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$0 base fees for 3 months1

Grow your business with us

With Guideline, you get the tools and tech needed to offer an affordable, automated 401(k).

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Your business, your team, our tech

Our platform can make retirement planning and plan admin easier, faster and more secure.

  • Payroll integration

    Payroll integration

    We connect with top payroll providers to create a largely automated 401(k). We can securely sync employee data, track eligibility, and process deductions so you don’t have to. Learn more

  • An infographic showing the different investment options available through Guideline 401(k) plans.

    401(k) dashboards

    Our dashboards give you and your employees a holistic view of your 401(k). You can monitor activity, track eligibility and stay on top of deadlines. Your employees can make updates and access resources at any time.

  • Automated investing

    Automated investing

    We offer professionally managed investment portfolios, make portfolio recommendations, and rebalance them automatically to make retirement investing simple. See how it works

Powerful plans for businesses of any size

Our 401(k) plans come with low monthly costs and no transaction fees. So you won’t have to pay extra for plan setup, plan transfers, or 5500 prep.2

  • Starter
    $39
    / month
    + $4/mo per active participant

    A simplified 401(k) with limited features and easy administration.

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    • $6,000 employee contribution limit

    • No employer contributions

    • Exempt from IRS testing

  • Core
    Most popular
    $89
    / month
    + $8/mo per active participant

    A foundational 401(k) with robust features and more plan design options.

    Get started
    • $23,000 employee contribution limit4
    • Safe Harbor5

      or Traditional 401(k)

    • Features like employer contributions and profit sharing

  • Enterprise
    $149
    / month
    + active participant fee

    Our most custom 401(k) with premium support and flexible pricing that scales with your business.

    Contact sales
    • $23,000 employee contribution limit4

    • Flexible pricing options

    • Premium support for plan admin and employees

    • Support for plan transfers

Already have a 401(k)? Switch and get 0% AUM on transferred assets plus 12-months no employer fees.3 Schedule a demo

Features that fit your business and team

  • Plan administration
  • Plan features
  • Employee experience

Calculator

Estimate your plan costs with our calculator

If you’re starting a new 401(k), your small business may be eligible to receive up to $16,500 in tax credits over the plan’s first three years to help offset initial plan costs.11

Help your employees save more

  • Help offset your income taxes

    High contribution limits

    With a 401(k), participants can generally contribute up to $23,000 a year.12 With Guideline, they get even more savings.

  • Coin icon

    No transaction fees

    We don’t charge fees for one-off transactions like rollovers, loans, distributions or plan wind-downs.2

  • lower investment fees

    6x lower investment fees

    The total fees for our managed portfolios are about 6x less than the industry average.13 Learn more

Get set up in 20 minutes

We can walk you through the next steps.

Get started

  • 1

    Select a plan type

    The first decision is whether you want a Starter, Traditional, or Safe Harbor 401(k).

  • 2

    Add plan features

    Customize your plan with features like employer matching, eligibility requirements, and more.

  • 3

    Set a start date

    You can get a plan up and running in about 40 days.

Frequently asked questions

How many employees do you need to set up a 401(k)?

There is no minimum number of employees required when setting up a 401(k) with Guideline. You can set up a 401(k) with just an owner or for a single employee.

Can I set up a 401(k) for my LLC?

Yes, Guideline works with many different types of businesses and entity structures such as LLCs.

What are the benefits of a 401(k) plan compared to other retirement options?

401(k) plans are popular because they offer a lot of flexibility in plan design options, integrate with payroll systems, and work as a great hiring tool.

When can my plan start?

While setting up a Guideline 401(k) only takes about 20 minutes, it generally takes about 40 days until first contributions are made. This is due to the automatic enrollment feature on all Guideline 401(k) plans. Generally, eligible employees cannot be automatically enrolled in your plan until 30 days after they receive notice of the auto-enroll feature. This gives them sufficient time to opt-out before the plan begins.

What is auto enrollment?

Auto enrollment is a required feature for all Guideline 401(k) plans. 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-$8/month for each active participant in the plan. We don’t charge transaction fees—this includes no plan termination fees14 or Form 5500 prep fees.15See our pricing

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.

  • 1
    Employer fees include the monthly base fee and a monthly participant fee. Other participant-paid fees will apply. There may be additional costs associated with transferring into another plan tier during and after the end of the promotion. See our Form ADV 2A Brochure for more information about our fees. Guideline reserves the right to modify or discontinue this promotion at any time without prior notice.
  • 2
    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.
  • 3

    Fees included in this promotion are Guideline's monthly base fee, the monthly active participant fee and annual account fee on assets under management transferred. This offer ends December 31, 2024 and cannot be combined with other offers. We reserve the right to modify or discontinue this promotion at any time without prior notice. Terms & Conditions apply. Please contact Sales at hello@guideline.com for further details. We require all plan sponsors transferring an existing 401(k) to Guideline to set up and maintain an Enterprise plan for at least one year. After one year, the plan will be eligible to switch to a different pricing plan. We require all legally related groups to be in our Enterprise or Starter tiers.

  • 4

    May be adjusted annually to account for IRS cost-of-living adjustments. Learn more.

  • 5
    In general, Safe Harbor 401(k) plans automatically satisfy Top Heavy requirements. One exception is for plan years in which the employer makes discretionary contributions (such as profit sharing contributions) in addition to Safe Harbor contributions. Removing Safe Harbor contributions mid-year will also require plans be subject to all compliance testing.
  • 6

    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.

  • 7

    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.

  • 8
    All plans of related entities must be administered by Guideline and have identical plan designs in order to provide compliance testing.
  • 9

    See here for more information regarding Guideline's fees.

  • 10

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

  • 11
    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.
  • 12
    Subject to IRS cost-of-living adjustments. In 2024, individuals can contribute up to $23,000 between their Roth and Pre-tax 401(k) account. If you’re 50 or older, you can contribute an additional $7,500 ($30,500 in total). Individuals can contribute up to $7,000 between their traditional and Roth IRA accounts. If you’re 50 or older, you can contribute an additional $1,000 ($8,000 in total).
  • 13
    This information is provided for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to be taken as investment or tax advice. Consult a qualified tax and financial advisor to determine the appropriate investment strategy for you. The average investment expense of plan assets for 401(k) plans with 25 participants and $250,000 in assets is 1.37% of assets, according to the 24th Edition of the 401k Averages Book, with data updated through September 30, 2023, and is inclusive of investment management fees, fund expense ratios, 12b-1 fees, sub-transfer agent fees, contract charges, wrap and advisor fees or any other asset based charges. Guideline’s managed portfolios have blended expense ratios ranging from 0.067% to 0.069% of assets under management. When combined with an assumed account fee of 0.15%, the estimated total AUM fees for one of Guideline’s managed portfolios can be under 0.22%. 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 the Enterprise tier. See our Form ADV 2A Brochure for more information regarding fees. Expense ratios for custom portfolios will vary. These expense ratios are subject to change by and paid to the fund(s). View full fund lineup.
  • 14
    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.
  • 15
    Third-party auditor fees will apply to large plans where an audit is required. These fees are not charged by Guideline.

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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