Choose a plan for your employees Options available to employers regardless of size, including businesses with only one employee, include: 1. A traditional 401(k) plan, which is the most flexible option. Employers can make contributions for all participants, match employees' deferrals, do both, or neither.
All private employers and employee organizations, such as unions, that offer health plans to employees have to follow ERISA. Only churches and government groups are exempt. If you offer your employees health coverage, you'll have to follow certain rules and procedures as a result of ERISA.
Accounts Covered by ERISA Common types of employer-sponsored retirement accounts that fall under ERISA include 401(k) plans, pensions, deferred-compensation plans, and profit-sharing plans. ERISA does not cover retirement plans set up and administered by government entities and churches, such as many 403(b) plans.
The employer maintaining the plan or the plan administrator of a Pension or Welfare benefit plan covered by ERISA. File Form 5500 to report information on the qualification of the plan, its financial condition, investments and the operations of the plan.
No, you can't open your own 401k. You can contribute to an IRA. The limit is 5500 for 2018. Note not all 401k have employer matches.
Basic ERISA compliance requires employers provide notice to participants about plan information, their rights under the plan, and how the plan is funded. This includes ensuring plans comply with ERISA's minimum standards, recordkeeping, annual filing and reporting, and fiduciary compliance.
ERISA's protections apply to most employees' retirement plans, including 401(k) and pension plans. These include both defined-benefit and defined-contribution plans. Plans not covered by ERISA include government- and church-sponsored plans, IRAs and Social Security.