Pension plan administration fees.

A cash balance plan has more vendors than a SEP. Mixing their fees into one “the plan costs 1 percent” story is how owners overpay, or underbuy the certification they legally need.

• Sterling, as TPA, handles design support, documents, census work, annual administration, and filing coordination. We are not an actuarial firm.
• An independent Enrolled Actuary certifies the valuation and signs Schedule SB when the filing requires it. That is a separate professional, with a separate fee.
• The recordkeeper or trustee holds the assets. Investment costs sit here. A cash balance interest credit is a plan promise; investing the trust like a personal brokerage account can fight that promise.
• Your CPA takes the deduction on the return. We do not replace that signature.

We do not publish a universal price because census size and whether a 401(k) is paired with the pension change the work. Ask for a written scope. The Form 5500 corner shows the filing you are paying to get right. PBGC premiums, if the plan is covered, are another line; coverage is explained by PBGC, not by a rule of thumb. When you want a scope conversation, start here. The ongoing work is described under administration.