What is a SIMPLE IRA?

A Simplified Incentive Match Plan for Employees, or SIMPLE IRA, is designed to make it easier for small employers (those with 100 or fewer employees) to establish a retirement plan. A SIMPLE IRA, like a 401(k), allows employees to divert some amounts of compensation into retirement savings. As with a SEO, contributions to a SIMPLE IRA are deposited into a separate IRA for each participating employee. The participant may select any percentage of compensation to defer into the plan - even zero - but the total dollar amount cannot exceed $11,500 per year ($14,000 if you are at least age 50 by the end of the year).

Unlike the employee, the employer is required to make a contribution. The employer has two options:

It can match the employee's contributions up to 3% of the employee's compensation.
As an alternative to matching, the employer may contribute a flat 2% of compensation (up to a maximum compensation of $245,000) to the accounts of all eligible employees, whether or not the employee contributes any salary into the plan.

Please contact one of our IRA Experts at 800-472-0646 for more information.