Free PDF Guide

The Small Business Retirement Plans Guide

The plan is an output, not a choice: profit, payroll, and your savings target pick it for you. The menu, the math, and the deadlines — in one PDF.

What’s inside

  • The plan menu, mapped

    Solo 401(k), SEP IRA, SIMPLE, safe-harbor 401(k), cash balance — what each one is and the 2026 contribution ceilings.

  • Your numbers pick the plan

    Why the right plan is an output of profit, salary, and savings goals — not a preference.

  • The QBI layer

    Pre-tax contributions shrink the 199A deduction; the wage-efficiency math that decides whether they're still worth it.

  • The cash balance window

    Six-figure deductible contributions for high-profit owners in their 50s — and the commitments the plan demands in return.

  • Employees change everything

    The 401(k) vs. SIMPLE decision once you have a team, safe-harbor design, and what you'll owe your employees.

  • Deadlines and mechanics

    Setup and funding dates, the paperwork that actually matters, and how to switch plans as the business grows.

Jim Crider

Written by Jim Crider, CFP®, founder of Intentional Living FP — a fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm in New Braunfels, Texas.

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This guide is educational only and is not specific financial, tax, or legal advice. Tax figures reflect 2026 rules and are subject to change. Fee-only fiduciary · No commissions · Always on your side of the table.