| |
| |
|
|
Investing Information |
|
Is a SEP Plan Right For Your Business
A SEP is a special type of IRA. Under a SEP plan the employer creates an IRA account for each eligible employee, hence the name SEP-IRA. A SEP is funded solely with employer contributions. Employees do not make contributions to their SEP-IRA retirement account. Any money that goes into a SEP automatically belongs to the employee. Thus, the employee has the right to take his SEP IRA account money with him whenever he stops working for the company. Any size business can establish a SEP, but the SEP retirement plan is utilized mostly by the self-employed and the small business with few employees. The SEP IRA rules dictate that if the business contributes for one employee, (i.e., the owner), then the business must contribute proportionately for all of the employees. With few exceptions, anyone who works for the business must be included in the SEP. However, you can exclude from participating in the SEP plan anyone who: ? Has not worked for the company during three out of the last five years. ? Has not reached age 21 during the year for which contributions are made. ? Received less than $450 in compensation (subject to cost-of-living adjustments) during the year. SEP IRA contributions to each employee for 2004 cannot exceed the lesser of $41,000 or 25% of pay for W2 recipients (20% of income for sole proprietors). The SEP IRA contribution limit goes up to $42,000 for 2005, and is subject to cost-of-living adjustments for later years. SEP-IRA rules do not provide for additional catch-up contributions for those 50 years old or over. A growing number of self-employed individuals with no employees are abandoning the SEP-IRA for a newer type of retirement plan called the Solo 401(k) or Self-Employed 401(k). The two main reasons for the switch are 1) they can generally contribute much more to a Solo 401(k) than they can under a SEP IRA, and 2) Loans are allowed under a Solo 401(k), whereas loans are prohibited under a SEP-IRA. Example: Henry, age 52, a realtor received $60,000 in compensation from self-employment income in 2004. For 2004, he could contribute a maximum of $27,152 in a Solo 401(k) versus a maximum of $11,152 under a SEP IRA. However, the Solo 401(k) does not work for businesses with employees. Thus, if your company plans to hire employees or currently has a few employees, the SEP IRA may be your best choice as a retirement plan that is inexpensive and simple to operate. Daniel Lamaute, CEO of Lamaute Capital, Inc. (http://www.InvestSafe.com) specializes in setting up retirement plans. You may visit http://www.investsafe.com to access a free calculator that will help you estimate what your maximum contribution might be under different plans.
MORE RESOURCES:
Investing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Approaches to Investing Here is a small summary of the three major approaches to investing:1. Fundamental AnalysisTruly superior companies exist, are sometimes undervalued by markets, and can be identified by mostly financial research. Invest To Make Money, Not To Get Rich The technology boom of the '90s romanticized the "rags-to-riches" ideal that all of us dream about when investing. For those that invested $1000 in Dell at $5 during 1990, held through the seven splits, then sold in March 2000 at $59, the dream was a reality. Discipline in Trading and Investing The one thing I can think of that most affects both trading and investing has to be self-discipline.Being disciplined is fully 50% of the job of trading or of investing. An Old Dividend Stock Investment Idea, for a New Generation Death and taxes! The certainties of life! And then, of course, there are the mortgage payments, the utility bills, phone bills, the car payments and thirsty automobiles. Add that to the grocery and clothing bills, and there appears to be more then just death and taxes as certainties of life. Is a SEP Plan Right For Your Business A SEP is a special type of IRA. Under a SEP plan the employer creates an IRA account for each eligible employee, hence the name SEP-IRA. Learn How to Lose and Risk Management One of the leading traders on Chicago Mercantile Exchange, because of a single trade lost everything!For all of his years of experience and money, he had failed to master the most important concept in trading: Risk Management!Each trader seems to have his own unique way of identifying market opportunities. One buys a stock in the hopes of never having to sell it, while another might hold a position in the market for a day or even just a few hours. Investigate Before You Invest "Through wisdom is a house built. And by understanding it is established. The Arrow-Debreu Contingent Claims Model of Investment Throughout the discussion of speculation and stability, we emphasized that uncertainty theorists now have a generally accepted framework for modeling choice under uncertainty. Economic theorists have chosen to model uncertainty as the revelation of a state of the world. Trading Systems A trading system consists of a set of rules for viewing markets and making trades. The advantages of trading systems can be hidden when they become associated with trading platforms involving trade order submission and processing. Financial Planners "Financial planners are like dentists: they may occasionally inflict pain, but in the end, you will be better off for following their advice!"Whoever wrote these lines must have either been a financial planner or someone who relied heavily on planners for finance management. We all know that planning our finances is vital. Trading Tips No 3: Online Trading and Investing: Buy, Hold, and Hope So you have learned how to trade the markets by mastering a few trading tools like Moving Averages, Channels, Stochastics, MACD, or RSI - that is a great accomplishment achieved by only a few. However, having the tools and rules to trade markets successfully, year in and year out, is only half of the challenge. Lessons in Transition Q: What have been the most successful approaches to attracting direct foreign investments: offering prospective investors tax breaks and similar benefits, or improving the overall investment climate of the country?Empirical research has demonstrated that investors are not lured by tax breaks and monetary or fiscal investment incentives. They will take advantage of existing schemes (and ask for more, pitting one country against another). The Perfect Economy? The U.S. Options Education: Financing the Calendar! As a trader, one of the key things that I try to consciously do is to cultivate my instincts by talking with other traders and investors as often as possible. It still amazes me how large the divergence of opinion that exists regarding what people believe will unfold as we enter the new millennium. Quit and Retire Three Years Earlier! For most people, there is a direct correlation between how worried they are about retirement income, and how much they can actually do about it. This is because the more worried you are, the closer you probably are to retirement, and the less time you have to do anything - like save up. Finding a Broker "Hey Joe! I need help finding a broker. I notice that discount commission rates are pretty much the same. Annuity Help Many people today are looking for annuity help. The biggest challenge seems to be that most of the help is biased. Missleading Fund Names Wreak Havoc On Investor Returns! Mutual fund managers use fake fund names to part you from your money such that you cannot judge what a fund does by its name. Many funds have names that are outright misleading or even deceptive. Annuity Investment - The Whole Truth Do you ever feel like you haven't been told the whole truth? Kind of like something is missing? Well, you are not alone.With many investors awestruck over the last several years by the declining stock markets, many feel like they're out in the cold. Well Managed Investing Risks Bring Rewards! "Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing!" Warren Buffett (1930 - )We often listen to people who hesitate to invest in the stock market because they fear risk. There are older people who fear that a stock crash could leave them destitute.
|
|||||||||||||||
