Equitable Launches 403(b) Pooled Employer Plan for Nonprofits

New offering aims to help nonprofit organizations provide scalable, cost-efficient retirement benefits to employees

Apr. 12, 2026 at 12:53pm

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A minimalist studio still life featuring a stack of financial documents, a pen, and a calculator on a clean, monochromatic background, symbolizing the administrative and financial aspects of managing a retirement plan.Equitable's new 403(b) pooled employer plan aims to simplify retirement plan management for nonprofit organizations.NYC Today

Equitable, a leading financial services organization, has announced the introduction of the Equitable Retirement Access ERISA 403(b) pooled employer plan (PEP), a new offering designed to help nonprofit organizations offer a scalable, cost-efficient way to provide their employees with retirement plan benefits. PEPs allow a group of unrelated businesses to pool their employees' retirement funds into a single plan managed by a third-party provider, helping to reduce administrative tasks and provide protection from fiduciary risk.

Why it matters

This new 403(b) PEP offering expands Equitable's suite of PEP solutions and extends access to retirement plan benefits for the nonprofit sector, where such benefits are often less common than in the public and private sectors. Nonprofit leaders often lack the resources or time to manage a retirement plan, and this solution aims to provide a practical way for them to offer high-quality retirement plans to their employees.

The details

The new 403(b) PEP is available through the Equitable Retirement Vision platform for nonprofit employers establishing a new 403(b) plan or evaluating a transition from an existing provider. PlanConnect LLC, an Equitable affiliate, will serve as recordkeeper, while MAP Retirement will act as the pooled plan provider, third-party administrator, and 3(16) administrative fiduciary. SWBC Retirement Plan Services will serve as the 3(38) investment fiduciary and Plan Notice LLC will manage notice delivery services.

  • The Equitable Retirement Access ERISA 403(b) pooled employer plan (PEP) was announced in April 2026.
  • The SECURE Act, passed in 2019, introduced PEPs, and the SECURE Act 2.0, passed in 2022, further expanded access by allowing PEPs to be included in 403(b) plans.

The players

Equitable

A leading financial services organization and principal franchise of Equitable Holdings, Inc. that has been providing workplace retirement solutions for nearly five decades.

Jim Kais

Head of Group Retirement at Equitable.

PlanConnect LLC

An Equitable affiliate that will serve as recordkeeper for the new 403(b) PEP.

MAP Retirement

Formerly known as Pension Plan Specialists, it will act as the pooled plan provider, third-party administrator, and 3(16) administrative fiduciary for the new 403(b) PEP.

SWBC Retirement Plan Services

Will serve as the 3(38) investment fiduciary for the new 403(b) PEP.

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What they’re saying

“Nonprofit leaders pour everything into the people and communities they support, but most don't have the resources or time to manage a retirement plan.”

— Jim Kais, Head of Group Retirement at Equitable

“We continue to see strong demand for workplace retirement solutions that help employers simplify plan management, get the fiduciary support they need and control costs.”

— Jim Kais, Head of Group Retirement at Equitable

What’s next

The new 403(b) PEP is now available through the Equitable Retirement Vision platform for nonprofit employers.

The takeaway

This new 403(b) PEP offering from Equitable provides a practical solution for nonprofit organizations to offer high-quality retirement benefits to their employees, helping to address the retirement income gap in the nonprofit sector.