401(k) for small business in Dardenne Prairie, MO. Initiating a 401(k) plan for your small business in Dardenne Prairie, MO provides various benefits to both you and the people that work for you, helping businesses offer more security and benefits to prospective employees. In addition to offering more benefits than competitors, offering a 401(k) plan also provides numerous tax benefits for both employers and employees. However, some business owners may still be cautious because of the time involved in setting up and operating a plan, as well as the intricate web of regulations, laws, and investment options available.
At Correct Capital Wealth Management, our Dardenne Prairie, MO financial planners and retirement consultants help companies of all sizes offer customized and effective 401(k) plans. We take the heavy financial lifting off your plate, so you can spend your energy on growing your business while we focus on growing your and your employees' savings. Call Correct Capital today at 314-930-401(k) or contact us online to get started with setting up a 401(k) for your small business in Dardenne Prairie, MO.
Do I Need a 401(k) For My Dardenne Prairie, MO Small Business?
Setting up and operating a 401(k) for a small business in Dardenne Prairie, MO has numerous benefits, for you, your workers, and your business goals alike:
- Attract and retain great talent — Providing a 401(k) plan is an essential asset for recruiting and retaining top talent, particularly if many Dardenne Prairie, MO companies are advertising for the same position. One survey says 401(k) plans are the most important financial benefit to employees, and offering one can help your business stand out, especially if they are offered to people beyond the highest ranking employees.
- Tax benefits — Both businesses and employees can reduce their tax liability with a 401(k) plan. Matching contributions employers make are tax deductible up to the annual corporate tax deduction limit on employer contributions, as stipulated in section 404 of the Internal Revenue Code. There are also several tax credits for first-time 401(k) plans and offering automatic enrollment. Employee contributions reduce their taxable income and their contributions grow tax free.
- Increased employee retirement savings — A retirement account allows employees to save for retirement through automatic contributions deducted from their paychecks. Greater financial security eventually leads to a more productive workforce.
- Reduced liability — Employers take on a fiduciary responsibility to their employees when they offer retirement plans, which involves a wide range of investment understanding and responsibilities. If you partner with an ERISA 3(38) Fiduciary advisor to assist you with your small business's 401(k), much of that liability will go to them.
- Simple administration — When you parter with a 3(16) administrator to establish your small business 401(k) plan, they'll manage the vast majority of employee education, compliance, and administrative responsibilities for you, so you can benefit from the rewards of offering a plan without much hassle. Additionally, advisors can help with 401(k) payroll integration for further simplicity. If an employee moves to a new company, they can simply rollover their 401(k) to an IRA or new 401(k) without you having to do much work.
What 401(k) Plans Are Available to Small Businesses in Dardenne Prairie, MO?
Depending on your industry, your "small business" may have up to 1,500 employees, or it may just be yourself. However many employees you have, there is a 401(k) plan that will work for you:
401(k) Plans
In any 401(k) plan, employees can put funds into the account through money taken out of their paychecks. Most 401(k)s have many different investments that may include mutual funds, index funds, bonds, and company stock. Employers can employers can deposit an equal amount as their employees as an additional perk to employees. Most 401(k) plans must abide by strict nondiscrimination requirements, and perform annual tests to ensure the plan doesn't favor highly compensated employees. The IRS sets contribution limits each year; in 2023 that is $22,500, unless you are 50 or older, in which case the limit is $30,000.
Dardenne Prairie, MO companies with multiple employees have a few different options in how they set up their 401(k) plan:
- Traditional vs. Roth 401(k) Deferrals — The key difference between traditional and Roth deferrals is the tax benefits. With a traditional deferral, contributions are tax-deferred, meaning the money is deposited before taxes are taken out, and the employee can then deduct the amount deposited from their taxable income. Taxes are paid when the money is withdrawn.
With Roth deferrals, contributions are made with after-tax dollars, meaning the money grows tax-free and the savings and any gains can be withdrawn tax-free, as long as the plan participant has been contributing for at least five years and is 59-½ years old when the money is taken out. Roth 401(k)s are becoming increasingly popular as they decrease tax liability in retirement.
- Safe Harbor Provision — If you decide to set up a Safe Harbor 401(k), as an employer you would be required to make fully vested contributions to your employees' plans. To meet Safe Harbor requirements, you have four possible ways to contribute:
- In a non-elective contribution, an employer must contribute 3% of each eligible employee's compensation to the plan, regardless of whether the employee chooses to themselves.
- With matching contributions, the employer must match 100% of each eligible employee's contributions up to 3% of their compensation, plus an additional 50% match on the next 2% of their compensation.
- Enhanced Safe Harbor plans provide a 100% employer match on up to 4% of an employee's compensation.
- In a Qualified Automatic Contribution Arrangement (QACA), employees are automatically enrolled in the plan and money is taken out of their paycheck unless they decide not to. The default contribution rate starts at 3% and increases by 1% each year until it reaches a maximum of 6%, unless the employee chooses a different contribution rate.
Because you are required to make contributions, your company would not be subject to nondiscrimination testing.
Solo or Individual 401(k) Plan
These are intended for people who are self-employed, or a business where the only employee is a spouse. Contributions can be deducted from taxable income and the money is taxed when it's withdrawn. This type of retirement account allows individuals to make contributions both as an employer and as an employee, providing higher contribution limits than many other individual-based retirement plans. Unlike other 401(k) plans, individual 401(k)s do not require annual filings with the IRS unless the account balance exceeds $250,000.
What plan works best for your and your employees depends on your business and your and your employees' needs. If you're interested in setting up a 401(k) plan for your small Dardenne Prairie, MO business, schedule a meeting with a member of our team today to find out more about the benefits and options available to you.
How a Financial Advisor Can Help Small Dardenne Prairie, MO Businesses With Their 401(k) Plans
Given the great things a 401(k) plan can do for a small business, some Dardenne Prairie, MO employers may still be uneasy, as managing a 401(k) plan is complex and time-consuming. That’s where we come in. Here are some ways that our advisory firm can help make your life easier in regards to your small business's 401(k) plan:
- Plan design — A few quick internet searches are a poor replacement for years of experience and working on retirement plans every day. Financial advisors can work with small business owners to create a 401(k) plan meant specifically to benefit their company. They can help choose the right type of plan, set up contribution and matching formulas, and establish eligibility requirements.
- Initiating and managing a plan — There are specific steps you must take when initiating your small business 401(k). You must:
- Adopt a written plan document
- Arrange a trust fund for plan assets
- Establish a record keeping system
- Provide plan information to participant
A financial advisory firm can do all of that for you, and handle the operation and yearly reviews of the plan.
- Advertising your 401(k) plan to those in the job market — The term "401(k)" might show up on a job ad in a list of benefits, but many in the job market don't know the full benefits a plan provides. We can connect the phrase "401(k)" to specific steps to people living the golden years they always wanted.
- Investment selection — Financial advisors who are an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) and are well versed in portfolio management will be able to offer investment insight, as well as work within investment concepts such as diversification, risk tolerance, and rebalancing to best position employees' money for further growth.
- Employee education — Employees need to understand their plan in order to get the greatest reward from it. At Correct Capital, we offer both group classes and one-on-one counseling sessions with our small business clients' employees so feel good about with how their money is being held and invested.
- Compliance — Employers must adhere to certain regulations when offering a 401(k) plan. Not following the rules correctly can lead to stiff fines. A financial advisor can help to ensure all of the proper rules are followed.
- Fiduciary responsibility — As a plan sponsor, small business owners have a fiduciary responsibility to act with diligence, prudence, and care. We are ethically and legally obligated to do what's in your best interest, and in the best interest of your employees and their savings.
A financial advisor offers considerable value to Dardenne Prairie, MO small business owners who want to experience the benefits of a 401(k) plan. By consulting with a financial advisor, small business owners can save on taxes and make their business more attractive to current and potential employees.
Call Correct Capital to Start a 401(k) For Your Small Business in Dardenne Prairie, MO
If you own a small business in Dardenne Prairie, MO, you want to focus on why you started your business – not being bogged down by retirement plan responsibilities you may or may not be knowledgeable about. As a Registered Investment Advisor with CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professionals, Correct Capital can both help position your and your employees' money for growth while giving you peace of mind that your small business's 401(k) plan is being operated efficiently and correctly. To start setting up a 401(k) for your small Dardenne Prairie, MO business today, call Correct Capital at 314-930-401(k) or contact us online.
