# Empower Retirement: how AI models rank it, November 2026

Gane Index, November 2026 Edition. Named in 37 judge labels across 1 category by 13 of 14 models. Page: https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/vendors/empower-retirement

## Standing by category

| Category | Share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [401(k) providers](https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/rewards/401k-providers/index.md) | 8% | 5 | 14% | 37 |

## What the models said for it

- "Scale / investment choice + fiduciary support: Fidelity Workplace Investing, Empower Retirement" (Muse Glimmer 30B, 401(k) providers)
- "Empower, Vanguard, Fidelity, and ADP are frequently cited as top choices" (Mistral Small, 401(k) providers)
- "Why I'd lean Empower for a true mid-market B2B company" (GPT-5.4 mini, 401(k) providers)
- "I'd start with Empower and Fidelity in a competitive RFP" (GPT-6 Luna, 401(k) providers)

## And against it

- "Be most cautious with: Empower (service meltdowns)" (Kimi K2, 401(k) providers)
- "the SEC found that Empower entities inadequately disclosed conflicts and financial incentives tied to recommendations to enroll participants in that service" (GPT-6 Luna, 401(k) providers)
- "remains a mid-tier provider where plan design (chosen by your employer) determines whether you get good or bad options" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, 401(k) providers)
- "High volume of complaints (over 500 in the last 3 years per BBB... steep administrative fees on small accounts" (Grok 4.20, 401(k) providers)

## By model

| Model | First choice | Alternative | Mention | Warning | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| GPT-5.4 mini | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Perplexity Sonar | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Grok 4.20 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Mistral Small | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Llama 4 Maverick | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Kimi K2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| MiniMax M2.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| GPT-6 Luna | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Muse Glimmer 30B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |

## Sources returned with these answers

The sites and pages cited by the answers that named Empower Retirement, from 84 of the 100 answers that named it (only the models that return a source list).

### Domains cited

- forbes.com: 44
- adp.com: 43
- leadchangegroup.com: 43
- investmentnews.com: 33
- planprovider.pro: 27
- reddit.com: 22
- spotsaas.com: 20
- basiccapital.com: 18
- betterment.com: 16
- dol.gov: 14

### Pages cited

- https://forbes.com/advisor/retirement/best-401k-plans: 40
- https://adp.com/what-we-offer/benefits/retirement/401k.aspx: 37
- https://investmentnews.com/glossary/401k-companies/263041: 23
- https://leadchangegroup.com/401k-providers/enterprise: 23
- https://leadchangegroup.com/401k-providers: 22
- https://planprovider.pro/compare: 17
- https://planprovider.pro/largest-401k-recordkeepers: 14
- https://spotsaas.com/blog/10-best-401k-providers-2026: 14

## In its own words

What Empower Retirement's own pages state, read 2026-10-05. Stated by the vendor, not checked by the index.

- Positioning: Invest well. Live a little.™ (https://empower.com/)
- For: plan sponsors (https://www.empower.com/plan-sponsors/solutions/marc-pension-administration-system)

## What it publishes

Every page empower.com exposes, read 2026-10-05: 2211 addresses. By kind, pages and the last 90 days:

- blog: 38 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest undated
- webinar or virtual event: 2 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest undated
- conference or event: 1 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest undated
- report or ebook: 15 pages, 1 in the last 90 days, latest 2026-10-02
- comparison: 27 pages, 2 in the last 90 days, latest 2026-10-02
- template or tool: 26 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest undated
- glossary or explainer: 59 pages, 1 in the last 90 days, latest 2026-10-01
- podcast or video: 2 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest undated
- news or press: 377 pages, 0 in the last 90 days, latest undated
- Recent: 2026-10-02 comparison: Roth ira vs 401k https://www.empower.com/the-currency/money/roth-ira-vs-401k
- Recent: 2026-10-02 report or ebook: Informed investor sticky inflation https://www.empower.com/investment-insights/research/informed-investor-sticky-inflation
- Recent: 2026-10-01 glossary or explainer: What is portfolio management https://www.empower.com/the-currency/money/what-is-portfolio-management
- Recent: 2026-09-29 comparison: Trump accounts vs custodial accounts https://www.empower.com/the-currency/money/trump-accounts-vs-custodial-accounts

## Record

- Method: https://www.gane.ai/index/hr/methodology
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as Gane Index, November 2026 Edition, www.gane.ai/index/hr.