Your Employee Benefit Plan Audit Specialists
Higher-Quality Audits. Less Work For Your Team.
401(k) Plans • 403(b) Plans • Pension Plans • ESOP
Most accounting firms perform employee benefit plan audits as a seasonal service alongside tax, corporate audit, and consulting engagements. At Caron Bletzer, employee benefit plan audits are all we do.
Our Commitment Backed by Trusted Industry Associations
Our Employee Benefit Plan Audits
From common defined contribution plans to complex multiple employer and publicly traded plan structures, we provide audit services across a full range of employee benefit plans.
Defined Contribution
Plan Audits
401(k) and 403(b) employee benefit plan audits ensuring ERISA and DOL compliance.
Employee Stock Ownership Plan Audits
Specialized ESOP and employee benefit plan audits covering valuation and ERISA compliance.
Defined Benefit
Plan Audits
Pension plan audits focused on accuracy and ERISA compliance.
Non-Retirement Benefit Plan Audits
Employee benefit plan audits for welfare plans with full ERISA compliance and oversight.
Why Caron Bletzer
Specialist Expertise That
Generalist Firms Can't Match
According to the Department of Labor, many ERISA audits lack quality when performed by firms with limited experience.
We complete over 1,200 employee benefit plan audits each year and consistently receive clean peer and regulatory reviews.
The Caron Bletzer Difference
By dedicating our practice exclusively to employee benefit plans, we've developed a faster, more efficient audit experience that reduces the burden on your team while maintaining the highest standards of audit quality and regulatory compliance.
What You Can Expect
Less Time Required From Your Team
- Streamlined information requests
- Direct coordination with service providers
- Fewer back-and-forth communications
- Decades of employee benefit plan experience
The result: less time coordinating documents, more time running your business.
Faster Audit Turnaround
- Earlier planning
- Faster response times
- More consistent staffing
- Timely report issuance
Your audit moves forward when you’re ready, not when your auditor’s calendar opens up.
Specialists Working On Your ERISA Audit
- ERISA requirements
- DOL regulations
- IRS compliance matters
- Emerging industry developments
We identify issues earlier, resolve questions faster, and deliver a more efficient audit.
Real-Time Visibility Through Atlura ™
Your audit shouldn’t feel like a black box. Through Atlura, you’ll have a centralized location to:
- Upload requested documentation
- Monitor audit status
- Respond to open requests
- Communicate with your engagement team
- View progress throughout the engagement
No wondering where things stand. No searching through email chains. Just complete visibility from planning through issuance.
Security You Can Trust
Employee data deserves the highest level of protection. That’s why Caron Bletzer maintains:
- A 100% U.S.-based workforce
- U.S.-based data management
- Secure document exchange
- Advanced information security controls
Your sensitive participant and payroll data remains protected throughout the audit process.
Why Plan Sponsors Prefer Us
| Traditional Accounting Firm | Caron Bletzer |
|---|---|
| Benefit plan audits are a seasonal service | Employee benefit plans are our exclusive focus |
| Resources may shift during tax season | Dedicated audit teams work year-round |
| Limited insight into audit progress | Real-time visibility through Atlura |
| Generalist staff | Specialized ERISA professionals |
| More management time required | Streamlined process designed to reduce sponsor workload |
| Delayed responses during peak seasons | Faster communication and responsiveness |
More Experience. Less Effort.
For more than 32 years, Caron Bletzer has focused on one thing: employee benefit plan audits. The result is higher-quality audits, faster turnaround, stronger regulatory compliance, and significantly less burden on your internal team.
Speak to an Audit Specialist
5.0
Client Success Story
How a Specialist Firm Transformed the Audit Experience
“Our previous audit felt reactive. Caron Bletzer brought structure, clarity, and a much smoother process.”
— Sarah Mitchell, CFO Regional Healthcare Services
Check Your Audit Readiness in Minutes
Use our employee benefit plan audit readiness tool to identify gaps and prepare for your 401(k), 403(b), ESOP, pension, health and welfare, or other employee benefit plan audit.
A Structured Audit Process From Start to Finish
We follow a clear, proven process to keep your employee benefit plan audit organized, efficient, and on track.
Speak to an Audit SpecialistStep 1
Initial Planning
We align on scope, timelines, and key requirements.
Step 2
Information Gathering
We coordinate with your team and service providers.
Step 3
Audit Execution
We perform the audit with a structured, efficient approach.
Step 4
Final Report
Clear reporting and communication of results.
Careers
Join Our Team
From a supportive, remote work environment to clearly established advancement opportunities, it’s no surprise that our employees consistently report high levels of job satisfaction. Browse our open roles to get started.
Serving Plan Sponsors Nationwide
Caron Bletzer is an employee benefit plan audit firm supporting organizations across the United States with employee benefit plan audits conducted in accordance with ERISA requirements, including 401(k) plan audits, delivered through a structured and efficient process.
Head office:
Kingston, New Hampshire
1 Library Ln, Kingston, NH 03848
Contact:
FAQs
How much time do employee benefit plan audits require from our team?
The time required depends on plan size and complexity, but most of the burden falls on gathering documentation. Because we work directly with recordkeepers and third-party administrators whenever possible, and streamline our information requests, plan sponsors typically spend meaningfully less time coordinating an employee benefit plan audit with a specialist firm than with a generalist one.
What causes delays in employee benefit plan audits?
Delays most often come from incomplete documentation, slow turnaround from service providers, or working with a firm that treats benefit plan audits as a seasonal service. Because employee benefit plan audits are our exclusive focus, we’re able to plan and staff engagements year-round rather than fitting them around tax season.
Why work with an employee benefit plan audit firm that specializes in 401(k) audits?
401(k) audits involve specific ERISA and DOL requirements around eligibility, contributions, and plan operations. A firm that performs these audits every day, rather than occasionally, is more likely to recognize issues quickly, apply audit procedures efficiently, and communicate clearly about what the audit does and does not cover.
How do you ensure a smooth employee benefit plan audit process?
We follow a standardized four-step process, planning, information gathering, execution, and final reporting, supported by our practice management platform, Atlura, so plan sponsors always know where the audit stands. See our full audit process above.
Can you communicate directly with our service providers during an employee benefit plan audit?
Yes. Where appropriate, we coordinate directly with recordkeepers, third-party administrators, and other service providers to reduce the number of requests that land on your internal team.
What types of plans are included in employee benefit plan audits?
Employee benefit plan audits cover defined contribution plans (401(k), 403(b), 401(a)), defined benefit and cash balance pension plans, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), and health and welfare plans. Caron Bletzer performs audits across all of these plan types.
What are the risks of using the wrong employee benefit plan audit firm?
The Department of Labor has found that audit quality declines among firms that perform few employee benefit plan audits each year. Working with a firm that lacks specialized experience can increase the chance of an inefficient process or a lower-quality audit — which is why specialization and audit volume are worth evaluating in an audit partner.
What makes Caron Bletzer different from other employee benefit plan audit firms?
Employee benefit plan audits are the only service we provide. We don’t perform them alongside tax season or general assurance work. That exclusive focus, combined with a proprietary practice management platform (Atlura), standardized audit processes, and a 100% U.S.-based team, is designed to reduce the burden on your staff while maintaining audit quality.
When should we start preparing for an employee benefit plan audit?
Earlier is better. Starting the conversation with your auditor several months before your plan’s filing deadline gives time for planning, staffing, and document collection, and helps avoid the compressed timelines that create last-minute pressure on your internal team.
What is an ERISA audit?
“ERISA audit” is a common shorthand for an employee benefit plan audit performed in accordance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). ERISA is the federal law that sets standards for retirement and welfare benefit plans — the audit itself is typically identified by plan type, such as a 401(k) audit, 403(b) audit, defined benefit plan audit, or ESOP audit, and is designed to provide independent assurance based on applicable auditing standards.
Blogs
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