# 401kHunter

> 401kHunter is 401(k) prospecting software for financial advisors, TPAs and recordkeepers. It turns public U.S. Department of Labor Form 5500 filings, joined with 15+ other public data sources, into a searchable database of 1M+ retirement plans (2.1M+ filings, $29T+ in filed plan assets).
>
> Every plan carries an A–D fee grade, Schedule C provider compensation, and searchable red flags and change signals. Providers are identified for large plans from Schedule C, and for small plans (which file no Schedule C) from the named administrator, a recordkeeper inferred from plans on the same document, and the firm holding the IRS opinion letter for the plan's pre-approved document, which is on file for about 85% of small plans.
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> Advisors can unlock confidence-scored decision-maker contacts (email and direct phone, auto-refunded when no usable contact is found), generate AI-written outreach in their own voice as a four-email sequence, track prospects in a built-in pipeline, and produce client-ready and white-label benchmarking reports.
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> It also lists 1.08M businesses with no ERISA-filed plan on record, for startup-plan prospecting.
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> Pricing is published: searching is free, 50 credits are free at signup, credit packs start at $25, and Pro is $100/month including 1,500 credits. There is no contract and no sales call. Data refreshes monthly from DOL bulk files.

Every marketing page below is also available as clean Markdown by appending `.md` to its URL, and the full text of all of them is in [llms-full.txt](https://www.401khunter.com/llms-full.txt). Pages carry a visible "Updated" date; the author is Jacob Parent, Founder, 401kHunter.

## Product
- [401kHunter home](https://www.401khunter.com/): What the product does, live plan counts, and a free plan lookup.
- [Pricing](https://www.401khunter.com/pricing): Published prices: free search, $25 credit packs, Pro at $100/month. What each unlock costs in credits.
- [Methodology](https://www.401khunter.com/methodology): Every data source, how fee grades, provider identification and contact confidence are computed, the refresh cadence, and known limits.
- [Form 5500 search](https://www.401khunter.com/form-5500-search): Free lookup of any U.S. retirement plan that files a Form 5500.
- [401(k) fee checker](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-fee-checker): Free tool that grades any company's 401(k) fees A–D from its filing.
- [FAQ](https://www.401khunter.com/faq): Data coverage, contact data, credits and billing.
- [Reviews](https://www.401khunter.com/reviews): Where financial advisors and individuals who used the free tools can review 401kHunter; every review is moderated before publication.

## Best-of comparisons
- [The best 401(k) prospecting software in 2026: a sourced buyer's guide.](https://www.401khunter.com/best-401k-prospecting-software): Buyer's guide to eight 401(k) prospecting software products — 401kHunter, Judy Diamond Prospector+, RiXtrema Larkspur Executive, AdvizorPro PlanPro, O3 Edge, John Hancock Prospect Finder, ISS MarketPro and FreeERISA — organised by the prospecting workflow, with each vendor's published pricing, source and retrieval date.
- [The best 401(k) prospecting tools in 2026, ranked with sources.](https://www.401khunter.com/best-401k-prospecting-tools): Ranked comparison of the eight 401(k) prospecting tools advisors use in 2026, with a one-line verdict, data coverage, contact data and sourced, dated published pricing for each: 401kHunter, Judy Diamond, Larkspur Executive, AdvizorPro PlanPro, O3 Edge, John Hancock Prospect Finder, ISS MarketPro (BrightScope) and FreeERISA.
- [The best 401(k) prospecting platforms in 2026: one platform, or a stack of tools?](https://www.401khunter.com/best-401k-prospecting-platforms): Compares 401(k) prospecting platforms that cover the whole workflow (401kHunter, RiXtrema Larkspur Executive, Judy Diamond Prospector+, AdvizorPro, O3 Edge, John Hancock Prospect Finder) against assembling a stack from a Form 5500 database, a contact database, a writing tool and a CRM, with sourced pricing for each route.
- [The best 401(k) data providers in 2026: ranked for advisors, asset managers, and recordkeepers.](https://www.401khunter.com/best-401k-data-providers): Ranks nine 401(k) and retirement-plan data providers by buyer type — advisors, asset managers, recordkeepers and TPAs, compliance professionals — with each provider's published coverage and pricing, sourced and dated.
- [Top ERISA data tools for 2026: a buyer's guide.](https://www.401khunter.com/top-erisa-data-tools): ERISA data tools serve four distinct buyer segments — advisors prospecting takeovers, asset managers researching plans, recordkeepers tracking competitors, and attorneys handling litigation.

## Head-to-head comparisons and alternatives
- [Judy Diamond Associates review: is it still the right Form 5500 prospecting tool?](https://www.401khunter.com/judy-diamond-review): Judy Diamond Associates has been licensing Form 5500 data to financial advisors since the 1980s — making it the longest-running player in the retirement-plan prospecting category.
- [401kHunter vs Judy Diamond](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-hunter-vs-judy-diamond): Side-by-side comparison of 401kHunter and Judy Diamond: The longstanding incumbent in the Form 5500 prospecting space, now part of Touchpoint Markets (spun out of ALM in 2025).
- [401kHunter vs Larkspur Executive (RiXtrema)](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-hunter-vs-larkspur): Side-by-side comparison of 401kHunter and Larkspur Executive (RiXtrema): RiXtrema's 401(k) plan database with a large executive contact file and built-in email campaigns.
- [401kHunter vs BrightScope](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-hunter-vs-brightscope): Side-by-side comparison of 401kHunter and BrightScope: Plan-rating service with a public-facing search index, owned by ISS Market Intelligence.
- [401kHunter vs FreeERISA](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-hunter-vs-freeerisa): Side-by-side comparison of 401kHunter and FreeERISA: Free Form 5500 lookup site with a paid premium tier for advisors who need bulk access.
- [401kHunter vs fi360](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-hunter-vs-fi360): Side-by-side comparison of 401kHunter and fi360: Fiduciary-rating and investment-monitoring toolkit, owned by Broadridge — the long-running standard for advisor-side due diligence.
- [401kHunter vs AdvizorPro](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-hunter-vs-advizorpro): Side-by-side comparison of 401kHunter and AdvizorPro: The modern enterprise entrant — retirement plan prospecting bolted onto an advisor-data platform.
- [401kHunter vs ERISApedia](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-hunter-vs-erisapedia): Side-by-side comparison of 401kHunter and ERISApedia: Compliance-grade 5500 research priced for TPAs — with published pricing, rare in this category.
- [Judy Diamond alternative](https://www.401khunter.com/judy-diamond-alternative): What carries over, what changes and what it costs to switch from Judy Diamond to 401kHunter.
- [BrightScope alternative](https://www.401khunter.com/brightscope-alternative): What carries over, what changes and what it costs to switch from BrightScope to 401kHunter.
- [fi360 alternative](https://www.401khunter.com/fi360-alternative): What carries over, what changes and what it costs to switch from fi360 to 401kHunter.
- [AdvizorPro alternative](https://www.401khunter.com/advizorpro-alternative): What carries over, what changes and what it costs to switch from AdvizorPro to 401kHunter.
- [ERISApedia alternative](https://www.401khunter.com/erisapedia-alternative): What carries over, what changes and what it costs to switch from ERISApedia to 401kHunter.

## Guides for advisors
- [What is a 401(k) lead database, and which one should advisors use?](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-lead-database): A 401(k) lead database is a searchable index of U.S. retirement plans, sourced from public Form 5500 filings, that financial advisors use to find takeover-pitch prospects.
- [401(k) plan sponsor data: what's available, where it comes from, and how to use it.](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-plan-sponsor-data): 401(k) plan sponsor data — the company that legally sponsors a retirement plan, plus the people who run it — is the foundation of any retirement-plan prospecting workflow.
- [The retirement plan data provider landscape: who sells what, and to whom.](https://www.401khunter.com/retirement-plan-data-providers): Retirement plan data providers package Form 5500 filings + supplemental sources (advisor records, ERISA litigation, plan ratings) for buyers across the wealth-management and recordkeeping industries.
- [The 401(k) prospecting tool stack: what advisors actually use, end-to-end.](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-prospecting-tools): Winning a 401(k) takeover requires more than a Form 5500 lookup. The advisor prospecting workflow chains together a plan database, fee scoring, decision-maker enrichment, outreach automation, and a CRM.
- [ERISA data providers: what they sell, who buys it, and how to evaluate them.](https://www.401khunter.com/erisa-data-providers): ERISA data providers package the regulatory filings required of U.S. retirement and welfare plans — primarily Form 5500 + schedules — for advisors, asset managers, recordkeepers, attorneys, and fiduciary-process tools.
- [How to find 401(k) plans to prospect: a tactical guide for advisors.](https://www.401khunter.com/how-to-find-401k-plans-to-prospect): Finding the right 401(k) plans to prospect — instead of just any plans — is the difference between a pipeline that stalls and one that converts.
- [How to find companies with 401(k) plans (and which ones are worth pitching).](https://www.401khunter.com/find-companies-with-401k-plans): Almost every U.S. company with 100+ employees offers a 401(k) plan — and they're all in the public Form 5500 dataset.
- [The complete 401(k) sales prospecting guide for financial advisors.](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-sales-prospecting-guide): A start-to-finish playbook for advisors prospecting 401(k) plans for takeover. Covers data sources, fee analysis, decision-maker mapping, the actual pitch, and the typical 6–18 month sales cycle.
- [How to get 401(k) leads: seven sources, ranked by what they really cost you.](https://www.401khunter.com/how-to-get-401k-leads): There are seven workable ways for a financial advisor to find 401(k) plan sponsors to talk to.
- [401(k) prospecting scripts: email, call and voicemail examples built on the plan's own filing.](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-prospecting-scripts): The scripts that get answered are the ones that tell a sponsor something true and specific about their own plan.
- [How to find 401(k) plans by ZIP code, city or radius.](https://www.401khunter.com/find-401k-plans-by-zip-code): Every Form 5500 lists the sponsor's address, so the full set of retirement plans near you is public.

## Optional
- [What adding a Roth option to your 401(k) actually changes.](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-roth-option): A Roth 401(k) option costs the business almost nothing to add, and it changes the arithmetic of retirement for a large share of your employees.
- [What a half a percent in 401(k) fees actually costs your employees.](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-fees-impact): Plan fees look small because they are quoted as fractions of a percent. Over a working career they are not small.
- [What a 401(k) advisor is actually supposed to be doing for you.](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-advisor-value): Most plan sponsors can name their recordkeeper. Fewer can describe what their plan advisor did last year.
- [How to build a 401(k) investment lineup employees can actually use.](https://www.401khunter.com/401k-investment-lineup): A good fund menu is not the longest one. It is the one where a typical employee, given no help and no interest in investing, still ends up in something sensible.
- [How to build the best 401(k) plan for your business.](https://www.401khunter.com/best-401k-plan-for-your-business): A retirement plan is one of the few benefits where the quality of the design has a larger effect than the size of the budget.
- [Find an old 401(k)](https://www.401khunter.com/find-my-401k): Consumer lookup for a 401(k) left at a former employer.