Our History

PENTEGRA 80 Years of Independent Fiduciary Oversight & Expertise

Pentegra is a leading provider of retirement plan, fiduciary outsourcing and institutional investment solutions to clients nationwide. Today, with nearly $13 billion in assets under administration/management, we invite you to share in our 80th anniversary celebration..

View our 80 Year Retrospective

1940s

Pentegra was created as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt defined benefit pension trust on December 1,1943 by the then eight Federal Home Loan Banks. The Trust was established to manage and oversee a defined benefit pension plan for employees of the Federal Home Loan Bank System.

The Trust was administered by a professional staff and governed under the direction of a Board of Trustees who were presidents of the Federal Home Loan Banks. By 1944, six of the 189 participants were on military leave.

1950s

In 1956, the defined benefit pension trust became known as the Savings Association Retirement Fund, reflecting that, by then, it also served the savings industry. Expanding its original mission, the company grew to serve the needs of all thrifts and savings institutions and the organizations serving them.

Community-based savings and loan associations, thrift and savings banks across the nation joined the program, enjoying the benefits of participating in our multiple employer plan, including outsourced fiduciary responsibility, lower costs, economies of scale and reduced retirement plan administrative burdens.

1960s

The Savings Association Retirement Fund continued to grow and attract new members as community-based savings and loan associations, thrift and savings banks nationwide joined the program, eager to take advantage of the program’s economies of scale and fiduciary protections.

By the end of the decade, many clients reached “full funding” resulting in large part from favorable investment returns.

1970s

 In 1970, the Savings Institutions Thrift Plan was launched. A tax-exempt, trusteed savings plan, the program was designed to provide a retirement savings plan for employees of financial institutions and organizations serving them to save and invest on a regular, long-term basis.

The program was designed to complement our multiple employer defined benefit pension program. Today, the Plan includes some of the original members.

In 1974, we also relocated our headquarters from Park Avenue in New York City to Corporate Park Drive in White Plains, New York. By the end of the decade, assets under management exceeded $500 million.

1980s

In 1982, the Savings Association Retirement Fund became known as the Financial Institutions Retirement Fund and the Savings Institutions Thrift Plan became known as the Financial Institutions Thrift Plan.

By 1987, assets under management exceeded $1 billion.

Pentegra earned the first of many endorsements by banking industry trade organizations.

1990s

In 1993, the Pentegra organization embarked on a name change. From that point on we would be known as Pentegra—derived from the words pensions + integrity.

The 1990s were a decade of transformative growth for Pentegra as we worked to procure a change to Section 413(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and obtain a prohibited transaction exemption for Pentegra, thereby enabling Pentegra Services, Inc. to be established and commence business.

Our product offerings now included single employer retirement plans of every kind. The new structure also allowed us to expand the marketing of our programs and services beyond the scope of the financial community to businesses across different industries and sectors nationwide.

By the end of the decade, assets under administration/management topped $2 billion.

2000s

Pentegra earned two key endorsements as assets under administration/management exceeded $3 billion at the start of the decade.

In 2006, NAFCU Services Corporation, a subsidiary of the National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU), announced its selection of Pentegra as its Preferred Partner for qualified retirement plans.

In 2008, the acquisition of the subsidiaries of Retirement System Group Inc. (RSGroup) further broadened our capabilities and resources, adding regional depth as well as trust and insurance products and registered investment advisory and broker dealer capabilities to Pentegra. By the end of the decade, assets under administration/management exceeded $7.5 billion.

In 2011, Pentegra acquired Alliance Benefit Group-Carolinas, a full-service third party retirement plan administration and recordkeeping firm based in the Carolinas. In 2013, Pentegra acquired Advanced Pension Solutions, Inc., a full-service third party retirement plan administration firm based in Ohio. Both acquisitions better positioned Pentegra to provide unbundled services on a larger scale.

2020s
Pentegra Retirement Services Logo

 Pentegra forms relationships with major payroll and recordkeeping providers in the retirement industry to offer its 3(16) fiduciary administrative services on their platforms, greatly expanding its industry footprint as a premiere provider of fiduciary outsourcing solutions.

In 2022, Pentegra acquired New Pinnacle Consulting Group (NPCG), a full-service third-party retirement plan administration firm based in Cornelius, North Carolina. The acquisition of NPCG further supported the organization’s strategic objective of expanding market share in the area of third party administrative and 3(16) fiduciary services for 403(b) plans.

Today, with assets under administration/management of more than $13 billion, Pentegra is a leading provider of qualified retirement plan, fiduciary outsourcing , third party administrator (TPA), consulting, and institutional investment solutions to clients and advisors nationwide. Our heritage as an institutional fiduciary guides everything we do, delivering a high standard of care and deep expertise to drive successful retirement plan outcomes.