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401K Advisory Group
401K Advisory Group, led by Joseph Marziale, provides ERISA 3(38) fiduciary management for corporate retirement plans from Glendora, California.
401K Advisory Group
401K Advisory Group was established in Southern California by Joseph Marziale, operating as a specialized registered investment advisor. The firm's sole mandate is the management of employer-sponsored retirement plans, primarily 401(k) and profit-sharing structures, for companies that lack internal benefits departments. It does not manage individual wealth or run commingled funds, keeping its model narrow by design. The firm's strategy centers on ERISA Section 3(38) fiduciary services. In this role, 401K Advisory Group assumes discretionary control and full legal responsibility for plan investment selection, monitoring, and replacement. The portfolio construction typically uses open-architecture fund lineups, drawing from low-cost institutional share classes across providers like Vanguard, Fidelity, and Charles Schwab. The firm targets plan assets in the sub-$50 million range, a segment where sponsors are most exposed to litigation risk from high-fee, under-monitored investment menus. The geographic footprint concentrates on the greater Los Angeles and Inland Empire markets, with select client plans administered across California. The firm maintains a lean structure consistent with its focused book of business, managed by a core team of accredited investment fiduciaries. There are no disclosed separate ventures or alternative investment arms. The operational model depends on co-fiduciary partnerships with third-party administrators (TPAs) and recordkeepers, including major platforms like Paychex and ADP. In this arrangement, 401K Advisory Group handles investment governance while the TPA manages compliance testing and recordkeepers execute daily transactions. The structural differentiator is its total avoidance of wealth management. Most registered investment advisors in the retirement plan market also pursue the personal wealth of the plan's owners or executives, a cross-selling practice that can create conflicts over plan design. 401K Advisory Group's sole-practice status as a plan fiduciary means its revenue depends entirely on transparent, revenue-neutral plan fees, making its architecture distinct from hybrid advisory practices.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
—
AUM
<$100M (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Glendora
Corporate office
Glendora, CA, United States
Principals
Joseph Marziale
President
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is an ERISA 3(38) investment manager and how does 401K Advisory Group apply it?
Under ERISA Section 3(38), a named fiduciary can delegate full discretionary investment authority to a qualified manager. 401K Advisory Group accepts that delegation, taking on the legal liability for selecting, monitoring, and replacing plan investment options. The firm documents all decisions in a written investment policy statement specific to each plan, shielding the employer from fiduciary breach claims related to fund performance or fee levels.
Does 401K Advisory Group also manage personal wealth for business owners?
No. The firm functions as a dedicated retirement plan advisor and does not offer individual wealth management, brokerage services, or private banking. This separation avoids the common conflict where an advisor selects plan funds partly to cultivate a high-net-worth personal client. All compensation comes from direct, disclosed fees tied to plan assets or a fixed retainer.
Who handles the annual compliance testing and daily recordkeeping for a plan advised by the group?
401K Advisory Group works alongside independent third-party administrators (TPAs) who perform nondiscrimination testing, Form 5500 preparation, and compliance corrections. Recordkeeping and custody functions typically reside with large institutional platforms like ADP, Paychex, or Fidelity. The firm coordinates the three-party relationship but does not custody assets or operate its own trust company.
What types of plans does the firm manage?
The firm primarily manages 401(k) plans, including safe harbor and traditional structures, as well as associated profit-sharing plans. It can also advise on defined benefit and cash balance plans through relationships with actuarial partners, though its core book is contributory defined contribution plans for companies with 20 to 500 employees.
How does 401K Advisory Group get paid?
Compensation is typically a flat fee or an asset-based percentage, deducted directly from plan assets or billed to the employer. The firm operates on a fee-only basis, meaning it takes no revenue sharing, 12b-1 fees, or commissions from fund companies. All compensation is fully disclosed to plan sponsors and participants via the Department of Labor's required fee transparency rules under Section 408(b)(2).
What happens to the investment lineup when the firm takes over a plan?
The firm conducts a forensic review of the existing fund menu against its proprietary selection criteria, which emphasizes institutional share classes, passive core options, and a fiduciary hierarchy of peer-group performance. Underperforming or expensive proprietary funds are replaced, and the resulting lineup typically consolidates to 15 to 25 investment options covering all major asset classes, with a qualified default investment alternative for auto-enrolled participants.
Does the firm carry fiduciary liability insurance?
As an ERISA 3(38) manager accepting full legal responsibility, the firm maintains professional liability and fiduciary insurance coverage. This policy is distinct from the plan's own fiduciary liability insurance, providing an additional layer of financial protection for the sponsoring employer in the event of a breach finding.
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