empower-retirement.com Reviews 418

I have struggled for almost a week now to transfer money from one of my Empower IRAs to another. It hasn’t happened yet despite initiating my efforts more than a week ago. Some have suggested a concerted effort on Empower’s part to delay transferring funds from a sweep account to take advantage of the float. It feels that way to me. I encourage class actions lawyers to carefully review the prolonged and hide the ball manner in which Empower moves retirement funds of its clients from one account to another. These poor ratings are very justified. Empower hides under the patina of many, many work at home advisors to talk a good game without results. Trying to move your retirement life savings around with Empower is agonizing and not terribly transparent. I suggest you consider any number of other investment advisors to avoid the black holes of Empower.

The outcome was nothing like i imagined. i wanted a company as consisted, rewarding and providing strong returns asTokeᥒBlaze platform, but instead i was left with disappointment and wasted time. now i know better.

I have an IRA account with Empower-retirement that originated with Hartford Insurance. I was checking on the safety of the funds and also on the stable value account I have that has always had a 4% rate of return. I called to ask if the rate of return would continue be guaranteed at a minimum of 4%. The people I called on the number I was given said they could not tell me. I needed to talk to their IRA dept. The IRA dept told me I needed to talk to the employee group sponsored IRA dept. Brian, a supervisor in that department told me that my account was being managed by Talcott Resolution Life Insurance Company, but he had no other information about my account. I called them and they have no record of my account. How can I possibly trust this firm. No one seems to know what they are doing!

I was misinformed by empoweredpensions about something they required, which meant months of delays and countless calls and emails with HMRC , then when I wanted a refund for a documents we hadn’t completed - they refused and took my money anyway.

Not happy. Won’t recommend their services.

Have been trying for a hardship withdrawal. They claim they did not receive paperwork even though it was sent proof of mailing. Then you upload it through their system and they still don’t process it. You call and they give you the run around. You get a random person each call and they can barely understand what you are asking. The phone representatives then go silent or hang up when you ask about the withdrawal. You have to call in four to five times in a row to be told nothing. Their “specialists” leave you on hold or in silence for over 20 minutes. They never communicate with you. You have to continue to try and contact them to find out anything as they do not send you any type of communications. If I could give zero stars I would.

Completely trash company, terrible customer service, someone hung up on me. Tried to get a couple thousand out for medical expenses, and they made me revise the document 4 different times, get it notarized etc and they still haven't approved it stating that I need every single date listed for all visits and how much insurance covered on each date/visit(something paperwork can't even show). This withdrawal is only for $2300.00. What a joke, I can't even explain the frustration I have with this company.

Horrible customer service/claims. My husband has been given the run around so much with this company. My mother in law passed in June of this year, he contacted them to start process to pay out her retirement account. Our lawyer filled out the claim form almost a month ago and faxed it off to them. Today my husband called and said they received nothing and to call back in a week. He has many obligations as an executor that needs to be paid out with this and not getting any answers when we have submitted everything is frustrating.

I have never been able to log onto the website. When I put in my credentials it just takes me on a loop trying to reset my password. When I called customer service 3 years ago to change my address that worked. I need to change my address again so they stop sending snail mail to my old place, and I can't even get ahold of a customer service person now. This company was already iffy and it's just gone downhill in the past few years.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Kristie Aylor today, and I just have to say how impressed I am. She is incredibly sweet, professional, and has such a warm personality that makes every conversation enjoyable. It’s rare to meet someone who blends expertise in marketing with such kindness and genuine care for people.

Empower is fortunate to have Kristie as their Senior Product Marketing Manager—she truly represents the company with excellence. Speaking with her left me feeling not only informed but also encouraged, and that speaks volumes about her character and professionalism.

— Simon Sepulveda

Just recently signed up and transferred over $230,00 into an IRA, can you believe they invested 95% of my cash into the market at its all time high up 2% at the end of the day on a Friday. Let’s just say, it’s been all down hill from here. I personally would have never invest this much into this market. I would have waited till Monday and seen what the market was doing and slowly invested. I thought they had professional investors managing this money

I retired from the Police Department on July 1, 2025. I sent in my paperwork 3 months prior to my retirement as recommended. However, to date, I still have not received my pension. Not only that, they still don't have my information for my disbursement correct. I took a lump sum payment option, which they completely overlooked which threw a big wrench in the process. If I hadn't inquired I would have had a mess on my hands. To date, still just broken promises and no money. I called the call center multiple times and get someone in Pakistan who has no idea what is going on in the US. This is such poor customer service. They call you back days later with no answers. It has been so frustrating. A word to the wise....if you have this company make sure you follow through with them often, or who might also be living off of your savings to survive.

This company doesn't even deserve 1-star.

Opted into my previous company's 401K plan through this company and haven't been employed there for years.

They make it extremely difficult to withdraw your funds. Constantly asking you to jump hurdle-to-hurdle in order to make a simple withdrawal.

Stay away from this company at all costs. It's concerning they are still in business.

Consistently have trouble logging into my accounts online. I enter my credential and at least half of the time I get the "swirl of death" and never get connected. I do not have this difficulty with any of my other online accounts nor did I have this issue when this account was managed by Prudential.

If I could give a zero for this company I would. But it was not an option. The customer service was horrible. Every time I call to ask anything about my retirement they say their system is down. Or if I ask anything about getting a loan there favorite word for any question I ask is " sorry we can't ". It should not be this hard to get your money that you pay into your retirement. I wish my retirement was still ran by Nationwide.

Employer changed to Empower right when I was able to contribute, then I was laid off under new CEO restructure. I hadn't contributed much in my 6 months, and had not found another job for rollover with my 10 day notice of layoff. This company added salt to my wound charging 20% tax without rollover, $75 withdrawal fee, and $15 for electronic transfer fee. Absolutely predatory.

I have tried accessing my account for the past week. Contacted Customer service and the other line was so loud and had so much background noise I couldn’t hear anything the representative was saying to me, and then they hung up on me. Called back and got a different representative and it was still loud and had a lot of background noise but I could hear the representative this time. After a 30 minute phone call the problem was not resolved because she told me she kept receiving a validation error on her end, and to try again tomorrow because she couldn’t get it to work! I’ve been trying for the past week that’s why I called!

This company is awful. Terrible rules and communication is horrible. I am in the process of trying to pull my retirement out.

I had a 401k with Empower from a former employer.
I left the money with Empower as the investment options were better than the options in the 401k of the firm I work for now.

My current employer changed their 401k provider. We got new investment options. The funds in my current 401k are performing at more than 25% better annual return than my Empower money.

I called to rollover my Empower money to my current 401k.

I waited for a few minutes to be connected with a customer service representative. The first representative I spoke with said she needed to adjust her headset. And she then hung up on me.

I called waited again. The second representative tried to talk me out of moving my money. They eventually agreed and said the money would be mailed to me first class unless I wanted to pay a $50 fee for overnight delivery.

I said fine to the $50.

I was then told it could take up to 12 days to process my check, which made no sense. If I walked into Chase or Bank of America or whatever and asked to close my account, I would not be told it could take 12 days for me to have my money.
I got an email notice three days later that my money was on its way. And I waited. And I waited. and I waited. And five days later my check arrived in first class mail.

They did not charge me for the overnight service, which I asked for. But who puts a seven-figure check into first class mail?

And how does it take five days for first class mail to get from one city to another in the US? If the return address on the envelope was where genuinely where the check was sent from, it had to travel a distance of roughly 300 miles. Which tells me they put the check in the mail a day or two later than they said.

I thought about giving them two stars because the investment options were good when I started. However, the service experience was awful to the extent that even one star seems too high of a rating

I called in at 8 am each time I have called in to speak with a representative. I don't think the definition of a "business day" is the same to your company and the majority of US based companies.

I called in on Friday 8/8 to ask for the paper checks, that didnt arrive after requesting them at 8am on 7/25, be stopped and request my funds be direct deposited.
Which i was not given that option on any of the previous calls in for questions,but after speaking with a representative on Friday, I did not reveive a confirmation message until Monday.

Also, I wasn't given the option to rollover my ROTH account, so it's been all around constructive communication that I've been receiving from Empower

There is something definitely wrong in this company. Rude customer service, employees with troublesome training in my opinion. No choice but to continue here until l find a better option. Wouldn't recommend this company if you're planning to be a new customer. You'll be frustrated often im sure.