GuidelineReviews of guideline.com

Poor options for portfolio management; very limited choices for someone who wants to be more hands on with managing their portfolio.

I am a part time employee of a small business. I recently received an email that I was automatically enrolled in my company’s 401k plan with Guideline even though my company does not offer a plan to part time employees. Red flag #1. Within the email it stated the start date (read again…. automatically enrolled like it or not) but, I could opt out. So, I contact my employer who verifies that they don’t provide this to part timers, for me to go ahead and opt out and they’d contact the FA to figure out how to stop this from happening in the future. I click into the email to read more on how to opt out. I follow the directions to Guideline’s website. To my surprise, I cannot proceed to opt out unless I create a 401k account. Red flag #2. Read that again…. I was forced by a 401k provider to create a 401k account in order to opt out. So, I fill out screen after screen of information only to finally land at an option where I can opt out. I think I’m done, but no, I am not. Now I have a zero dollar 401k account sitting out there doing nothing but providing a company with an avenue to solicit me for funds that they forced me into that I cannot close. Why you ask? Because, they are conveniently required to send you monthly emails from their “record keeper” for each 401k account. This is a shady tactic to ensure they get the ability to solicit you over and over to contribute funds within that monthly email. Red flag #3. Their requirement to open an account, apparently, supersedes the company I work for as the Guideline representative explained, although my employer does not offer a 401k to part time employees, Guideline offers it to everyone that has a W2. It doesn’t matter if you make $10 or $100,000, if you get a W2, you are forced to have an account with Guideline….. even to opt out. So, they also believe they get to tell business owners how to run their businesses. Red flag #4. I am now multiple emails and phone calls into Guideline telling them, verbally & in writing, that I don’t want a zero dollar opt out forced 401k account sitting out there and for them to delete it. They refuse. Red flag #5. Do not be fooled, they are over reaching, force employees into their system, unresponsive and downright horrific. They have so much of my information….. information that is just hanging out there in cyberland….. none of which you can control because you can’t delete it.

Terms need to be outlined in a manner that anyone can understand.

You continue to send invoices and statements for the Company to my personal email address instead of my business email address after more than one attempt on my part to correct it. Ineptitude at its finest.

Options with respect to funds you can invest in are so small. It is pathetic.

Guideline has an Easy UI and the investments are set and forget. However, it's been more than a month since I attempted to transfer funds from Guideline to another provider. They lost my check and neglected to update me on the issuance of the new check. Just processing the new one takes 7 to 10 business days. For the check to arrive at my institution, it would take up to 10 to 12 additional business days - that's literally more than a whole month of more waiting and missing out on opportunities if they mess things up. I feel like they are joining a handful of other companies who are holding onto customer funds for their own use during this economic downtown to the detriment of their customers. Guideline also did not put any priority on the issuance of the new check and mailed it out via standard mail - you would think they would be a little more caring and pay less than a dollar for faster delivery after the first check got lost. Guideline also has very limited choices in investment products

My company signed me up for Guideline without my consent or knowledge. I've asked Guideline to return my funds to me, I was told by Harold it would be within 7-10 business days. This was wrong information and apparently it's whenever they get around to it. Steer clear of this shady company and do not trust them with your money, my account is not large, I just want the money I worked hard for back in my bank account and they can't even do that for me without lying.

People should not be forced to participate in a plan or forced to fill out personal information and read terms and conditions to opt out. Before I could opt out, I was forwarded to a different part of the site and I couldn't get back to the form. This is unethical.