Key Takeaways
- • ForUsAll announced on June 7, 2021 the Alt401(k), a 401(k) platform that lets employers offer alternative investments, with cryptocurrency as the first alternative asset class offered.
- • Participants can transfer up to 5% of their 401(k) balances into a self-directed crypto window offering access to more than 50 cryptocurrencies.
- • Coinbase Institutional is the crypto custody and trading platform partner for the Alt401(k), according to the company's announcement.
- • ForUsAll reports over $1.7B in AUM and more than 70,000 employees served, and says it is focused on small businesses and startups.
- • ForUsAll alerts participants when crypto allocations exceed 5% of their portfolio and provides ongoing monitoring and personalized education.
Summary
ForUsAll, a retirement investment platform for small businesses, announced on June 7, 2021 the introduction of the Alt401(k), a retirement plan that allows employers to offer alternative investment options within 401(k) plans. According to the company's press release, cryptocurrency is the first alternative investment offered under the platform, with employers selecting Coinbase Institutional as the crypto platform partner.
Under the structure described by the company, employers can include cryptocurrency through a self-directed alternative window alongside a traditional investment lineup. Participants may transfer up to 5% of their portfolio balances into this window, where they can buy, hold, and sell more than 50 cryptocurrencies. ForUsAll says it monitors allocations and alerts employees when their crypto exposure exceeds 5% of the portfolio, supporting rebalancing into traditional mutual funds. The company says crypto holdings are stored using cold or offline storage, so participants do not need to manage digital wallets or private keys.
CEO Jeff Schulte framed the launch as broadening access to alternatives that have historically been available to wealthy and institutional investors. Co-founder and Chief Investment Officer David Ramirez said small allocations to cryptocurrency can improve diversification and expected returns, while noting that volatility and complexity make education and advice essential. The release cites industry surveys indicating that 36% of institutions make small to moderate crypto allocations.
Coinbase's Brett Tejpaul, Head of Institutional Sales, Trading and Prime, said the partnership extends Coinbase's institutional offering to retirement plans. ForUsAll states it was founded in 2012, manages over $1.7B in AUM, and serves more than 70,000 employees, including at companies it lists as clients such as Citigroup, Coca-Cola, and Target. The company's figures are self-reported and were not independently verified in the sources reviewed.
Under the structure described by the company, employers can include cryptocurrency through a self-directed alternative window alongside a traditional investment lineup. Participants may transfer up to 5% of their portfolio balances into this window, where they can buy, hold, and sell more than 50 cryptocurrencies. ForUsAll says it monitors allocations and alerts employees when their crypto exposure exceeds 5% of the portfolio, supporting rebalancing into traditional mutual funds. The company says crypto holdings are stored using cold or offline storage, so participants do not need to manage digital wallets or private keys.
CEO Jeff Schulte framed the launch as broadening access to alternatives that have historically been available to wealthy and institutional investors. Co-founder and Chief Investment Officer David Ramirez said small allocations to cryptocurrency can improve diversification and expected returns, while noting that volatility and complexity make education and advice essential. The release cites industry surveys indicating that 36% of institutions make small to moderate crypto allocations.
Coinbase's Brett Tejpaul, Head of Institutional Sales, Trading and Prime, said the partnership extends Coinbase's institutional offering to retirement plans. ForUsAll states it was founded in 2012, manages over $1.7B in AUM, and serves more than 70,000 employees, including at companies it lists as clients such as Citigroup, Coca-Cola, and Target. The company's figures are self-reported and were not independently verified in the sources reviewed.
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