empower-retirement.com

1.1
1.1 Based on 21 reviews

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1.1

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21 Reviews

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Rob Cook
Extremely disappointing customer service experience.

This was perhaps the most frustrating customer service experience I've ever encountered. If you find yourself in a difficult situation involving your family, you might as well be out of luck, as they show no concern. Struggling with debt? Unfortunately, they won't offer any assistance. It's best to seek help elsewhere!

1
Date of experience: Jan 12, 2026
Marlene Harris
Extremely frustrated with the service

I would give zero stars if I could. Working with the service has been incredibly challenging. The information provided is inconsistent—each call yields different responses, and there seems to be no clear process in place. It's nearly impossible to reach someone at the corporate office or the actual processing center who can address issues, leaving customers dealing with call center agents who only take notes and can't offer real help. The delays in fund releases, along with a lack of transparency and limited authority from customer service, lead to unnecessary stress and frustration.

1
Date of experience: Dec 22, 2025
Curtley W.
No Urgency and Poor Communication

One would think that submitting a 'Hardship Withdrawal' would lead to a prompt response. Unfortunately, that is not the reality. The follow-up is highly unprofessional, and the teams involved appear completely out of sync regarding processes and updates. The need to jump through multiple hoops to access funds is incredibly frustrating. After submitting the required information, including a direct conversation with a representative, I received an email stating that the information was still incomplete. I had to call again to speak with an agent who confirmed receipt but indicated it would take an additional 3 days just to be assigned to a specialist—not even processed yet. The system is inefficient, the setup is poor, and there is a glaring lack of urgency. Communication between teams and with users is severely lacking. Thankfully, I was proactive in seeking assistance well before deadlines; otherwise, I would be in a much worse situation.

1
Date of experience: Dec 18, 2025
Brittaney Nelson
An Unnecessary Difficult Process

You would think if someone was submitting a “Hardship Withdrawal” the request would be fulfilled with some sense of urgency. But no. The follow up is completely unprofessional, the required teams are not on the same page when it comes to processes or status. The fact that you even have to jump through hoops to access your money adds salt to the wound. After completing missing information, one directly with an employee, I received the an email stating the missing information was incomplete. I had to once again call to speak with an agent who said “oh yea, I see that we’ve got that, let me connect with a specialist) Then to find out it will take an additional 3 days to be assigned to an agent…. Not processed. Assigned. Terrible system. Terrible set up. Lack of urgency. Communication amongst teams, and to the user falls short. Thank goodness I was proactive and am seeking assistance well before the date demands, because I’d be “s*** out of luck”

1
Date of experience: Dec 14, 2025
Alicia McClendon
Terrible Organization

It takes 40 minutes for someone to answer the phone, you can’t understand them, they will reject your hardship documentation without giving a specific reason so you have to call. The phone hangs up on you even while you’ve been on the phone for half an hour.

1
Date of experience: Dec 10, 2025
Kunjan
Empower SUCKS!'

Empower is a criminally negligent organization. I had taken a loan that I paid off early. However, they have withdrawn more than I owe (about $250) which resulted in insufficient fund charge by my bank.

1
Date of experience: Dec 06, 2025
Tim Roach
Empower is a criminally run retirement…

Empower is a criminally run retirement scam . Unfortunately for me Nassau County is part of that scam so my money must stay. They make it entirely impossible to make a withdrawal, they change major allocation policies with zero communication with members . Half a million dollars they have of mine I've never got one piece of communication from them. Phone help is non existent. Their mission statement is what can we not do for you !!!

1
Date of experience: Dec 03, 2025
Almir Barbosa
The "Total Retirement" Trap: High Fees, Rigid Algorithms, and Poor Returns

Investors should exercise extreme caution regarding Empower’s "My Total Retirement" and "Personal Strategy" services. While the marketing promises sophisticated, personalized wealth management, the operational reality is a rigid, unresponsive system that systematically prioritizes fee extraction over performance.First, the service exhibits dangerous inflexibility. The algorithms responsible for protecting your capital often operate on rigid, calendar-based schedules—such as quarterly updates or "birthday" triggers—rather than responding dynamically to market volatility. When the market crashes, the system can sit idle for weeks, and manual intervention requests are frequently delayed by bureaucratic latency, locking in avoidable losses.Second, the proprietary "Smart Weighting" methodology is structurally flawed for modern markets. By arbitrarily betting against the market’s biggest winners (like major tech companies) to enforce an "equal weight" across sectors, the strategy consistently lags behind simple S&P 500 index funds during rallies. You are effectively paying a premium to underperform the benchmark.Finally, the service functions as a "roach motel" for your assets. The "Direct Indexing" feature fragments your portfolio into hundreds of individual stock slices. This structure makes it nearly impossible to transfer your account to a lower-cost broker without liquidating the entire portfolio, triggering a massive, immediate capital gains tax bill. You are trapped paying exorbitant advisory fees (up to 0.89%) because the cost of leaving is too high.Verdict: This service is a fee trap that offers lower liquidity and lower returns than a standard index fund. Save your money, avoid the tax lock-in, and manage your own portfolio.

1
Date of experience: Dec 02, 2025
TiredSoul
Straight scam

Straight scam. My wife had a small 401k she was building before leaving her employer, empower took 55% of the amount in admin fees. Absolutely crazy.

1
Date of experience: Nov 21, 2025
I asked to speak with a supervisor when…

I asked to speak with a supervisor when I called around 645p. The US rep her name was Tamika and she would not transfer my call to her supervisor because it.s close to closing time. Spent time requesting a her supervisor which she said no to. I said you’re trying to hang up on me at 7p so you don’t want me to make a complaint against her. Tamika hung up on me without assisting.

1
Date of experience: Nov 13, 2025

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