From “Good Enough” to Falling Behind

For a long time, PensionPro was the go-to CRM for retirement plan administrators. It offered templates, tasks, and a sponsor portal when few alternatives existed. But in 2025, TPAs are asking tougher questions: why does it still take months to go live? Why are sponsors unimpressed with the portal? Why are teams still spending nights cleaning census files?

More and more firms are concluding the same thing: PensionPro isn’t keeping up. The retirement landscape has changed—and so have client expectations. To see how the entire landscape stacks up, check out our Best CRM for TPAs guide.

The Breaking Point for TPAs

We hear the same stories again and again. A TPA tries to implement PensionPro and gets stuck in six to twelve months of setup before the system is even usable. Sponsors complain about clunky portals. Staff members find themselves manually cleaning up census data because the system doesn’t validate or standardize uploads.

One firm told us bluntly: “We realized we were doing more work to support the software than the software was doing to support us.”

When TPAs hit this breaking point, they start looking for something purpose-built for today’s reality—and they find Stax.ai CX.

What Stax.ai Does Differently

The first thing firms notice is the time-to-value. With Stax.ai, TPAs are live in 4–8 weeks, not a year. That means ROI in the same quarter, not the next.

The second thing? Plan Sponsor experience.

Instead of pushing plan sponsors through outdated portals, Stax.ai gives them a modern, white-labeled platform where they can upload payroll, complete questionnaires, sign documents, and see plan status in real time.

Behind the portal, Stax.ai’s CRM and automation engine handle the grunt work:

• Payroll integration with most major payroll providers, plus AI file standardization for uploads.

• Census scrubbing and validation to catch errors before they land on your desk.

• Automated workflows for recurring events like RMDs, notices, and YE compliance.

• Integrated messaging and tasks so sponsors, advisors, and staff all see the same context.

• Trust accounting visibility tied directly to client records.

If you want to dive deeper into how reporting compares across systems, see our reporting systems comparison.

Plan Sponsors Notice the Difference

Upgrading isn’t just about internal efficiency—it’s about what sponsors feel. After firms migrated from PensionPro to Stax.ai, plan sponsors were surveyed. The results were clear:

• 89% said they preferred the new experience over the prior year.

• They reported the upgrade improved their relationship with both their advisor and their TPA.

• Many noted they finally felt like they had “real-time visibility” into plan administration.

Additionally, Stax.ai CX measures client satisfaction through it's proprietary "pulse" metric—which takes into account emails, meeting notes, project timelines, and client responses. TPAs saw an average 29% increase in their client pulse within 90 days of implementation.

That plan sponsor goodwill pays dividends.

Happier sponsors stay longer, refer more, and make fewer escalations. For a broader look at how PensionPro compares not just to Stax.ai, but also to PensionPAL, read our three-way comparison: PensionPro vs. PensionPAL vs. Stax.ai.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Across multiple migrations, Stax.ai firms report:

• 29% average increase in client satisfaction in the first 90 days.

• 8–12 hours saved per admin per week thanks to automation.

• 30% faster census reviews during year-end.

• Full migrations and go-live completed in under 6 weeks.

Compare that with months of PensionPro setup and manual-heavy workflows, and the choice becomes obvious.

Making the Switch Is Easier Than You Think

The biggest fear TPAs have is that switching will be painful. The reality is, it’s simple:

1. Export PensionPro data (projects, tasks, templates, clients, plans, and contacts).

2. Map & import into Stax.ai with the help of our onboarding team.

3. Configure workflows and automations.

4. Train staff and go live.

The process takes weeks—not quarters—and most firms run parallel for a short time before fully switching over. You can read the direct PensionPro vs. Stax.ai comparison.

The Bottom Line

PensionPro had its day. But today’s TPAs need more: faster onboarding, modern sponsor portals, payroll integrations, and automation that actually saves time. Stax.ai CX was built for this moment.

That’s why TPAs are switching—and why they’re not looking back.