Retirement

Solo 401k

A version of a 401(k) available to solo-entrepreneurs that allows you to contribute to the plan using both your personal and business income, without subjecting your company to the requirements of ERISA. This plan is only available to small business owners with no employees other than themselves and their spouse.

Tax-deferred contributions

Allows you to contribute to retirement savings without paying income taxes on the funds used to contribute to your retirement investment account. For example, contributions to traditional IRAs are made from current income before you have paid income tax, reducing your current taxable income.

Annuity

A retirement savings option in which an individual pays money into an account administered by an insurance company in exchange for a guaranteed payment amount during retirement. In general, the concept of an annuity is similar to life insurance, except that an individual is able to receive payment while still alive. Annuities can grow tax-deferred, meaning investors pay no taxes on the earnings until they receive payments or make withdrawals.

ERISA

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established retirement plans and establishes protections for consumers, including standards about disclosing plan information and rules regarding fiduciary responsibilities for the plans.

Social Security

A national benefit program funded by tax dollars to ensure economic security for those who can no longer work because of their age or a disability. Those who qualify for Social Security benefits receive monthly stipends based on their reported income.

SIMPLE IRA

SIMPLE stands for Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees. Perhaps the best way to describe the SIMPLE IRA plan is as the little brother of the more robust but more costly 401(k) plan. Much like the traditional 401(k) plan, the SIMPLE IRA Plan allows for both employer contributions as well as employee salary deferral contributions.

Compound interest

The addition of interest to the principal sum of your retirement savings, or in other words, interest on interest. Compound interest rates grow faster than simple interest rates because they include all of the accumulated interest on your investments, allowing you to grow your wealth over time.

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