Student loan debt is holding employees back from saving for retirement—but it doesn’t have to.
Thanks to the SECURE 2.0 Act, employers can now offer 401(k) student loan matching, providing a high-impact financial benefit that helps attract and retain talent. The challenge? Many employers don’t realize this option exists, or they aren’t sure how to implement student loan matching compliance without adding administrative headaches.
That’s where Loan Certify comes in.
Picture an HR leader at a growing company. Always looking to strengthen the company’s benefits package, they hear about the SECURE 2.0 Act employer benefits and recognize a chance to support employees who are burdened by student loans. The goal: help employees pay down debt while growing their retirement savings at the same time, all without adding cost to the company.
At first, this sounds simple. But as they dig into the details, the road ahead becomes complicated. What starts as an exciting idea quickly turns into a logistical and compliance challenge.
Implementing a 401(k) student loan matching program internally is more complex than most realize. Employers face several key obstacles:
Compliance Complexity: To stay IRS-compliant under the SECURE 2.0 Act, employers must ensure every matched student loan payment qualifies. That means accurate documentation, regular verification, and strict oversight.
Manual Verification: Every employee’s student loan payments need to be verified for accuracy and eligibility. Managing this manually requires constant document collection and review—a process that is not only time-consuming but also prone to errors.
Administrative Overload: Coordinating loan certifications with payroll and 401(k) providers takes additional work from HR and benefits teams who are already managing complex systems.
Risk of Fraud and Error: Without robust safeguards, inaccurate or fraudulent submissions could put the entire plan’s compliance at risk, creating potential legal and financial liabilities for the employer.
At this point, many employers give up or decide the complexity outweighs the benefit. But there’s a better way.
Loan Certify exists to take the burden off your team and make 401(k) student loan matching effortless.
Instead of building a complex system from scratch, employers partner with Loan Certify to handle every part of the process, from verifying loans to delivering certified reports directly to your 401(k) administrator. Here's how we make it simple:
Verification and Compliance: Loan Certify automatically verifies employee loan payments and ensures every certification meets IRS and SECURE 2.0 Act standards.
Seamless Reporting: Employers get real-time access to employee eligibility and certified matching amounts through our secure dashboard.
Administrator Coordination: Loan Certify integrates with your 401(k) plan provider, delivering the documentation needed to apply matching contributions accurately and efficiently.
Ongoing Monitoring: We continuously track any changes—like salary updates or loan adjustments—so your data stays current without additional work for HR.
Zero Cost to the Employer: Employees cover their subscription to Loan Certify. Your company can provide this benefit with no financial commitment unless you choose to sponsor some or all of the cost.
Zero Risk: We handle the full compliance process, eliminating the risk of errors or ineligible matches.
Zero Extra Work: HR and benefits teams stay focused on their core responsibilities while we handle the rest through automated systems and verified reporting.
High-Impact Benefit: Without increasing salaries, you can deliver a financial wellness benefit that helps employees reduce debt and save for retirement.
Offering 401(k) student loan matching doesn’t have to be complicated, risky, or expensive. With Loan Certify as your trusted partner, you can deliver this powerful benefit without adding work to your team or cost to your bottom line.
If you're ready to support your employees in growing their retirement savings while paying off their student loans, we’re here to help.
Visit our Get Started page to connect with our team and learn how easy it is to bring Loan Certify to your organization.
It’s time to offer a benefit your employees will value—and you won’t have to manage.