empower-retirement.com Reviews 

One month for us to receive the distribution? It’s our money empowerment not yours. We are leaving your company and I hope no one else comes. Do better and be better.

horrible, uneducated support team that doesn't know how to answer your question and even put me on hold several times, and again at the end, so that I couldn't leave a review via their phone system. $150 fee to move the money. Do not bank with these clowns, unprofessional and uneducated company I was forced to use due to my previous employer. Also the money I had originally in the account decreased by 50%. They are shady and should be taken off of the market .

Given different answers every time I call. Told to send documents and then told something differently. Just trying to take care of my 95 year old father's finances.

Worst customer service ever.

I called 3 times today and each

They charge me to send my check direct deposit 15 then 20dollars why wen im already paying to transfer it to my bank it's a scam

I have made a number of withdrawals from my 401k. I am still working at age 67 so I am well within my rights to withdraw money from the account. It used to be somewhat annoying to get the Plan Administrator's approval so it would take maybe a week to process the request. It was all online. Now they have added a form which requires spousal consent and Plan Administrator approval. I am going on two weeks with no withdrawal having been deposited into my account....

This company customer service is horrible. They are not trained give the wrong information and can’t execute instructions documented on their forms. Don’t risk your investments with Empower they are not trained properly and takes them forever to complete the process of issuing a death benefit. Also they will tell you if the fax you sent them and have a verification it went through successfully to send it by mail. Stay away from them

I created an account and linked all my accounts- a significant amount. The next time I tried to use it, I couldn't log in. I reset my password, but every time I re-enter it, I'm back into the 'forgot password' loop. Customer service was no help and did nothing to acknowledge my concerns over how suspicious this is.

Horrible customer service, horrible business. Glad companies like this get drowned out by Fidelity. My money is much safer OUTSIDE of this company.

I have increased my bi-weekly contribution with Empower and there is absolutely no consistency with how they post contributions on their website. It’s insane! I’ve made 3 contributions in January and only 1 has posted as of 1/30/26. How is this company allowed to operate and manage our hard earned money???

A few months after I left a company that uses Empower for retirement accounts, I looked into withdrawing or rolling over my account as it was only a few grand.

Only to find Empower had almost immediately, without contacting me in any way, deleted my account and cut a check they sent to an apartment address I had given over a year ago and no longer lived at. I will remember in future to keep addresses current as I move a lot, but it has been absolutely impossible to get this fixed.

Every time I call, you sit on hold forever only for the agent to tell you whatever it takes to get you off the phone. I download and print whatever form, have it notarized, and physically mailed, and don't hear anything until calling again.

They've basically taken my retirement account and don't care at all about ever helping me get it back. It's only a few thousand but it's my money and it's ridiculous I can't get it back.

I’ve had to make two withdrawal requests so far. One was for my surgery, and the other one is currently in processing for my tuition bill.

For the medical withdrawal, I did eventually get the full amount approved. But of course, like everyone here has said, I had to jump through an absurd number of hoops — insurance documents, doctor’s notes, hospital records — just to get around $700 (which honestly should’ve been more, but their fees are ridiculous).

Now I’m dealing with the tuition withdrawal, and it’s somehow even worse. I submitted the tuition documentation three separate times, spent seven long, frustrating days dealing with painfully incompetent customer reps, and only then did the request finally get approved for processing.

I asked for $595. They had the audacity to reduce it to $200, which means I’ll actually receive $150 after their massive $50 fee. Their excuse? Transportation from my house to campus “is not covered.”

Seriously… what the hell?

I’ve worked with several 401(k) companies, and this one is by far the worst. Incompetent representatives, unclear and shady policies, and a portal that’s practically useless. The whole experience has been exhausting and infuriating.

I worked with this company to manage my retirement portfolio when it was originally Personal Capital. The account representatives kept changing once it became Empower. Eventually the representative was a flippant, cynical young man who I fired and transferred my assets to Vanguard. I worked briefly for a former employer last year and accrued some profit sharing. When I requested a withdrawal of that account, Empowerment charged a fee that exceeded the withdrawal so I received nothing.

I had an account which had 89.01 which I requested to cash out of due to career changes. Empower sent me a check for 14 dollars and change and kept 75 dollars for themselves. I would advise everyone to reconsider who you choose as a retirement account manager if you are currently using Empower. They are crooks in my opinion.

Used to be a great company. Unfortunately, ever since they rolled out the app nothing works. You can't get in touch with a representative, waiting on hold eventually hangs up with you, they don't follow up on requests for a contact back through email. I can't access my account and can't get in touch with anyone to resolve it. I guess that's it...

In an ongoing problem that is still not solved:
1) Mom died May 2026.
2) They never sent me the form to get her IRA transferred and what was left of the minimum distribution for 2025. As I didn't know I had inherited a my share of this I didn't know to ask for it.
3) Multiple conversations (at this point I have probably talked to 15+ people over 10+ phone calls) later it got sent to me
4) Filled out the form to get the remaining RMD for 2025 (mom had taken some) and the rest transferred to another inherited IRA.
5) Faxed in 12/16/25 (they said faxed by 12/24 and it would be taken care of by 12/31
6) They stated they couldn't read and lied about sending a letter (which over a month later I still don't have and nothing showed up in USPS informed delivery)
7) Called 1/2/26 to find out what was going on and told I never sent the form. Then they said I had but they couldn't read it (so they didn't call me and tell me so close to their deadline?) So now I won't have the RMD taken for 2025 and will pay an IRS penalty plus I will pay higher taxes in 2026 since I have to take 2025 and 2026 RMD's.
8) Refaxed it 1/2/26 and they said they could read it.
9) Meanwhile the have given me multiple difference answers about what the 2025 RMD check will be for, won't tell me when they will process it, won't tell me when they will send the letter I requested 1/2/26 stating I had originally faxed it 12/16/25 so I can appeal the IRS penalty
8)Refaxed 1/2 and the stated they could read it
9) 1/21/26 called yet again and found out that no one was working on any of this (previous calls got many different answers and none agreed so who knows if this is correct but sounds like it likely is since this is taking so long).
10) Meanwhile their screws ups will cost me roughly $1250 in federal taxes and $225 in state taxes.

DO NOT USE IF YOU HAVE ANY CHOICE IN THE MATTER AS THE EXPERIENCE IS ATROCIOUS AND THEY DON'T DO THEIR JOB AND THEN IT WILL COST YOU!!!

Having an automated answering machine as for your SSN to get connected when you’re calling about fraud concerns is insane. I can’t want to get my savings out of this company because it’s only a matter of time until they have a high profile data leak or fraud event

Worst customer service ever since Empower took over Great Western If you can even get through to a live person after hours on hold, they give you the wrong information, put you on hold for long periods, never call you back when they say they will and refuse to help with the issue you are calling about. They are like little robots and at times actually hang up on you if you ask for a supervisor or someone who can help. And the investment return is not that great.

This was quite possibly, the worst customer service in existence. If you are ever in a "hardship" situation that involves your family? You are out of luck and they simply do not care. Left with lots of debt? Too bad. They will simply not help you. Look elsewhere!

Long hold times, persistent emailing, ridiculous fees for rollovers. Website crashes