This is about a retirement investment company. They completely deceive you about services they claim to provide, and yes I did lose a lot of money, but thats not the issue. Yes I wish they instituted any of my requests/choices that make up my portfolio, maybe I could have done better than their money making products they push. My primary complaint is that they wont allow me to withdraw/transfer my funds to a reputable firm, and are coming with a myriad of excuses and delays without explanation or reason. Countless calls, time spent resolving the issue has gone nowhere. They completely misrepresent themselves and people should be aware, I know I wish that I was. And Im guessing this is not rare, based on everything Ive encountered during this incredibly frustrating experience. It should absolutely be considered in their credit rating, and a legitimate factor in peoples decision in an industry that is notorious for deception. These guys are the worst.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/16/2025

      Thank you for bringing BBB Complaint # ******** dated June 30, 2025, to our attention. In order to protect the privacy of our account holders, we will research the situation and will respond to the customer directly in writing. We again appreciate you bringing this matter to us for review.

      Sincerely,

      Empower

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/25/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I have been contacting this company for weeks about getting money out of my retirement for tuition. I have submitted every piece of information that *** received directly from my school and this company continues to deny ALL paperwork. No representative has a solution and no one will help me. I feel like this company is scamming me.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/14/2025

      Thank you for bringing BBB Complaint # ******** dated June 25, 2025, to our attention. In order to protect the privacy of our account holders, we will research the situation and will respond to the customer directly in writing. We again appreciate you bringing this matter to us for review.

      Sincerely,

      Empower

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/24/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      At the begining of the year, ********************* informed all employees that we were to pick up a 401K plan, I opted out of this plan (denial of service). On my first paycheck in march of 2025, I noticed that funds were deducted. I contacted my employer and was told to contacted empower. Upon doing so, I made sure to inform them that no money was to be deducted. By the time this request was fulfilled, over $200 was gone. When I requested a refund, I was told that only my company's corporate office could do that, and must be fufilled within 5 days.This seems to be a fraud company

      Business Response

      Date: 06/26/2025

      Thank you for bringing BBB Complaint # ******** dated 6/24/2025 to our attention. In order to protect the privacy of our account holders, we will research the situation and will respond directly to Mr. ******* We again appreciate you bringing this matter to us for review. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/23/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Empower, 401 company through an old employer closed out my account and sent me a check . I did not authorize this. Also there was only ***** in the account. They charged me a ***** administration fee and sent me a check for 1 dollar.

      Business Response

      Date: 06/24/2025

      Thank you for bringing BBB Complaint #******** dated June 23, 2025, to our attention. Upon conducting a thorough review of the situation, we responded directly to the customer in our letter dated June *******. While we are unable to share the details of this response with the BBB due to privacy concerns, the customer may share this response with the ******************** at their discretion. We again appreciate you bringing this matter to us for review.

      Sincerely,

      Empower

      Customer Answer

      Date: 06/24/2025

       
      Complaint: 23507017

      I am rejecting this response because:

      Sincerely,

      ***** *****

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/20/2025

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      My husband passed away on 4/17/20, due to being infected with COVID-19. This was a very tragic event for me and my children. We are still grieving and trying to manage life without him. He retired from ***************** after 40 years of service. He had an ***************** Prefunding Plan (associated with Retiree Medical coverage ), this plan was managed by Empower. They sent me a letter notifying me that I am his designated beneficiary in the ***************** Prefunding Plan, which contains a balance that is available for distribution. Empower is the service provider for the plan, and as a beneficiary I am entitled to these funds. I was instructed to complete a W-9 and return it to Empower by fax at ************. The documents were faxed on 1/21/25. There was no response. On 5/9/25, I contacted Empower at ************, and was advised that they had not received the fax, although I had a confirmation that it had been transmitted successfully. On 5/9/25, I mailed the forms directly to Empower P.O. *************************. I still received no response from Empower. On 6/11/25, I contacted Empower at ************, and spoke to *****, Reference# ********, who advised that I needed to complete a request for beneficiary designation, which was confusing since they sent me a letter stating that I am the beneficiary. ***** advised that I could receive the form by mail or by email. I requested that the form be sent via email. I was advised that the email would be sent within 24-hours. The email was not received. Instead, I received a letter in the mail with an Event ID: ********, instructing me to call **************. On 6/16/25, I called **************, and spoke to *****. I informed her that I had spoken to ***** on 6/11/25, and he never sent the form. She requested to run a credit check to verify my identity. Then said wait 2 days to receive the email. It is 6/20/25, and still no email. This is unacceptable and very unprofessional.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/07/2025

      Thank you for bringing BBB Complaint # ******** dated June 20, 2025, to our attention. Upon conducting a thorough review of the situation,we responded directly to the customer in our letter dated July 7, 2025. While we are unable to share the details of this response with the BBB due to privacy concerns, the customer may share this response with the ******************** at their discretion. We again appreciate you bringing this matter to us for review.
      Sincerely,
      Empower

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/18/2025

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      Answered
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I'm the victim of domestic Assault and facing eviction. Empower keeps giving excuses. They want let me take out a hardship withdrawal. I can barely understand what there saying. The more days that keeps passing is a day closer for my belongings to be on the curb and me sleeping on my car. A coworker of mine last year got her hardship withdrawals without having to run around town to get all this paperwork that they want me to provide. Before the eviction and domiistic. I had my dislikes about Empower. I don't like the way they were managing my money. Along with this . I really don't want to do business with them. I feel my money is on jeopardy with this company. If my stuff is out outside. It's because I can't access my own money in a emergency. This whole system may need to be looked into .

      Business Response

      Date: 07/03/2025

      Thank you for bringing BBB Complaint #******** June dated June 29, 2025, to our attention. In order to protect the privacy of our account holders, we will research the situation and will respond to the customer directly in writing. We again appreciate you bringing this matter to us for review.

      Sincerely,

      Empower

    Empower Retirement is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

    To become accredited, a business must agree to BBB Standards for Trust and pass BBB's vetting process.

    Why choose a BBB Accredited Business?

    BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.

    BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.

    When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

    BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period, except for customer reviews. Customer reviews posted prior to July 5, 2024, will no longer be published when they reach three years from their submission date. Customer reviews posted on/after July 5, 2024, will be published indefinitely unless otherwise voluntarily retracted by the user who submitted the content, or BBB no longer believes the review is authentic. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this company, please let them know that you checked their record with BBB.

    As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation. This fee supports BBB's efforts to fulfill its mission of advancing marketplace trust.