401 (k) for small business in Ellisville, MO. Establishing a 401(k) plan for your small business in Ellisville, 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 attracting top talent, providing a 401(k) plan can also help both businesses and employees reduce their tax liability. But, some business owners may still be wary because of the time commitment, in addition to the complexities of investment and financial laws.
At Correct Capital Wealth Management, our Ellisville, MO financial planners and retirement consultants work with companies large and small to 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 creating a 401(k) for your small business in Ellisville, MO.
Benefits of Setting Up a 401(k) for Your Small Ellisville, MO Business
Setting up and operating a 401(k) for a small business in Ellisville, MO has numerous benefits, for you, your employees, and your business goals alike:
- recruit and keep top employees — Offering a 401(k) plan can be a valuable asset for attracting and retaining top talent, especially in a competitive Ellisville, MO job market. Employees see a 401(k) as a valuable benefit, and offering one can help differentiate your business from competitors, especially if they are offered to people beyond the highest ranking employees.
- Tax benefits — Both employers and employees can benefit from tax advantages with a 401(k) plan. Matching contributions employers make are tax deductible up to the yearly corporate tax deduction limit on employer contributions, which is 25% of covered payroll. 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 401(k) plan allows employees to save for retirement through automatic contributions deducted from their paychecks. Greater financial security ultimately leads to more productivity.
- Reduced liability — Employers owe a fiduciary duty to their employees when they offer retirement plans, which involves a wide range of investment understanding and obligations. If you work with an ERISA 3(38) Fiduciary advisor to set up and operate your small business's 401(k), much of that liability will be placed on them.
- Simple administration — When you parter with a 3(16) administrator to establish your small business 401(k) plan, they'll take care of the vast majority of employee education, compliance, and administrative tasks on your behalf, so you can reap the rewards of offering a plan without putting in too much work yourself. Moreover, advisors can help integrate contributions with your payroll system for further simplicity. If an employee takes a new job elsewhere, they can effortlessly perform a 401(k) rollover to an IRA or new 401(k) without much hassle to you.
What 401(k) Plans Are Available to Small Businesses in Ellisville, MO?
Small businesses, depending on what type of company they are, can have anywhere from one to 1,500 employees. 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 contribute through money taken out of their paychecks. Most 401(k)s have a wide range of investments that may include mutual funds, index funds, bonds, and company stock. Employers can make matching contributions as an added benefit to employees. Most 401(k) plans must adhere to rigid nondiscrimination requirements, and are subject to yearly tests to ensure the plan doesn't discriminate in favor of highly compensated employees. The IRS sets contribution limits each year; in 2023 the limit is $22,500, unless you are 50 or older, in which case the limit is $30,000.
Ellisville, MO businesses with multiple employees have a few different considerations to make when setting up their 401(k) plan:
- Traditional vs. Roth 401(k) Deferrals — Contributions made with a traditional deferral are taxed at different times than with a Roth deferral. 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 contributed from their taxable income. When the money is withdrawn it is taxed as ordinary income at the plan participant's tax rate at the time of withdrawal.
With Roth deferrals, contributions are made with money the employee's already paid taxes on, meaning the money grows tax-free and the savings and any gains can be withdrawn tax-free, as long as the plan participant has had the account for five years and is 59-½ years old when the money is taken out. Roth 401(k)s are becoming more popular as they allow employees to diversify their tax exposure in retirement.
- Safe Harbor Provision — If you decide to set up a Safe Harbor 401(k), as a business owner you would be obligated to make fully vested contributions to your employees' plans. To meet Safe Harbor requirements, you have four options:
- 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 contribute to the plan.
- 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 elects a different contribution rate.
In exchange for mandatory employer contributions, Safe Harbor plans are not 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 savings grow tax-deferred until the money is taken out. This allows participants to save more as they can make contributions both as a worker and an employer. Unlike other 401(k) plans, individual 401(k)s are not subject to annual filings with the IRS unless the account balance surpasses $250,000.
What plan works best for your and your employees depends on your business and your and your employees' needs. If you're thinking of establishing a 401(k) plan for your small Ellisville, MO business, schedule a meeting with a member of our advisor team today to find out more about the benefits and options available to you.
How a Financial Advisor Can Help Your Ellisville, MO Small Business With Your 401(k) Plans
Even considering the benefits of a small business offering a 401(k) plan, some Ellisville, MO employers might still be wary, as they may not have the knowledge, time, or interest to establish and operate a plan. That’s where we come in. Here are some some of the many ways that our advisory firm can assist with your small business’s 401(k) plan:
- Plan design — A few quick internet searches can't come close to offering the same level of skill and experience as a licensed advisory firm. Financial advisors can work with small business owners to design a 401(k) plan meant expressly to benefit their business. They can help choose the plan that works best for you, set up contribution and matching formulas, and establish eligibility requirements.
- Establishing and managing a plan — There are specific steps you must take when establishing your small business 401(k). You have to:
- Adopt a written plan document
- Arrange a trust fund for plan assets
- Establish a record keeping system
- Provide plan information to eligible employees
A financial advisory firm can assist with all of the above requirements, and oversee the operation and annual reviews of your 401(k).
- Advertising your 401(k) plan to potential employees — The term "401(k)" might show up on a job listing in a list of benefits, but many in the job market don't know the full benefits a plan provides. We can bridge the term "401(k)" to definite steps to people living the golden years of their dreams.
- Investment selection — Financial advisors who are an Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) and are experienced with portfolio management will be able to provide investment insight, as well as work within investment concepts such as diversification, risk tolerance, and rebalancing to optimally position employees' funds for further growth.
- Employee education — The more an employee understands their 401(k) plan, the more it will benefit them. At Correct Capital, we offer both group classes and one-on-one counseling sessions with our small business clients' employees so they're confident with the status of their retirement savings.
- Compliance — Employers must abide by certain regulations when offering a 401(k) plan. Not following the rules correctly can lead to harsh penalties. A financial advisor can help to ensure your recordkeeper and plan administrator do not accidentally break with the regulations.
- Fiduciary responsibility — As a plan sponsor, small business owners have a fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of their employees. We are ethically and legally required to do what's in your best interest, and in the best interest of your employees and their funds.
A financial advisor offers significant value to Ellisville, MO small business owners who want to experience the benefits of a 401(k) plan. By partnering with a financial advisor, small business owners can save on taxes and make their business more attractive to current and prospective employees.
Call Correct Capital to Establish a 401(k) For Your Small Business in Ellisville, MO
If you own a small business in Ellisville, MO, you want to focus on why you started your business – not being distracted by retirement plan responsibilities you may not have the time, knowledge, or interest to manage. 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 Ellisville, MO business today, call Correct Capital at 314-930-401(k) or contact us online.
