Press Release

Ascensus to Acquire AmericanTCS, Expanding Client Solutions and Delivering Enhanced Value to the Marketplace

Issued by Ascensus

May 11, 2026

Expanded retirement, trust & custody, and technology services broaden Ascensus’ position as the industry’s leading platform for savers and those who serve them

DRESHER, PA and PITTSBURGH, PA — Ascensus, the engine at the center of America’s savings ecosystem, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire AmericanTCS, a leading provider of innovative retirement, trust & custody, and technology automation solutions. The transaction brings together two highly complementary organizations and further advances Ascensus’ reach as a scaled, integrated tech-enabled platform operating across the retirement services value chain.

“This transaction fundamentally accelerates our ability to deliver technology and service solutions to clients, partners, and savers,” said Nick Good, CEO of Ascensus. “At the heart of this transaction is a simple purpose: to help more savers save more. Our complementary strengths, combined with the exceptional talent and expertise of the AmericanTCS team, enhance our ability to support client success and partner growth.”  

Paul Schneider, CEO of AmericanTCS Holdings, added, “Ascensus shares our commitment to clients, operational excellence, and building durable, technology‑driven businesses. This alignment positions us to deliver significant benefits for both our clients and employees. I am very excited about the opportunities ahead for AmericanTCS as part of the Ascensus team.”

Strategic Benefits

• Strengthens Ascensus’ platform within retirement with greater scale and expanded services: 
  • Extends reach of our best-in-class capabilities to a broader set of plan sponsors and institutional partners
  • Significantly expands Ascensus’ market-leading pooled employer plan (PEP) solutions
  • Brings additive fiduciary services that further strengthen relationships with plan sponsors, advisors, TPAs, and asset and wealth management partners
  • Helps us better power the workplace savings-to-wealth management connection for the partners, advisors, and savers we serve  
• Differentiated trust & custody capabilities deliver greater value to current and future clients, partners and savers: 
  • Provides a broader set of trust & custody capabilities to a highly valued client base of recordkeepers, TPAs, bank trust companies, insurance firms, and asset managers, reinforcing our long-term strategic commitment to this market 
  • Further enables more innovative solutions for our asset and wealth management partners who are increasingly focused on secular growth opportunities, including embedding model portfolios, in-plan managed accounts, and utilizing Collective Investment Trusts (CITs)
• Expands technology and service offerings to support clients and partners with highly regarded capabilities across administrative workflow, securities trading, and ERISA data & analytics, including PensionPro, Hub+®, and ERISApedia® – helping form the connective fabric of the retirement ecosystem

The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.

Lazard Frères & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC served as financial advisors and DLA Piper LLP (US), Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Ropes & Gray LLP served as legal counsel to Ascensus. Raymond James served as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to AmericanTCS.

About Ascensus

Ascensus is the engine at the center of America’s savings ecosystem. The company makes saving easier by bringing together intuitive technology, AI, and high-touch service to support better financial outcomes for savers, small- to mid-sized businesses, state governments, and leading corporations and financial institutions. Ascensus offers comprehensive qualified and nonqualified retirement plan solutions, third-party retirement plan administration, 529 education and ABLE savings program administration, corporate- and bank-owned life insurance solutions, as well as fiduciary and total rewards services. The company supports over 16 million savers, representing over $930 billion in assets under administration. For more information, visit ascensus.com.

About AmericanTCS

AmericanTCS and its family of businesses bring more than 50 years of experience delivering industry-leading financial services to the American workforce. Through a comprehensive suite of custody and trust services, retirement solutions, wealth management and technology software automation, AmericanTCS serves a diverse client base across the country. United by a shared mission, our businesses are dedicated to helping all Americans achieve greater financial security. 

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