Small Business Toolbox

A library of business management info


Retirement Solutions

One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to plan for the day when you are no longer running a business. Retirement planning doesn't have to be complicated, but it is best not to put it off. That way, your money can work for you now and be ready to retire when you are.
  • Creating a Retirement Plan to Attract and Retain Employees
    12/20/2006
    These days, employees want more than just a good salary. You can bet that even those fresh out of college or an MBA program are savvy enough to know that they can't rely on Social Security for retirement; they are looking for jobs that have perks that go beyond a good paycheck and health coverage.
  • Tax-Saving Moves That Will Pay Off Next Filing Season
    08/21/2006
    During the dog days of summer, taxes are probably the last thing on your mind. But if you want to make sure your business doesn't overpay its tax bill next filing season, you need to do some tax planning now.
  • Retirement Plans Benefit Both Your Workers and Your Company
    06/26/2006
    Now that your business is booming, it's time to think about retirement. No, we're not talking about your last days running your company, but rather setting up a retirement plan for your business.
  • New 401(k) Option
    03/29/2006
    A new kind of 401(k) is making it easier to save for retirement. Available for the first time in 2006, the Roth 401(k) allows participants to invest in these plans with after-tax dollars, which means the tax bill has already been paid on these funds (as opposed to traditional 401(k)s, which are funded with pre-tax dollars).
  • Retirement Savings Advice for Small Businesses
    09/01/2005
    It’s never too early for employees to start saving for retirement. Though American small businesses employ over 40 percent of the private workforce in the United States, many do not have retirement savings programs in place for employees. Small businesses interested in offering their employees retirement savings benefits can learn more about the various options available by using a U.S. Department of Labor Web resource.
  • Keeping the Family Business in the Family Through a Living Trust
    06/30/2005
    When it comes to transferring a family business, you have several options. One way that works well is to form a living trust, transfer the business to the trust and name your child as the successor trustee.
  • Delay of Game
    02/01/2005
    How to file for an extension without getting a penalty
  • IRS Announces Pension Plan Limitations for 2005
    10/26/2004
    The Internal Revenue Service today announced cost-of-living adjustments applicable to dollar limitations for pension plans and other items for Tax Year 2005.
  • Three Retirement Plans for Small-Business Employees
    09/14/2004
    Planning for retirement is a major concern for everyone, but the issue becomes rather complicated for small businesses with employees. On one hand, great retirement benefits attract and retain employees. On the other hand, small-business owners must control costs and also ensure that their resources and plan arrangements can provide adequately for their own retirement needs.
  • Working Your Way Toward Retirement
    07/09/2004
    Most business owners want to retire one day, but do you know what you want to do when you retire? Regardless of your age, sit down and brainstorm your ideal retirement dream.
  • Choosing a Retirement Solution
    10/29/2003
    The Small Business Administration, Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor collaborated to create a set of facts about different retirement solutions open to small businesses.
  • You May Have a Buried Treasure in U.S. Savings Bonds
    02/13/2003
    Some 25 million Bonds worth more than $9 billion have matured and are no longer paying interest, but have not been cashed or rolled over into new Bonds.
  • Trust Me?
    02/03/2003
    Planning ahead keeps more money in the family.
  • A 401(K) for the Independent Business Owner
    08/27/2002
    Consultants, independent contractors and owner-only businesses can now have their own 401(k), enabling greater savings than SEPs and Keoghs, regardless of whether the business is incorporated or unincorporated.
  • Pay Yourself First
    04/15/2002
    Employees of mid-size and large companies usually have the opportunity to put money away for retirement through 401K plans, which almost always are automatically deducted from wages.
  • How to Handle Anxiety Over Retirement Funds and Stock Market Fluctuations
    04/11/2002
    The recent "tech wreck" of the NASDAQ and accompanying fall of many stock funds has eroded the inherent value of many company retirement plans - not to mention the perceived or real value of employee stock options at many companies.
  • It's the End of the Year -- Have You Started a Roth IRA?
    04/09/2002
    During a recent conversation I had with a CPA, he commented, "Most things that seem to be too good to be true probably are. The only exception is a Roth IRA."
  • Revamping Retirement Plans
    04/03/2002
    The tax legislation President Bush signed into law contains significant changes that apply to virtually every type of retirement plan. Here's the scoop on the changes most likely to affect you.
  • Two Allocations Every Self-Employed Person Should Make
    04/02/2002
    Most financial experts agree that personal savings and estimated taxes should be two of the most important items on your allocations list, but far too often self-employed business owners neglect them altogether.