43%
average total cost savings when compared with traditional standalone 401(k) plan arrangements.
As of September 9, 2026
Reduce cost. Increase savings. Improve outcomes.
Pooled Employer Plans
Move Beyond Traditional 401(k) Complexity
Managing a 401(k) plan today means carrying more: greater cost pressure, rising fiduciary risk, and increasing operational demand, often without added capacity.
Plan strength is no longer defined by design, features or administration alone. It's defined by outcomes. A strong pooled employer plan focuses on whether employees are on track for retirement, how effectively they save and how much of that value stays working for their future.
A Pooled Employer Plan with a Difference
By aligning governance and operational execution, the Aon's Pooled Employer Plan addresses complexity at its source. Our unique model helps adopting employers reduce operational burden, lowers risk and improves how contributions are invested and how costs are managed.
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Press Release Announcement
The Next Evolution of the Aon PEP
As organizations rethink how retirement benefits create value, the conversation is shifting beyond cost and administration to outcomes, participant experience, engagement and long-term value. Hear from Greg Case, CEO of Aon, and Salim Ramji, CEO of Vanguard as they share their perspectives on the forces reshaping workplace retirement and the vision guiding the next evolution of the Aon PEP. Learn how a continued focus on governance, scale and innovation is helping employers simplify administration, expand capabilities, and strengthen the value they deliver to employees while supporting long-term retirement success.
What Makes the Aon PEP Different
Better outcomes—without tradeoffs. Governance, investment oversight, retirement expertise and dedicated service working together to create value.
Built to improve outcomes
More saved. More invested. More retained.
Integrated execution
Governance, oversight and delivery working together
Scale that reduces cost
Institutional pricing and access
Participant-focused design
Drives engagement and better outcomes
Less operational burden
Fewer handoffs. Less coordination. More capacity
Continuous oversight
Embedded control and audit readiness
Built for what’s next
Adapt to regulatory change and workforce needs
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160
employers (1)
(1) Based on live and committed Aon PEP participating employers as of September 2, 2026.
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$7.7B
AUM (1)
(1) Based on live and committed Aon PEP participating employers as of September 2, 2026.
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98%
participant satisfaction (2)
(2) As of August 31, 2026.
How the Aon Pooled Employer Plan Works
Employers participate in a comprehensive, integrated retirement plan operating model. They retain control over the features that define their plan and workforce demographic.
Aon provides rigorous oversight and governance—reducing employer complexity and risk while improving plan performance—without sacrificing flexibility.
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Aon delivers
- End-to-end governance
- Plan administration, compliance, and governance
- Investment strategy, selection, and monitoring
- Participant education, communications and experience
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Employers retain control of
- Match and contributions
- Eligibility and vesting
- Additional features like automatic enrollment and automatic escalation
9%
participant enrollment increase after 12 months.
Based on Aon PEP plan data as of September 30, 2025.
Employers report a 50–75% reduction in administrative workload.1
Article
Support Growth, Not Complexity: Five Retirement Strategies for M&A and PE Transactions
Organizational change often brings new challenges for HR, benefits and leadership teams. From acquisitions and carve-outs to private equity transactions, retirement plan decisions can affect governance, operations and workforce outcomes. Discover five strategies that can help simplify oversight, improve efficiency and support long-term value creation.
Resources
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File Type
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1 Based on Aon PEP participating employer survey results as of September 2, 2026.
Aon Consulting Inc. (“ACI”) operates as the pooled plan provider (“PPP”) and named fiduciary. This means ACI is responsible for all plan operation and compliance and oversees and monitors all related service providers. As the PPP, ACI’s responsibilities include serving as the 402(a) fiduciary and ERISA 3(16) plan administrator. Aon Investments USA. Inc. serves as the ERISA 3(38) investment manager and is responsible for selecting, managing, monitoring, and benchmarking the investment offerings of the plan.
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