What is a Solo 401K Plan?

This plan is meant to help people who are self-employed and who do not have even a single employee get the ability to save for their retirement.

The plan helps people, such as independent contractors, freelancers, side-job contractors, and solo entrepreneurs.

Most of such people had to rely solely on their work, and as a result, upon retiring, they would not have any savings. 

 

How to apply for a Solo 401K Plan 

To apply for this plan as a self-employed person, you have to work with a reliable online broker. You shall then be required to fill out the necessary forms, which are basically the application and an agreement. 

While filling out the forms, you will have to choose between a Roth or Traditional plan. Completing the application qualifies you to get an account and an identification number. After getting your account, you can go ahead and start investing in index funds, individual bonds, mutual funds, or stock funds, depending on your preferences.  

 

Benefits of joining 401K 

As a solo entrepreneur, you join this plan both as an employer and as an employee. This is because you own your business, and you do not have any employees. 

Some of the benefits you get both as an employee and employer include:

 

You are able to get bigger tax deductions

This plan provides the biggest contribution cap when compared with other related plans.

The high contributions directly result in bigger tax deductions, consequently allowing you to save more. 

 

You can access the money

Most retirement plans do not allow the members to access their savings until the agreed date. But this plan can allow you to access 50% of your money through a loan if you have an emergency that requires quick cash.

The law stipulates that members can get either 50% of their plan’s value or $ 50,000 depending on which is lower. 

 

You do not have to pay taxes right now

This plan allows you to reduce your tax burden since you do not have to pay your taxes when you are paying your contribution.

You can wait until the time you will be withdrawing the money you have saved.

The only thing that matters while considering this plan is the kind of option you have chosen between Roth and Traditional. 

 

Factors to consider when choosing a Solo 401K plan

There are several other similar plans, and as a result, you need to know the precise factors to consider when choosing a suitable Solo 401k plan for you. 

 

Flexibility

It would be best if you had a plan that gives you different kinds of freedom, including being able to access your money through loans and a range of investment options. 

 

Quality of support service

You also require a support service that can answer any question you might have on the plan. This includes online platforms where you can get instant answers. 

 

Simplified management

It is also paramount to get a plan that you can easily manage without necessarily seeking help. You do not want to be in a situation where even if the investment is yours, you can only access it if you have help from someone who is conversant with the plan.