It seems as though a new era is emerging; small businesses are growing more and more popular and soon they are going to be the staple of modern culture. As more and more people move away from large companies it becomes increasingly more important to educate yourself on the steps you should be taking in order to ensure a comfortable future for yourself and, if you’re a business owner, a comfortable future for your employees. Below are a few retirement options to compare that are best suited to small businesses.
One option for a small business, more specifically in-home businesses that consist solely of the owner and possibly a spouse, would be the Solo 401K Plan. Similar to other retirement plans both the employer and the employee contribute however, because you are self-employed you hold both titles. Salary deferrals up to a certain amount are available as well as up to 25% of compensation of the annual maximum.
Another good option for small business is the Simplified Employee Pension Plan (SEP). While SEP’s can be used by any businesses, it is recommended for small businesses. This plan is different than some of the other traditional ones in the fact that it is fully funded by the employer and they contribute up to 25% of an employee’s eligible compensation a year. Each eligible employee must have an individual SEP account and will receive the same percentage of compensation as all other eligible employees.
Many small business that have 100 employees or less will often have a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (Simple IRA). In order to be eligible for this plan the employer must have earned at least $5000 in the previous year, and any employees must have earned at least $5000 from the employer for the two prior years and have an expected $5000 income in the upcoming year. This plan is funded by employer and employee. Employers have a mandatory matching contribution and employees can potentially have 100% compensation if the amount is less than the set total.
One of the most well-known retirement plans is the 401K Plan. This plan allows for the employee to make personal contributions up to a certain amount per year however, one of the main advantage of this plan is that there are many investment options open such as mutual funds. Employers are also required to make a certain percentage of matching contributions. This plan is more popular with some of the bigger companies and corporations.
If you are considering getting involved with a small business or opening up your own, it is important to stay informed and know all your options. These are some of the more established retirement plans in place currently, but if none of these seem like the right fit for you, don’t be discouraged, there are still other viable options. There may be some other slight variations of the plans covered above that are more catered towards what you want. Prepare for your future and decide what you’re looking for now so that when the time comes for you to retire, you’ll be able to transition with ease.