Fidelity Investments is one of the nation’s largest financial corporations.  They’re also a leader in 401(k) benefits.

Frequently their 401(k) benefits come through an employer and aren’t purchased by individuals.  They deal almost exclusively through corporations and small businesses and are forerunners in that particular industry in today’s economy.

Unlike several other 401(k) providers, Fidelity requires (in most cases) a minimum initial contribution of $2,500.  This amount can be rolled over from another IRA, though.  And keeping with traditional 401(k) regulation, there’s a $5,000 maximum contribution amount per year for investors under 60.  For those over, the maximum is $6,000.

Fidelity’s 401(k) plan fits into the big picture differently than many other IRAs.  It’s for more well-seasoned investors.  Since they deal almost exclusively with corporations, Fidelity’s IRAs aren’t necessarily set up to be individual-friendly.

This doesn’t mean it’s difficult (and certainly not intentionally so).  It just means it’s for a more professional setting.  They’re a well-established corporation whose business model is set up as such to be popular amongst more successful businesses.

However, Fidelity does offer a self-employed 401(k) option, and it seems to come with many perks.  They don’t currently offer a Roth version of the plan and their 401(k) involves an extensive application process, but the good news is that the account comes with few maintenance fees (if any), is easy to set up, and comes with solid customer service.

That said, they receive mixed reviews from investors.  For example, one blogger outlines that this company didn’t set up a very effective 401(k) plan through Fidelity.  The company didn’t match investments and he went on to explain that only a small fraction of people he worked with even participated.

Checking farther into reviews, you’ll find similar situations.  But such is to be expected.  You’ll also find plenty of satisfied investors.  Particularly, people express their fondness for Fidelity’s customer service.  Fidelity’s IRA plans can get tricky, as they offer a wide variety.  Consumers report that Fidelity’s easily approachable with problems or concerns.

Despite the plethora of confusing terms that stem from Fidelity’s set up, investors report frequently that Fidelity’s customer service walks them through all of the steps easily.  Fidelity’s web site isn’t as user friendly as many, opting to take a more technical approach.  If you know what you’re looking for, it’s an easy set up.  It doesn’t come with many bells and whistles (which may not sell the customer initially).  But it’s a straightforward set up, giving you the basic form of information you need.

Unfortunately, with something as complicated as a 401(k), you need more concise, clear information to get the big picture.  Reviewers have outlined that Fidelity’s more technical approach leaves many in the dark, and masks their sometimes poor performances.

For example, one reviewer explained that his set up yields roughly $36,000 less than the average 401(k) and that he was led into this approach by a customer service representative.  He explains that the service rep was knowledgeable and gave him confidence but over time he realized he hadn’t been making the right choices.

To be fair, he explains that Fidelity’s customer service was always top notch, but that it wasn’t worth it to him to ultimately lose $36,000 in his retirement fund just for solid customer service.

That said, Fidelity is still ranked as America’s #1 provider of IRAs, according to Cerulli Associates Retirement Edition.  Based on information reported by retirement account providers in the third quarter of 2010, Fidelity is the forerunner.

Because of that it seems that Fidelity is facing a substantial amount of rollover from other prior 401(k) plans.  Presumably, their $2,500 initial investment plays a role in that—in today’s economy it only makes sense that people wouldn’t want to forego their savings to plan for retirement, but rolling over an existing retirement fund to a potentially better plan seems not only popular, but wise.