As a Third-Party Administrator (TPA), you can manage fees, review participant requests, update payment methods, and access plan-level details directly from your TPA Portal.

Who This Applies To

This article applies to Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) who manage Simply Retirement by Principal plans through the Ubiquity TPA Portal.

Adding TPA Fees to a Plan

Certain fees can be added to each plan in your book of business, including:

  • TPA Distribution
  • TPA Hardship Withdrawal
  • TPA Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)
  • TPA Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO)
  • TPA Loan Origination
  • TPA Annual Loan Maintenance
  • TPA Loan Amortization

Important details about fees:

  • Fees should be added during the plan implementation process.
  • Distribution, hardship withdrawal, loan origination, and annual loan maintenance fees are displayed to participants during the request process.
  • Each fee has a maximum value of $500.00.
  • Changes to fees only apply to future participant submissions.

How to Add TPA Fees

A user with the Implementations Administrator role can:

  1. Log in to the TPA Portal.

  2. Click Plans in the left navigation menu.

  3. Locate the plan.

  4. Click Plan Details, then go to the Fees tab.

  5. Under Participant Fees, click Edit.

  6. Enter the Effective Date and add the fees.

  7. Click Save.

By submitting fees, you confirm that:

  • The fees are covered under a separate service contract with the client.
  • They comply with ERISA Section 408(b)(2) (fees must be reasonable and disclosed).
  • Participants have been informed in accordance with ERISA Reg 2550.404(a)-5 (participant fee disclosure rules).
  • The client has reviewed and approved these fees as reasonable.

Reviewing and Approving Participant Requests

Participant loan and distribution requests require TPA review and approval.

  • Requests are sent via email to all TPA portal members, with a link to the Review Page.
  • Pending requests can also be found in the Alerts section of the TPA dashboard.
  • The review page includes the participant’s account balance and vested percentage for each contribution source.

Updating Vesting Information

  • Employers should submit hours worked each pay period to keep vesting calculations accurate.
  • TPAs can update participant vesting percentages when reviewing a request.
  • Warning: If a TPA overrides vesting, it replaces the system calculation and requires ongoing manual intervention.

Setting Up or Updating TPA Payment Information

During registration, you’ll choose how your company is paid for per-distribution fees (check or wire).

To update this at any time:

  1. Log in to the TPA Portal.

  2. Click Payment in the left navigation menu.

  3. Select Wire or Check.

  4. Complete the required fields.

  5. Click Save.

Accessing Plan Information

You can view plan-level details within the TPA Portal:

  • Fidelity Bond Information – Found on the Plan Overview page under General Plan Information.
  • Grandfather Date for Eligibility – If applicable, found on the Plan Overview page under Plan Sources.

Running Custom Reports

You can create custom reports directly from your dashboard.

  1. Log in to the TPA Portal.

  2. Click Reports from the left navigation menu.

  3. Select the plan, report type, and reporting period.

  4. View or download the report in CSV or Excel format.

If you need help running reports or require additional data beyond the standard options, email tpasupport@myubiquity.com.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Can’t add or edit fees? Confirm you have the Implementations Administrator role.
  • Request not showing up? Check the Alerts section of the dashboard.
  • Vesting data looks incorrect? Confirm that the employer is submitting hours worked each pay period.
  • Report not generating? Try selecting a different time range or browser. If issues persist, email tpasupport@myubiquity.com.

Need Help?

If you need assistance, please email us at tpasupport@myubiquity.com or contact us.