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The ROBS Process

Here’s exactly what happens from your first click to a funded business. Your dashboard tracks progress through 7 stages: Application, Review, Payment, Incorporation, Plan, Funding, and Documents.

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Stage 1: Application

You complete the ROBS application with personal details, retirement account information, business plans, and supporting documents. Progress is auto-saved - you can leave and come back anytime. What you’ll provide:

• Personal information (name, date of birth, contact details)
• Retirement account types, balances, and custodian details
• Business name, jurisdiction preference, industry, and intended use of funds
• Most recent retirement account statement and government-issued ID
• Compliance certifications (5 acknowledgments covering prohibited transactions, ROBS requirements, and employment commitment)

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Stage 2: Expert Review

After submission, our concierge team reviews your application with AI-assisted compliance analysis.

• Automated compliance audit checks your application against IRS regulations, case law, and audit guidance
• Human expert review verifies eligibility, documents, and business feasibility
• We may schedule a consultation call to discuss your specific situation, answer questions, and finalize your plan structure
• You’ll receive email updates and can track status from your dashboard

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Stage 3: Payment

After your application is approved, you’ll review and accept the Client Setup Agreement - a plain-language summary of the services Talcott Forge will deliver, the fee structure, and your responsibilities as a founder. Once accepted, you pay the $5,000 one-time setup fee** through Stripe checkout. **$250 in platform credits are included and available immediately. Quarterly plan administration fees ($500/qtr for Nova,$750/qtr for Titan) begin later - only after your plan is fully funded and the Plan Service Agreement is signed.

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Stage 4: Incorporation

With payment confirmed, we form your C-Corporation:

• Name approval - we confirm your company name’s availability with the state
• Officer designation - you confirm the officers and directors for your corporation
• State filing - C-Corp formed in your chosen jurisdiction (Delaware, Nevada, Wyoming, or Texas)
• EIN - IRS Employer Identification Number obtained
• Corporate governance - bylaws, initial board actions, and certificates generated

Formation documents that require your signature are sent for electronic signature through our platform. You’ll sign directly from your dashboard. Each document includes a standardized signature page. If you are signing in two roles - for example, as both the Company representative and the Plan Trustee - both signature fields will appear on a single signature page, with a clear explanation of each capacity. You complete the entire signing session in one step.

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Stage 5: Plan Setup

Once incorporation is complete and formation documents are signed, your 401(k) plan is established:

• Plan documents generated: Adoption Agreement, Trust Agreement, Plan Highlights, Funding Policy.
• Plan documents require signature: sent for electronic signature through your dashboard. As with formation documents, dual-capacity signing (e.g., as both Plan Trustee and Company officer) is handled in a single signing session.
• Plan Service Agreement (PSA): a separate ongoing-administration agreement between you and Talcott Forge. The PSA is released and signed as its own step, not bundled with the plan docs above.
• Corporate governance: stock certificates, purchase agreements, and board resolutions are generated and staged. Transaction-time documents are sent for signature later, once your rollover funds have arrived.

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Stage 6: Rollover & Funding

The final active stage: getting your business funded. Your funding dashboard guides you through four phases:

1. C-Corp bank account: set up a business bank account for your corporation to receive capitalization funds.
2. Custodian account: open a Fidelity custodial account to hold your 401(k) plan trust assets. We pre-fill most of the application for you.
3. Rollover transfers: contact your current retirement account custodians to initiate direct rollovers into your new 401(k) plan trust. We track each transfer and check in with you along the way. If you’re consolidating multiple retirement accounts, the dashboard handles each transfer individually and lets you stagger them as custodians process.
4. Capitalization: once all rollover funds have arrived, the transaction documents (Stock Purchase Agreement, Stock Certificate, Board Resolution) are sent together in a single signing envelope. After you sign, the 401(k) plan purchases shares in your C-Corporation and your business is funded.

Compliance monitoring begins automatically after capitalization: deadline tracking, Form 5500 preparation, and quarterly prohibited transaction reviews.

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Stage 7: Documents Complete

All documents are generated and immediately available in your document library - there is no waiting period. As soon as a document is created, it appears in your dashboard. Your document library shows a complete set of:

• Formation documents (Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, EIN Letter)
• Plan documents (Adoption Agreement, Trust Agreement, Funding Policy)
• Transaction documents (Stock Purchase Agreement, Stock Certificate, Board Resolutions)
• Governance documents (Indemnification Agreement, IP Assignment, Certificate of Secretary)

See the complete document list for details on every document.