Human Interest Expands Industry-Leading Customer Experience Guarantee
Company achieves 99.999% reliability since guarantee launched earlier this year; challenges others to follow
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Human Interest, Retirement Industry Disruptor™ and the fastest-growing 401(k) provider,1 has announced a bold expansion of its industry-leading Customer Experience Guarantee,2 the first and only service-level guarantee of its kind in the retirement industry.
Under the terms of the expanded Guarantee, customers of Human Interest are now promised faster response times, quick processing of additional transactions, and expanded compliance support, with refunds provided if conditions are not met.
“We didn't just set the bar for retirement plan service in 2025—we defined the gold standard. We believe that no other provider has the technology in place to deliver this level of amazing experience to both plan sponsors and participants,” said Rakesh Mahajan, Chief Revenue Officer at Human Interest. “Our customers are helping their employees to build a retirement nest egg, and, in turn, we are ensuring a standard of experience that is better than every other provider.”
The Guarantee sets a high standard in the industry around the customer experience with their 401(k) plans, with a goal of 100% adherence2 to:
- Rapid response: Calls and questions to Human Interest are handled by Human Interest employees from its U.S.-based call center, quickly, and call hold times are guaranteed to be capped at three minutes (formerly five minutes) during business hours. The company’s speed to answer is already 60 seconds, and 80% of calls are answered in under 30 seconds.
- Precision processing: Other providers may take anywhere from 5-14 days3 to process distributions and loan disbursements for participants, and charge hefty fees for each transaction. Human Interest, on the other hand, guarantees that distributions and loan disbursements will be initiated within two business days via ACH, and contributions will be processed in three business days. As the first provider to eliminate transaction fees,4 Human Interest also won’t charge participants to access their own money.
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Expanded compliance protection: Compliance support is a new category of the Guarantee. Thousands of retirement plans failed to meet Form 5500 filing deadlines last year, costing business owners roughly $15 million5 in penalties. Human Interest believes business owners should be supported to avoid needless penalties that impact their bottom line. The Guarantee assures self-filing customers they will receive Form 5500 data at least 30 days prior to the filing deadline. For the 97% of customers where Human Interest serves as a 3(16) fiduciary, the company also guarantees on-time filing of Form 5500s on each customer’s behalf.
Since the initial Guarantee went into effect in March 2025, Human Interest has achieved near-perfect results. Out of nearly one million service interactions handled from Human Interest's U.S. based call center during this time,6 only two customers reported a miss of the Guarantee—which equates to a 99.999% adherence, and a testament to the company's unparalleled commitment to customer satisfaction.
Mahajan added, “Approximately 50,000 companies7 were charged penalties in 2024 for delayed contributions —a driver of over $40 million8 in fines levied by the DOL. With the Human Interest Customer Experience Guarantee, our customers gain peace of mind knowing 100% of employee contributions are guaranteed to be processed within three business days, making these penalties a thing of the past.”
Survey: Employers are frustrated with lackluster service from other 401(k) providers
The Guarantee is a call to action for an industry that has been slow to innovate and respond to customer needs, particularly among small and mid-size employers. In a new report from Human Interest, “The Experience Edge,” 500 business leaders surveyed about their retirement plans said 401(k) providers need improvement when it comes to dedicated account support (33%) and guidance with regulatory requirements (30%). Many said they would go so far as to switch providers for a better employee experience (41%).9
Added Mahajan, “In our report, nearly two-thirds of small business leaders said they take pride in helping employees save for retirement, but many cite administrative burden and time management as major concerns that come with the role. Our Guarantee is a commitment to these leaders and their workers to redefine their expectations of the 401(k) experience.”
Accountability embedded in service
Under the terms of the Guarantee, failure to meet the standards for customers entitles them to a 50% credit toward their next invoice. Participants also receive a $25 gift card for missed benchmarks. A focus on service is a key differentiator for Human Interest, whose customers have represented nearly three million employees10 over the last 10 years.
The Customer Experience Guarantee follows a series of industry-disrupting innovations from Human Interest:
- Human Interest’s Fast Track 401(k), a unique, all-digital, self-service experience, allows businesses to start a 401(k) plan in minutes, not days or weeks.
- To help employers of all sizes with administrative and compliance support, the company pioneered several new programs in 2024, including DOL Audit Defense,11 Notice Delivery Protection, and Tax Savings Maximizer.
- As the first 401(k) provider to eliminate transaction fees,4 Human Interest saved $24.6 million for customers and their employees in 2024.12
These innovations have resulted in several accolades this year, including the Dalbar award, the 2025 Fast Company Most Innovative Award, and the 2025 Stevie Gold Award in Customer Experience.13
About Human Interest
Human Interest, Retirement Industry Disruptor™, is focused on fixing a broken industry that often relies on legacy technology, manual processes, and offshored service models. Human Interest is transforming the way 401(k)s should work, including several industry firsts: eliminating transaction fees, offering a cash-back incentive program for plan participants, and the first of its kind money-back customer experience guarantee.
Human Interest has won several accolades, including the 2025 Fast Company Most Innovative Award, and the 2025 Stevie Gold Award in Customer Experience. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Francisco, Human Interest has helped provide retirement benefits to employees at over 35,000 companies and counting. For more information, please visit humaninterest.com.
Media Contact
Maura Lafferty
Firebrand Communications for Human Interest
humaninterest@firebrand.marketing
1Human Interest calculations based on total DC plans added in 2024 as reported to PLANSPONSOR and using plan count data for other providers from "Provider Rankings" reported in the PLANSPONSOR 2025 Recordkeeping Survey.
2Participants are eligible for a maximum of four (4) successful claims per calendar year, with a limit of 1 (one) claim per month, and must submit a claim form. See full terms and conditions.
3As of August, 2025, transaction processing times published on major 401(k) providers websites range from five business days up to two payroll cycles.
4For non-rollover distributions, shipping and handling fees may apply to requests for check issuance and delivery.
5Estimate based on data as of December, 2024 as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) Delinquent Filer Voluntary Compliance Program (DFVCP), which reported 20,000 plans paid fines in 2024. Calculation assumes a $750 fine per plan, the maximum fine for plans under 100 employees. Actual maximum fines may reach $2,000-$4,000 per plan for large plans and for multiple delinquent years. Additional information here.
6Human Interest data from March 1-August 5, 2025. Total interactions include contributions, distributions, participant calls and chat inquiries tracked through customer support records and databases.
7Judy Diamond Associates: in 2024, over 50,000 Form 5500s included a report of at least one (1) delayed contribution.
8EBSA reported $44.3 million recovered through the Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program in 2024.
9Results of a random double-opt-in survey, conducted by Talker Research, surveyed 500 US respondents in a director or higher role for a business of 500 or fewer employees overseeing a retirement plan. The survey was conducted July 14-18, 2025.
10Includes all employees of current and former Human Interest customers, regardless of participation in the employer-sponsored plans, from August 22, 2016 to July 16, 2025.
11Available for customers on Human Interest’s Concierge plan. Up to $50,000 in qualified expense coverage such as attorney or CPA fees.
12Represents estimated fees Human Interest customers and their employees would have been charged with selected providers instead of Human Interest in 2024. Calculation compares Human Interest to six bundled recordkeeper providers across more than 20 transaction fee types. Total savings figure combines plan and participant savings based on Human Interest data as of December 2024. Analysis excludes AUM-dependent fees and 3(38) services. Where select provider’s fee data was unavailable, fees may have been excluded.
13Human Interest was awarded the “Gold Stevie Award" medal in the 2025 Stevie Awards® for Sales & Customer Service in “Customer Experience.” The company was awarded a “Silver Stevie Award” in “Customer Service Employer of the Year.” Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 170 professionals worldwide in the three-month judging process. Read more about the winning organizations here and criteria for the award here. American Business Awards are registered trademarks of Stevie Awards, Inc. Stevie Awards, Inc. is not affiliated with Human Interest. This recognition is not indicative of Human Interest’s future performance. Human Interest Inc. is honored to be recognized as one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies in Finance and Personal Finance for 2025. See the full list here. Human Interest received the Dalbar Plan Participant Service award in April 2025. The award was based on an independent review of 100 phone calls to the Human Interest Support Center. The calls happened on days randomly selected by Dalbar. Human Interest redacted personally identifiable information from call recordings. For additional information on the award, please visit https://www.dalbar.com/Awards/ServiceAwardWinners.
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