Divorce and the Kantar 401(k) Plan: Understanding Your QDRO Options

If you’re in the middle of a divorce and either you or your spouse has an employer-sponsored retirement account through Kantar, LLC, you’ll likely need a Qualified Domestic Relations Order—commonly called a QDRO—to divide the Kantar 401(k) Plan. A QDRO is a legal order that creates or recognizes a spouse’s or former spouse’s right to receive a portion of a retirement account, like a 401(k), as part of a divorce settlement.

A QDRO is the only way to divide a qualified retirement plan such as the Kantar 401(k) Plan without triggering early withdrawal penalties or unnecessary taxes. But it has to be done right—especially when dealing with complex aspects like vesting schedules, loan balances, and different contribution types. Let’s look at how to address these factors effectively within the Kantar 401(k) Plan.

Here’s what we currently know about this plan, which is essential when preparing a QDRO:

• Plan Name: Kantar 401(k) Plan
• Sponsor: Kantar, LLC
• Address: 3 WORLD TRAD CTR, 20250410143607NAL0011828307001
• Industry: General Business
• Organization Type: Business Entity
• Status: Active
• Plan Year: Unknown
• Participants: Unknown
• Effective Date: Unknown
• Assets: Unknown
• Plan Number and EIN: Unknown (must be obtained when drafting a QDRO)

This information gives a baseline, but additional plan documentation will be necessary—especially to determine the full scope of contributions, account types, and vesting schedules.

The Kantar 401(k) Plan likely includes both employee contributions (made from the participant’s salary) and employer contributions (made by Kantar, LLC as part of employee benefits). Here’s how they impact division:

Employee Contributions

These are always 100% vested. The QDRO can include a set percentage or dollar amount of the employee’s account balance as of a specific date, such as the date of separation, divorce, or QDRO approval.

Employer Contributions

This is an area where many mistakes happen. Employer contributions under the Kantar 401(k) Plan may be subject to a vesting schedule. If only partially vested or unvested as of the division date, the QDRO should address how to handle these amounts—including what happens if forfeited funds later vest. This can get tricky, and vague language in a QDRO could result in lost benefits.

Kantar, LLC may use a vesting schedule that requires a set number of years of service before employer contributions are fully retained by the employee. If at the time of division the participant has unvested amounts, these could be forfeited, meaning the alternate payee won’t receive them unless the participant later satisfies the vesting period.

A properly drafted QDRO can address this by including “if, as, and when vested” language or placing the responsibility on the participant to track future vesting. Not all plans notify alternate payees about future changes—don’t assume they will.

If the participant has taken a loan from their Kantar 401(k) Plan account, this reduces the account balance available for division. There are two general approaches in QDROs when loans exist:

• Exclude the loan: The alternate payee receives their share based on the balance net of any loans.
• Include the loan: The loan is treated as part of the marital portion, increasing the alternate payee’s share, but the participant retains responsibility for repayment.

It’s critical the QDRO clearly states how to treat the loan, because plan administrators follow what the order says. A vague QDRO could result in confusion or outcomes contrary to the divorce judgment.

Many 401(k) plans, including the Kantar 401(k) Plan, offer Roth and traditional contribution options. Roth accounts are made with after-tax dollars and grow tax-free, while traditional 401(k) contributions are pre-tax and taxed upon withdrawal.

A QDRO should specify which portion(s) of the account are to be divided. If both traditional and Roth balances exist, it’s best to divide the accounts proportionally or separately. Otherwise, the alternate payee could receive only the taxable balance, unintentionally disadvantaging them.

Because Kantar, LLC is a private business entity in the General Business industry, its retirement plan is governed by ERISA. Here’s how the QDRO process works:

We see many QDROs for 401(k) plans get rejected because of preventable errors. Don’t let your Kantar 401(k) Plan division fall into one of these traps:

• Ignoring plan loans or misallocating responsibility for them
• Using vague language about vesting or future employer contributions
• Failing to specify Roth versus traditional 401(k) funds
• Selecting the wrong division date (e.g., divorce date vs. separation date)
• Not specifying what happens to gains and losses between division and distribution

Learn more about what to avoid in our guide tocommon QDRO mistakes.

At PeacockQDROs, we’ve completed many QDROs from start to finish. That means we don’t just draft the order and leave you to figure out the rest. We handle the drafting, preapproval (if applicable), court filing, submission, and follow-up with the plan administrator. That’s what sets us apart from firms that only prepare the document and hand it off to you.

We maintain near-perfect reviews and pride ourselves on a track record of doing things the right way. Whether your divorce involves complex assets or unique plan language, we ensure that your rights are protected and the division is done precisely.

Explore ourQDRO services or read about thetimeline for getting your QDRO done.

If your divorce was in California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, or North Dakota, and you have questions about qualified domestic relations orders or dividing retirement assets like the Kantar 401(k) Plan, contact PeacockQDROs. We focus on QDROs and have successfully processed many orders from start to finish.

Get the answers you need—explore ourQDRO resources orreach out for personalized help if you’re in one of our service states.