Give your employees a roadmap to retirement

With a Guideline 401(k), you can provide an impactful benefit while minimizing paperwork and fees.

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401(k) plans can help with employee retention, company growth, tax deductions and more. With Guideline, you and your employees can open a 401(k) in minutes, and enjoy the rewards for years to come.
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We handle most of the administrative and regulatory stuff

  • Icon representing the submission of a document or report to the government.

    Government filing

    We prepare standard annual reports for no extra fee, including Form 55002 and 1099-R.

  • Icon representing transactions and trades.

    Custodial services

    We’ll process transactions, execute trades, safeguard plan assets and more.2

  • Icon representing a balance scale, which symbolizes fairness and impartiality in testing.

    Compliance testing

    We perform nondiscrimination testing to help identify potential issues and manage required corrections.3

  • Image of a document storage system with files and folders.

    Recordkeeping

    We serve as the recordkeeper to track your 401(k) plan’s balances, transactions, and deferrals.

Customize your plan for your company

Our plans include the services and features needed for a great benefit. Plus, you can further customize it to meet your business goals and team needs.

See pricing plans
  • Safe harbor and Roth 401(k) plans
  • Vesting schedules
  • Eligibility requirements
  • Dedicated support
  • Employer contributions
  • Profit sharing options

Invest in your team

With an intuitive dashboard and an award-winning mobile app4, it’s easy for your employees to set up their account, track their progress, and access resources—anytime, anywhere.

  • Easy account setup, via web or mobile app

  • Recommended investment portfolio

  • Retirement education and live support

Guideline mobile app portfolio screen.
Guideline mobile app portfolio screen.

Sync with your favorite payroll software

We’ve teamed up with select payroll providers, to deliver a largely automated 401(k).

Learn more about payroll integrations

Your plan is in good hands

For eligible plans, we serve as the ERISA 3(16)5 and 3(38) plan fiduciaries—which cover plan administration and investment management. This means we are legally (and morally) obligated to work in participants’ best interest. Learn more

Frequently asked questions

When can the plan start?

While setting up a Guideline 401(k) only takes about 20 minutes, it generally takes 40 days until first contributions are made. This is due to the automatic enrollment feature on all Guideline 401(k) plans, which requires a mandatory 30-day waiting period to allow a sufficient amount of time for eligible employees to opt-out before the plan begins.

What is auto enrollment?

Auto enrollment is a required feature for all Guideline 401(k) plans. With auto enrollment, all eligible employees can choose to opt out of the plan. If an eligible employee takes no action before the stated deadline, they will be automatically enrolled at a predetermined contribution rate. Auto enrollment can help improve IRS nondiscrimination testing results, increase employees’ retirement readiness, and much more. Learn more about auto enrollment

What fees are employers charged?

Employers will be charged $39, $89, or $149/month depending on their pricing plan and $4 to $8/month for each active participant in the plan6. We don’t charge transaction fees—this includes no plan termination fees7 or Form 5500 prep fees2. See our pricing. Exclusive pricing options are available for Enterprise pricing plans8. Contact sales for details.

Which employees are eligible to participate in the plan?

With Guideline, you can determine your plan eligibility based on your employees’ age and length of service with your company:


→ Age: 18, 19, 20, or 21 years
→ Length of service: 0, 3, 6, 12 months


We do not distinguish between part time and full time employees.

Can participants contribute pre-tax and post-tax funds to their account?

Employees are able to contribute pre-tax or post-tax funds to their account, or a combination of both. All employer contributions are pre-tax only.

How often can changes be made to the plan?

This will depend on your plan design. For example, Safe Harbor plans require changes to the employer matching formula to take place at the start of a new calendar year. Mid-Year changes to Safe Harbor plans can lead to loss of safe harbor protections. Note that any plan changes that result in a modification to the base fee tier are limited to one change during any calendar year. Should you desire to make changes after your plan begins, please contact a Guideline representative for assistance.9

Get a retirement plan your team will love

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  • 1
    This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be taken as tax advice. Please consult a tax professional to determine what types of tax credits or deductions your company is eligible to claim.
  • 2

    Investment advisory services for Guideline’s 401(k) product (when 3(38) fiduciary services are appointed) and SEP IRA/IRA products are offered by Guideline Investments, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Recordkeeping services are offered by Guideline RK, LLC. 3(16) plan administration services are also offered by Guideline RK, LLC and only made available to clients who utilize an eligible payroll provider. Guideline uses a third-party to provide custodial services. Custodial fees are paid by Guideline.

  • 3
    All plans of related entities must be administered by Guideline in order to provide compliance testing.
  • 4

    2024 Fast Company Innovation by Design Award Winner for Guideline's mobile application in the Mid-Size business category.

  • 5

    Investment advisory services for Guideline’s 401(k) (when 3(38) fiduciary services are appointed) are offered by Guideline Investments, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. 3(16) fiduciary services are offered by Guideline RK, LLC and only made available to clients who utilize an eligible payroll provider. Guideline uses a third-party to provide custodial services. Custodial fees are paid by Guideline.

  • 6
    Information shown here assumes a static balance of $10,000 per month, an assumed annual account fee of 0.15% to 0.35% on assets under management (calculated and deducted on a monthly basis at 1/12 of the annual stated rate (0.15%-0.35%) based on the month-end account balance) and does not account for common factors that affect the value of your account balance over time such as gains, losses, distributions, additional contributions, etc. It’s not intended to be taken as investment advice or as an assurance or guarantee of future performance. The fee presented does not include other fees that an IRA owner may incur, including, but not limited to, from mutual fund expense ratios. Alternative account fee pricing is available, ranging from 0.15% to 0.35%. Contact Sales at hello@guideline.com to learn more about exclusive pricing options available in Enterprise tier. See our Form ADV 2A Brochure for more information regarding fees.
  • 7
    Guideline does not charge additional fees to close the plan, but the plan sponsor is responsible for paying the monthly fees until the plan has been terminated in accordance with applicable law, or until the plan has been transferred in full to another service provider.
  • 8

    Investment advisory services for Guideline’s 401(k) product (when 3(38) fiduciary services are appointed) and SEP IRA/IRA products are offered by Guideline Investments, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. An assumed annual account fee of 0.15% is applied to assets under management and is deducted on a monthly basis. It’s calculated at 1/12 of the annual stated rate (0.15%) based on the account balance on the last day of each month. Alternative account fee pricing is available, ranging from 0.15% to 0.35%. Contact Sales at hello@guideline.com to learn more about exclusive pricing options available in Enterprise tier. See the Form ADV 2A Brochure for more information regarding this fee.

  • 9

    This information is provided for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to be construed as investment or tax advice. We recommend that you consult a qualified tax and financial advisor to determine the appropriate investment strategy for you. Guideline makes no guarantees with regard to investment performance, as investing involves risk and your investments may lose value.

Guideline.com is owned and operated by Guideline, Inc. This website contains content from Guideline, Inc. and its affiliates, each a separate entity with different regulatory marketing requirements and standards. References to "our" or "we" on this website refer solely to Guideline RK, LLC unless otherwise specifically stated.

The information in this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be an offer, recommendation, investment advice, legal or tax advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any security. By using this website, you agree to Guideline, Inc.’s Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions of Use. Neither Guideline, Inc. nor its subsidiaries, are responsible for information provided by third parties. Information included herein from third parties is believed to be reliable however Guideline, Inc. does not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of that information.

Guideline, Inc. is a technology company that provides an integrated platform to companies who seek to work with 1) Guideline RK, LLC ("Guideline") and/or 2) Guideline Investments, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Adviser ("RIA"), both of which are wholly owned by Guideline Holdings, LLC. Guideline Holdings, LLC is wholly owned by Guideline, Inc. Neither Guideline, Inc. nor Guideline Holdings, LLC or Guideline RK, LLC is involved in securities activities and is not registered with the SEC or FINRA. Neither Guideline, Inc., nor any of its affiliates, is a bank.

Investment advisory services for Guideline’s 401(k) (when 3(38) fiduciary services are selected) and SEP IRA/IRA products are offered by Guideline Investments, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. For more information regarding fees and services, see Guideline Investments, LLC’s ADV 2A Brochure and Form CRS. References throughout this website to investment advisory services including but not limited to: investments offered, portfolios, managed portfolios, investment philosophy, assets under management (AUM), annual account fees expressed as a percentage of AUM, suitability questionnaire, 3(38) investment advisory management fiduciary services, robo-advisory services, and investment advice, unless otherwise specifically stated, are services provided by Guideline Investments, LLC. Investing involves risk and may lose money, including loss of principal. Investing is not guaranteed and past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. The investment options offered by Guideline Investments, LLC are not FDIC insured.

Recordkeeping services for Guideline’s 401(k) and SEP IRA/IRA products are offered by Guideline RK, LLC. 3(16) plan administration services are also offered by Guideline RK, LLC and only made available to clients who utilize an eligible payroll provider. For more information on Guideline’s pricing, see here. Guideline uses a third-party to provide custodial services. Custodial fees are paid by Guideline.

Any graphs, charts, and other visual aids (collectively referred to as "image(s)") are provided for information purposes only. None of these images can of themselves be used to make investment decisions. No representation is made that these will assist any person in making investment decisions and no image can capture all factors and variables required in making such decisions.

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