Skip to main content

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
Better Business Bureau
®
Powered by data. Driven by trust.
For Businesses
Powered by data. Driven by trust.
Share
Business Profile

Retirement Planning Services

Ascensus

Headquarters

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Retirement Planning Services.

Complaints

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

Find a Location

Ascensus has 15 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.

    • Ascensus

      200 Dryden Rd E Dresher, PA 19025-1044

    • Ascensus Inc

      3131 Camino del Rio N Ste 1040 San Diego, CA 92108-5711

    • FuturePlan by Ascensus

      3131 Camino del Rio N Ste 1600 San Diego, CA 92108-5746

    • Ascensus Inc

      404 Camino del Rio S Ste 608 San Diego, CA 92108-3556

    • Ascensus

      101 W Broadway Ste 1420 San Diego, CA 92101-8215

    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 92 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 54 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:10/30/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 trying to cancel this account since May, and they are continue to charge me. This was an account i had for my business to handle my 401k that was liquidated in May. Please see the saga of emails and PLEASE, help me!!

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:10/23/2024

      Type:Order Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      ******* *** is a scam artist and committing potential criminal behavior by keeping my funds due to the company's incompetency and demanding I sign a form back dated 3 years ago for her "compliance" I am not ok with this and they are holding My entire 401k hostage. Criminals!

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:10/17/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 am having difficulty with Ascensus Investments after sending email and speaking on the phone with them about payment for my brother's retirement account after he died in January of 2024. They were friendly, they sent an email with forms attached for signature that I signed and sent back on February 26. My local coroner in ****** recently sent a certificate of death that took a very long time. I sent Ascensus a copy on September 30th, but got no response. When I followed up in email to ask about the status, they sent another message that they had a phone number to call but no direct email other than the 529 plan department without a postal address. I think something has gone wrong at Ascensus and need you to help.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:10/08/2024

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      We were contracted with Future Plan for many years, we made every quarter payment for years, on April 2024, they increased the quarter fees triple what we used to pay with NO notification, we tried to negotiate this with them, they refused. They even sent us a wrong invoice for thousands of dollars which made us terminated them. We haven't got any service for 2024 and we already paid two quarters with no service provided.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:10/02/2024

      Type:Billing 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.
      Im reaching out for your help to close my Ascensus account, as my i401K was transferred to another financial institution in early June. I submitted the necessary paperwork back in May 2024, but it appears Ascensus has not received it. Since then, Ive been repeatedly requesting closure through emails and phone calls since early September, and this process has become extremely frustrating.******* ***********, one of your representatives, informed me that the account can only be closed if I pay a $375 yearly service fee and a $150 termination fee. Please note that I already paid the $50 transfer fee, even though the entire transfer was handled by my new financial institution.Its incredibly frustrating to be asked to pay a yearly service fee for an account that should already be closed, as well as a termination fee that was never previously agreed upon. This entire situation feels unnecessarily complicated and ********* a prior conversation, ******* confirmed there would be no $150 termination fee, only the $50 transfer fee, which Ive already paid. Now, however, she denies having said that and insists on the $150 termination fee. Additionally, she mentioned my Pershing account is still open, which is true, as I continue to receive dividends that are forwarded to my Fidelity account.******* has also threatened that the account will remain open unless I pay the $375 yearly fee and the $150 termination fee. Ive explained that the yearly fee should be waived since Im no longer receiving any services, and my contract doesnt include a termination fee. Furthermore, it seems like unfair business practice that the $375 yearly fee is not prorated, especially given that my account was effectively transferred months ago and Ive received no services from Ascensus since then.Thank you for your prompt attention to this *********** regards,******* ****

      Customer Answer

      Date: 10/04/2024

      Dear all,

      Ascensus has decided to close my account and waive all the associated fees after I reached out directly to the CEO and president. I realize I may have contacted you prematurely, as I was quite upset by what I felt were unfair business practices.

      I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciate your understanding.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:09/13/2024

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 submitted my termination request with this 401k provider and paid the fee to cancel services with them months ago. They have continued to bill me month to month despite my complaint and request to stop. I have not received the remainder of my 401k balance. They misrepresented the 25$/mo fee for this service and would not reimbursement me. I would like to be reimbursed the amount overcharged (375$) and to receive the remainder of my 401k balance from them in a timely manner. Thanks

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/28/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      Upon leaving my employer of nearly 12 years, in February of 2023, I was required to take a full distribution of my retirement account, per the plan agreement, as I was no longer employed by that office. I was fully vested in the plan and was the longest working employee in the business. The request was submitted, by my former employer, in March of 2023. I was told I would have to wait for the valuation of the fund to be completed, before the funds could be disbursed. Ascensus told me the valuation was expected to be completed by the first week of **** 2023. **** came and went. No disbursement. I have called and followed up with them continually, as has my former employer. However, I did not even receive a fund statement until DECEMBER 2023. They had all the paperwork, at some point finished the valuation, and NEVER disbursed the funds! It is now 17 months since the initial request for distribution was made and, now, I am told they are waiting for the NEXT valuation to be done before they can distribute the funds! Granted, at this point they are waiting on a tax form from my former employer, which is late, before they can complete the valuation, but this is REDICULOUS!! I am now in danger of losing my home and had to file bankruptcy as a result of their incompetence. I am seriously considering a lawsuit at this point.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/15/2024

      Type:Product 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 requested a distribution from Ascensus, the retirement plan administrator back on July 30, 2024. I received an email informing the request would be processed, after a week had gone by, I called, was told it would take 12 days. Today is August 15, the request still hasn't been processed, and now I'm being given the run around when i call. I'm now on the phone on hold with them for 35 minutes, no one has picked up. I just want to get my money out of there and into my personal ***

      Customer Answer

      Date: 09/19/2024

      Thank you very much Mr. ************** After much hemming and hawing, they finally sent the distribution to me.   Thank you so much for sending them the complaint, it must have finally gotten them to move on my distribution request.  I would NOT recommend them as a retirement funds administrator.  

      Please let me know if you need further information.

      Best regards,

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

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/07/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 contacted Ascensus to terminate my 401K as I am closing my small business and moving across the country. I completed the forms and submitted them via email promptly after receiving them. I followed up to confirm receipt of the forms, and three days later, a representative responded, apologizing for the delay. Per the representative, I was told I would receive the funds within 15 business days. I also requested overnight delivery (at my expense) and have sent an email to check the status. Unfortunately, the processing continues to be delayed further.The request and forms were submitted over three weeks ago, and the most recent email I received stated: "I have reached out to my operations team, and they have informed me they are working on finishing up processing. Based on the information provided, the check will be produced at the earliest by the end of this week, but more realistically early next week. I am not able to confirm a timeline until the check is physically produced by the trust. I will be in contact with the trust daily and provide you an update. Please note that while we aim to complete processing within the estimated timeframe, it is not always guaranteed, but we do appreciate your patience and understanding." I then contacted customer support by phone and was told that I would have to "request a ticket for a supervisor call" and to "expect a call in 1-2 business days." This is utterly unacceptable!

      Customer Answer

      Date: 08/09/2024

      Just adding an update. The check still hasn't arrived. I requested to speak with a supervisor on 8/7/24. I was informed that I had to "submit a ticket for a return call." I follow up on 8/8/24 and was left on hold for 20 minutes to later to be told that "the supervisor is busy" and that they will call me by the close of business. I did not receive a call. I later received an email stating, "I have had a moment to review your inquiry, what time will you be available tomorrow for a phone call?" As of right now, I have not received a ***** notification to indicating that my check has been mailed. I never had an issue before PAI merged with Ascensus. This is truly unfortunate. 

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/07/2024

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 am a small business owner that had a 401(k) through Vanguard. Vanguard decided not to manage these anymore and transferred all small business accounts to a ********************** called Ascensus. Ascensus has had my accounts for a couple of weeks now, but I have not been able to access it because they say they got my email wrong from Vanguard and it needs to be changed. I sent the paperwork in over a week ago to change it, but their inept customer service is unable to communicate with the other division that processes contact information change. I'm beginning to think this entire company is a scam, ************************* style. I am left, unable to access my 401(k), and am unable to make any progress with customer service. I think the SEC needs to look into this company to see if they are even legitimate. The Yelp page for this company says it all, they are terrible. Meanwhile, my $275,000 in my 401k is not accessible, and may be gone completely. Help!

    Ascensus 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.