Complaints

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

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  Empower Retirement

  8515 E Orchard Rd Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002

• 

  Empower Retirement

  7 Shattuck Rd # C-20-C Andover, MA 01810

• 

  Empower Retirement

  PO Box 1700 Denver, CO 80201-1700

• 

  Empower Retirement

  11500 Outlook St Overland Park, KS 66211-1804

• 

  Empower Retirement

  333 Willoughby Ave Juneau, AK 99801-1770

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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/07/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  A month ago I cashed out my retirement fund because I needed to pay bills. Over the last month there has been a number of issues with the company trying and my checks. This includes canceling checks, sending it to wrong addresses, rude people, the phones being disconnected, etc. The first check was sent to the address on file which is an old address. **** sent the check back to them with a forwarding address. The forwarding address they read was ****, my address is ****. I called them to correct that and have that check stopped and another one sent to me immediately. This was time sensitive because that at that point ended already taken over two weeks for me to still have not received my check. The person I spoke with on the phone told me to call back on Monday, and a check would be re-issued to me and sent via express mail. I was under the understanding that the check had actually been sent because thats what I was told. I later received the **** check. When I had that check in hand I called them and asked them if I could cash this check or if it had been canceled. They informed me another check was never sent and that one wasnt canceled. He told me I could cash it. I then took it to my bank and it was processed after a couple of days I received all the money, I paid all the bills that I needed to with it. I later logged into my bank account and I had -$1800. The check was returned. I went to the headquarters and I was turned down by everyone and told that no one is there to help me and I have to call. When I called I was treated like c*** and basically blamed for me cashing the check and they insinuated I knew I couldnt cash it and did it anyways. They are refusing to speed up this process and send me a check faster. I have to wait another 5-7 business days for it to be processed and mailed. I dont know anyone who can live with a negative bank for over a week. I have a family to feed and bills to pay. I have a return fee and bills that will be declined.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/14/2022

  Complaint ID: ********
  
  Thank you for bringing this participant concern to our attention.
  
  Our records reflect an account for ******************* in the *** 401(A) Plan (the Plan), an employer-sponsored retirement plan established and maintained by the ******** Retirement Association (the Plan Sponsor).
  
  Empower would like to extend our sincerest apologies to ************** for the recent experience. We strive to provide excellence at every point of contact and her experience did not meet with that expectation. We have conducted a thorough review of this issue and identified several points of improvement. We appreciate ************** bringing this issue to our attention so that we may enhance our services.
  
  Our record indicates the check was reissued on October 10, 2022. It was sent to the address of record via *** express shipping, and according to their records, was delivered on October 11, 2022.
  
  We believe that this response addresses **************** concerns. If ************** has any additional questions about her Plan account, she may contact our ******************** at ************, weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern time and they would be glad to help.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  Senior Manager Correspondence

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/14/2022

   
  Complaint: 18179925
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  While I may have received my check finally in the mail after a month of waiting I do not feel that is a suitable response or resolution. I obviously needed my check, however it is not acceptable how long it took to receive it and the undue stress that ensued. I suffered severe financial hardship for several days. It even involved my mother because my bank account took my negative balance from her account and derailment of her bills.

  
  After receiving a check in the mail on the 3rd I contacted the company to see if it had been canceled or not. I was informed that it had not been canceled and it was ok to cash. I clarified that another check was not issued, like I was told happened on the 26th. I wanted the person to double check that it was ok and he told me it was. So I did the logical thing of cashing what I was told was a valid check. The check cleared and I paid the bills I needed to and a day later I went to purchase lunch and my card was declined. I logged in and it was negative $1800. This caused a number of stresses for obvious reasons. I had no gas and no money to pick up my child from school, I didnt get lunch so I went hungry, one bill was unable to come out of my account and charged me another bad check fee of $30 (on top of the $10 I got charged for this check being returned, still havent been compensated for that). 
  The worst part was my treatment by the people. I went into the main office and was told there was nothing anyone there could do, which is a lie since the check came from that address when it was expressed mailed to me. I was told on the phone that I couldnt get the check faster. I was on hold for an extensive period of time and had to use sick pay to handle it as I was working while this occurred. I was disconnected at a certain point when I was not accepting being told I would have to wait another 5-7 business days for the check to be processed and mailed. I later received a call from a **** who was so rude the entire time. He flat out told me it was my fault since I knowingly cashed a bad check. There was no rush and no remorse from anyone. I also found out that the stop check was placed after the check was already out into my bank account.
  This whole situation was either a lack of people doing their jobs or a major delay in the communication between departments. I do not accept that o received my check as an end resolution. I am sure nothing has even come of it on your end. Unacceptable service and I will not be using this company again and I will share my story of my treatment and direct hardship/stress caused by them. 

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/05/2022

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 initiated a 401K roll-over from Empower to a ******* ***** qualified *** account on 8/9/22. As 10/5/22 the funds have not been successfully transferred. It appears the full distribution occurred on 8/9. I was told it would take some time to process and would receive updates when complete. On 8/24, I checked with ******* to and confirmed the funds had not yet transferred (I could see from my online ******* account that there was no activity reflecting receipt). On 9/20, with still no indication the funds had been transferred, I called Empower. In that call I was told a research request was to be put in for analysis. On 9/23, I received an email from Empower requesting me call them. I called Empower on 9/26. On 9/26, an Empower rep indicated the transfer of funds had taken place and provided me the transfer details -- specifically the Trace #, the Routing #, and the Account #. On that same day, I emailed my ******* ***** consultant and advised him that according to Empower the funds were successfully transferred (indicating that the did not receive an *** Reject or *** Return). On 9/26, ******* put in a research request. On 10/3 (Monday), ******* indicated that .. "the account number provided with the *** trace number is not a valid account number and therefore cannot be found." ... and "both the banking side and ******* side has advised that the best course of action is to go back to the sending party, in this case Empower, and to have them recall or pull back the transaction." I contacted Empower on 10/4 and the rep indicated he had no other solutions other than for me to validate with ******* the funds were received. I indicated I had done that and they indicate an invalid account number. As of now, the funds are lost or missing. Empower has seemingly sent funds to an indeterminant location and to an account that is not mine. Empower offers no help in recovery and indicates nothing else they can do. Empower Service Request #********

  Business Response

  Date: 10/18/2022

  Complaint ID: ********
  
  Thank you for bringing this participant concern to our attention.
  
  Our records reflect an account for ********************************* in the ********* ******************* Accumulation Plan (the Plan), an employer-sponsored retirement plan established and maintained by CU ****************** (the Plan Sponsor).
  
  Empower regrets the difficulties ****************** experienced with his rollover to ******* *****. Our research identified that during the rollover of Mr. *************** there was an error on the account number causing the funds to be transferred to an incorrect account number. In response to complaint, on October 17, 2022, we reissued the transfer to the correct account.
  
  We believe that this response addresses ****************** concerns. If he has any additional questions regarding his account, he may contact our ******************** at ************. Representatives are available weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern time and will be glad to assist him.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  Senior Manager Correspondence

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/21/2022

   
  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:10/03/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  Empowerment sent me a letter telling me they tried to send an email and it was returned, they said they needed to get my new email and update my account, I called today, I spent over 3 hours on the phone, had to call back 6 times and was put on hold twice for over 25 minutes both times, I answered everyone of there questions the best I could and my account is still not updated and not one person would take my new email address, why send out the letter then? they made up one excuse after the other and I got no where, so I am asking the bbb to help get this settled, I have retired and am trying close out this account also, but getting no where. I want them to close the account and send me a check. at first we had this all settled I was told I would receive a check in 9 day's then it went to 15 day's then it went to however long it took the post office to deliver the document I needed, it seemed not one person was competent to put my email address on my account. they need to close my account and send me a check, It's time they co-operated.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/13/2022

  Complaint ID: ********
  
  Thank you for bringing this participant concern to our attention.
  
  Our records reflect an account for ********************************** in the ** Operating LLC 401(k) Savings Plan (the Plan), an employer-sponsored retirement plan established and maintained by the ** Operating LLC (the Plan Sponsor).
  
  Empower takes security and protection of participants' accounts very seriously. As such, we have implemented procedures that require an additional enhanced verification to be completed for high-risk requests like updating personal contact information. While these procedures are in place to prevent unauthorized transactions, they can occasionally inconvenience legitimate requests. We regret any difficulties ******************** may have experienced as a result of these precautions.
  
  On October 3, 2022, ******************** contacted us several times attempting to request a withdrawal. However, during these calls ********************* was unable to pass the additional security procedures required to update his address and contact information over the phone and send his withdrawal to an updated address.
  
  If ******************** would like to request a withdrawal to an updated address, he may update his address and contact information using the Personal Information Change Request (PICR) form that was mailed to him on October 3, 2022. Once the address has been updated and the required fifteen-day security hold has expired, he may then contact us by phone to request his withdrawal.
  
  We believe that this response addresses Mr. ********* concerns. While we understand Mr. ********* frustrations, the procedures have been implemented in order to protect accounts from fraud and unauthorized removal of funds. If ******************** has any additional questions about his Plan account, he may contact our ******************** at ************, weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern time and they would be glad to help.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  Senior Manager Correspondence

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/29/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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.

  Company is refusing Withdrawl and offering no recourse to obtain my funds. This is highly illegal activity used to control markets. Please document and hold Empower Retirement Liable for all lost funds due to delays in Withdrawl.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/05/2022

  Complaint ID: ********
  
  Thank you for bringing this participant concern to our attention.
  
  Our records reflect an account for ***************************** in the ******* **************** LLC 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust (the Plan), an employer-sponsored retirement plan established and maintained by the ******* **************** LLC (the Plan Sponsor).
  
  By way of background, Empower provides recordkeeping and administrative services to the retirement Plan under the terms of an administrative services agreement with the Plan sponsor. Empower is not the Plan administrator and does not act as a fiduciary or have any discretion over the Plan. Empower only acts at the direction of the Plan sponsor/Plan administrator. Accordingly, we are unable to authorize a disability withdrawal from an account without the Plans approval.
  
  Our records show a Disability Withdrawal Request was received September 13, 2022, September 16, 2022, September 20, 2022, and September 27, 2022, but was lacking the Plan administrator signature, disability date, and other information needed from the Plan related to the disability withdrawal. Additional forms and pages were received September 29, 2022, and upon receiving the necessary information and approvals from the Plan administrator, the request was processed accordingly.
  
  The funds were issued via direct deposit to ***************** bank on October 3, 2022.
  
  We believe that this response addresses ****************** concerns. If **************** has any additional questions about his Plan account, he may contact our ******************** at ************, weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern time and they would be glad to help.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  Senior Manager Correspondence

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/29/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 - I need to talk to someone and I have been trying unsuccessfully for two or three weeks or more about a letter they sent to me. Empower customer service is very difficult to reach, When I finally did talk to someone weeks ago, they were unable to find the mysterious letter Empower sent me and could not help. I was a promised a return call which I did not receive for a week or more. The person that called, *******, left a message asking me to call. I called again into Empowers time wasting system. It took several calls to reach someone. ******* was busy and I was promised a call and I still have not received one. I got a terrible email asking me to call back which I will not do because the voice system is TERRIBLE - THE WORST I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED.Please have the appropriate agent call me as promised twice!!!!!!!!!!!!!The voice answering service is terrible. The robot goes on and on with endless options. I was forced to put in my SS number which I did not like.After entering my SS number, I was then told I had to enter a ***. I used the one ********************** sent me last year but it did not work and I was forced to reset my *** which I did not want to do. It was difficult to reset m *** as I was told they would email a copy to me and it would take 10 to 20 minutes which is unreasonable.I waited by my computer for 10 to 20 minutes and the new *** did not come so I called PERA and they could no help.After more than 30 minutes, the *** finally arrived and after more harassment by the phone system and robot, I finally spoke to someone that took lots of time and finally said he did not know how to help and promised that I would receive a return call.I was then sent a *** that did not work the next time I called and we started the entire reset your *** process again.I would like a call and explanation as promised. I would like method to get assistance if needed.********************* ********************* www

  Business Response

  Date: 10/10/2022

  Complaint ID: ********
  
  Thank you for bringing this participants concerns to our attention.
  
  Our records reflect an account for Mr. *************************** in the PERAPlus 401(k) Plan (the Plan), an employer-sponsored retirement plan established and maintained by the Public Employees Retirement Association of ******** (the Plan Sponsor).
  
  Empower strives to provide excellence in customer service at every point of contact and we regret that Mr. ******* experience did not meet with that expectation. A senior representative made a callout to **************** in order to assist him further with his concerns on October 7, 2022.
  
  When calling into the ********************* a personal identification number (PIN)is only required for those account holders who would like to review their account details entirely through the automated system. When prompted, *************** should enter his Social Security number. Then, when asked for his PIN,he can elect to say, no, to the options for delivering a PIN and he will then be provided the option to speak directly with a representative.
  
  Empower would like to thank **************** for his feedback regarding the interactive voice response system used to route participant calls. We are constantly reviewing the system and making adjustments to better serve our account holders and his feedback is appreciated. He may also email Empower by clicking the Email uslink under the Need Help? section of the participant website.
  
  Regarding the correspondence **************** received, following the call from October 7,2022, **************** supplied a copy of this document by email. We can confirm it is a breakdown of the recent required minimum distribution (RMD) processed from his Plan account.
  
  We believe that this response addresses Mr. ******* concerns. If he has any additional questions, he may contact our ******************** at ************ to speak with a retirement representative.Retirement representatives are available Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m.to 9:00 p.m. Central time.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  Senior Manager Correspondence

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/11/2022

   
  Complaint: 18147113
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  Obviously, *************************** (Senior Mange), has not done the work to learn about my issues and has further failed address them.
  
  
  The original problem is simple.  I had a question on some correspondence I received from Empower that was confusing.  I called with a simple question.  The question has not yet been addressed despite repeated attempts by me anchors of water time.  I have been promised three times that an agent with the expertise to answer my question would call me but I have not spoken to an appropriAte agent yet.  All I get is endless robotic options, unfulfilled promised calls and no answer yet. I have spent hours to try to get a simple answer and Empower continues to avoid a solution.
  
  
  Example - **************** fall to answer my question and suggests that I call the same number that i have called several times and use options I have already tried.  Why should I call a number and try a system that has wasted lots of my time, not fulfilled promises and provided no help?  
  
  
  This is the worst customer serve I have ever received. 
  
  
  To further complicate the issue, **************** tried to address my issue in a BBB response but failed again.  She also takes no responsibility but offers suggestions I have already tried and implies that Empower has done nothing wrong. She has basically written a brush off response that shows no understanding of the issue and no solution.
  
  
  Again:
  
  
  I want the promised call from an agent so that I can get my question answered.
  
  
  I want a method to easily get help when needed.  If Empower cannot provide this, I need an agent to call and help me move my money to a different agency.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business Response

  Date: 10/19/2022

  Complaint ID: ********
  
  Thank you for bringing Mr. ******* additional concerns to our attention.
  
  In response to the prior complaint, a senior representative placed a call to *************** on October 7, 2022, and spoke with him regarding his frustrations with Empowers interactive voice response (IVR) system and attempted to assist him with the document in question. While our representative was unable to identify the document at the time of the call, she did send a follow-up email to *************** requesting that he forward a copy to Empower so we could conduct further review.
  
  Now that Empower has reviewed the document, we can confirm it is the check stub included with his withdrawal check from August 29, 2022. The check stub provides the original balance in each of the two contribution sources in Mr. ******* account: his personal contributions (labeled Employee Before Tax) and the Plan Sponsors contributions to his account (labeled PERA Matchmaker). The first column of each table shows the total funds in that contribution source at the time of the distribution; the second column shows the amount withdrawn from that source; the final column provides the remaining amount in that contribution source after the withdrawal. The box labeled Grand Totals sums these values together, providing his total balance before the withdrawal, the total amount withdrawn, and the final account balance after the withdrawal, as of the date the withdrawal was processed (August 29, 2022).
  
  Another senior representative, *****************,placed a callout to **************** on October 18, 2022, to provide the information above to him. If **************** has additional questions, he may contact ************************* or ***************** through our participant services executive feedback line at ************. Both ***** and *** are familiar with his questions and can assist him further.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  Senior Manager Correspondence
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/25/2022

   
  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:09/28/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 Retirement was contacted 8/17/22 to let them know that I had planned on ending my employment with my current company on 8/31/22. They stated at that time I could only close my account once I had terminated my employment. I called back on 9/7/22 to let them know I was no longer with my company. The account value was slightly over $9k at the time. I was told they could not close my account until the company had "alerted" them that I was no longer employed. I received the letter in the mail two days later from the to close my account. When I called to close my account the value was rates $1k less then when I originally tried to call. Because they would not let me close when they stated I could I "lost" $1K. No where in writing is this a policy.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/13/2022

  The attached email was sent to the customer on 10/12/2022.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/26/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 get copies of previous years retirement statements (2019 and 2020) for a 401k account I had with Mass Mutual through a prior employer. Since Mass Mutual sold their retirement business to Empower, I have been unable to do so. On September 26, 2022, I went in a circle for 2 hours on the phone between Mass Mutual and Empower who both transferred me back and forth to each other claiming that neither of them have access to my statements for those years because my employer moved their 401k plan to Fidelity NetBenefits. However, my employer didn't switch plan administrators until April ******************************************** December 2019. Regardless of when Empower bought the reitrement business from Mass Mutual, either companies should have records of customer ********************** accounts, even if it was through an employer. I need these documents for a court issue, and I find it very damaging to the public that neither of these companies wants to take responsibility for having retained historical financial information for their customers, that's less than 5 years old.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/13/2022

  Complaint ID: ********
  
  Thank you for bringing this participants concern to our attention. This response is regarding ***************************** concerns with requesting historical employer sponsored retirement plan account statements.
  
  Our records reflect **************** had an employer sponsored retirement plan, provided by the *** Retirement Savings Plan (the Plan), an employer-sponsored retirement plan established and maintained by *** **** (the Plan Sponsor).
  
  On December 31, 2020, Empower and affiliated companies acquired Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurances (MassMutual) retirement plans business. Empower received business and plan records associated with MassMutuals retirement plans business as part of the acquisition. Empower strives to provide excellence in customer service and we regret any inconvenience **************** experienced during the transfer time between Plan providers.
  
  We have conducted a thorough review of the plan records associated with MassMutuals retirement plans, and located the requested statements. A ************* Center supervisor attempted to reach **************** and provided a voicemail with his contact information for further assistance. Per ****************, the requested statements were mailed to the address provided on October 12, 2022.
  
  We believe that this response addresses **************** concerns.If **************** has any additional questions, or would like to request the statements be sent in a different manner she may reach our ************* Center at ************, weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.Eastern time and they would be glad to help.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  Senior Manager Correspondence

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/25/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 employer uses them for our 401K and I recently applied for hardship withdrawal. Im perfectly aware the *** may ask for proof tax time, but I dont expect empower to make me prove it to them as well. I have a home, Im trying to put up a new roof and gutters and found someone who will do it for a little more than what the materials cost. I send them all the info, now they say oh we need to see your house insurance policy, if they are going to pay it, and it needs to be due to natural disaster. First of all, its my money, secondly Ive never heard of having to prove to the 401k company. The house is older, never had a new roof and needs one, whats the problem?? They are losing my money anyways. Im going to complain to our leadership at my job because it shouldnt be this hard

  Business Response

  Date: 09/29/2022

  Complaint ID: ********
  
  Thank you for bringing this participant concern to our attention.
  
  Our records reflect an account for ***************************** in the Community Health Plan/Community Health Network ****** **************** Plan (the Plan), an employer-sponsored retirement plan established and maintained by the *********************************** (the Plan Sponsor). Accordingly, we must follow all Plan and *** rules regarding hardship withdrawals. This includes receiving a request in good order with supporting documentation.
  
  Please note, the *** allows for only certain reasons and may require supporting documentation before a hardship can be processed.
  
  A hardship withdrawal request for medical care, purchase of a principal residence, and principal residence repair was received September 19, 2022. It was unable to be processed as there was no supporting documentation. Additional documentation, for principal residence repair was received September 22, 2022. However, based on the documentation presented,Empower was unable to process the hardship request because 1) the submitted repair bill had no cause and date of damage and 2) there was no insurance information in the repair bill.
  
  We believe that this response addresses Ms. ****** concerns. If ************** has any additional questions about her Plan account, she may contact our ******************** at ************, weekdays between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.Eastern time and they would be glad to help.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  Senior Manager Correspondence

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/22/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 mother passed away on April 20 2022. A few days after her passing Empower was contacted regarding her 5 beneficiaries. It took until July to get the account separated and put in each of her childrens names. After several calls we finally got information on how to request distribution of the money in our individual accounts. The paper work was submitted on August 3. I called on August 5 th and was told they had all appropriate paper work and the account was in process. I have called numerous times as have my siblings. We get different answers about what is going on. I called Sept 2nd was told it should be done in a week. I called Sept 9 th was told they didnt know the tax code. I asked for a supervisor to call me. No one ever did. Called Sep 22 nd and was once again told it was in process. I have asked several times for someone to explain this very long process. And no one can. Today (sept 22) I was told it might be done by October 14 th. I do. It understand how cashing out an account can possibly take this long. And if it does why can no one explain the steps to me? The account is in my name, under my address, and date of birt

  Business Response

  Date: 10/04/2022

  Thank you for bringing this participant concern to our attention.
  
  Our records reflect a beneficiary account for *************************** in the Individual Non-qual Accounts Retirement ******************* N5 (the Plan) We are working on the issue and should have a resolution in the very near future. We will be in contact with ************ and provide updates.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/19/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  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 disputing $25 service fee that was deducted from my refund check. I wanted a rollover not a cash out. I sent the refund check back with letter explaining refusal.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/25/2022

  Our records show an email was sent to **************** on September 23, 2022, regarding this issue.  Here is the email:

  Dear ****************,
  
  I am writing in response to a recent complaint that was received by Empower, formally ********** Retirement, on September 19, 2022,regarding your account with the ******************************** 401(k) Plan (the Plan). This email is to address your concerns regarding the Plans disbursement provisions.
  
  According to the Plans disbursement provisions, all funds within a Plan participants account become available once he or she separates service with ******************************** If the Plan participants account balance is between $0.00 and $1,000.00 at the time they separate service, the Plan requires the participant to make a disbursement election within 80 days.If an election is not made within 80 days, the account will automatically be distributed as a cash withdrawal, and the Plans disbursement fee will apply.
  
  Please see the attached letter that was mailed to you by Empower on May 17, 2022, and the Plans 2022 Overview of *************** Options and Fees document. The letter includes your account balance and provides the Plans disbursement options. The letter also indicates that a disbursement election had to be made by August 8, 2022, or the account would be distributed as a cash withdrawal. The 2022 Overview of *************** Options and Fees provides the Plans overall fee structure including the disbursement fee. A disbursement election was not made by August 8, 2022, and the account was automatically disbursed to you. A copy of both documents is also available on the ********** Online Retirement Center.
  
  Empower also completed a review of your telephone conversation with our ************************** on June 16, 2022. This is the only telephone call prior to your account being distributed. During the telephone call, you acknowledged receiving the attached letter and indicated that you did not have another account at that time to roll the funds into. Our customer service representative explained that you had to make an election by August 8, 2022, and you informed the representative that you would call back at a later date.
  
  In response to your complaint, Empower contacted the Plan on September 21, 2022 regarding this matter, and they confirmed that the disbursement cannot be reprocessed as a direct rollover. Empower is in the process of reissuing the fund to you as a cash withdrawal.
  
  If you have any questions or require further assistance,contact us at ************ between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.,Eastern, Monday through Friday. One of our representatives will be happy to assist you.
  
  Sincerely,
  ***************************
  Governance & Controls Specialist

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/25/2022

   
  Complaint: 18047392
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  I will not pay a service fee for a service that I clearly stated to the company that I didn't want. Any checks that reflect a service fee will be refused and returned. If will accept either the rollover I requested less service fee or a refund in full.  

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