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401(k) and Retirement Services

A trusted name in retirement services, Paychex is the #1 provider of 401(k) plans in the country1. We have industry-leading expertise in administering retirement plans for your business and your employees. From enrollment to plan maintenance, we take care of the details for any size business. Our all-in-one payroll and benefits solution streamlines plan management and controls costs. When payroll meets retirement benefits in a single platform, everything is simpler.

Affordable 401(k) Plans for Any Sized Business

Small business owners often think they can’t afford to offer a 401(k)plan. We can help you find a plan that allows your employees achieve their retirement goals while putting tax savings in your pocket.

coffee shop employees happy with their 401k plan

Simplify Retirement Plan Management With Paychex Flex®

Paychex Flex is our all-in-one solution for all things HR — making it easier to manage your retirement offerings.

  • Make It Easy To Enroll in Your Plan

    Make It Easy To Enroll in Your Plan

    The quick enrollment feature allows employees to sign up for a retirement plan in four clicks. When you integrate payroll, you can easily see who is eligible for your chosen retirement plan.

  • Give Participants Access to Their Account

    Give Participants Access to Their Account

    Our account dashboard, accessible via our mobile app or online portal, gives you and your employees 24/7 access to 401(k) retirement accounts. You’ll be able to easily manage accounts, check retirement contribution amounts, maximize 401(k) contributions, review investment performance, and more.

  • Simplify Plan Management

    Simplify Plan Management

    Our easy-to-use dashboard simplifies processes such as 401(k) investment selection, changing plan contributions, and checking the status of a loan. For even more convenience, our Pooled Employer 401(k) Plan offers simplified administration and enrollment, reduced fiduciary liability, and savings potential.

  • Enabling Better Compliance

    Enabling Better Compliance

    As part of our retirement services, our Paychex Flex platform can improve reporting accuracy, collect important data, and enable better compliance.

Pooled Employer Plan: The 401(k) Plan Designed for All Business Sizes

The Paychex Pooled Employer 401(k) Plan (PEP) makes it easier for businesses of any size to offer one of the most popular retirement plans for employees. While you enjoy the benefits of offering a retirement plan, we oversee plan administration duties such as setup, implementation, monitoring, and enrollment. Learn why a PEP could be a game-changer for your small business.

A business owner considering a PEP Retirement Plan

See What’s Required in Your State

Each state that sponsors a retirement program has its own requirements, deadlines, enrollment details, and eligibility criteria. Get help staying up-to-date with your state-sponsored retirement program and learn about all the plans that can help you meet program requirements.

united states map

Reduce Your Business Taxes with SECURE Act Tax Credits

The SECURE Act offers businesses the ability to establish a retirement plan and reduce their tax liability.  If eligible, your business may have 100% of plan startup costs covered through small business tax credits. That’s a savings of up to $16,500 over 3 years2. Your business may also qualify for an additional credit of up to $1,000 per employee per year over 5 years with employer contributions2.

Business owner working on her laptop

Restaurant Owners Offer a Tip: A Retirement Benefit Pays Off

The owners of Lago 210 in Hamburg, NY, established a family-style atmosphere that included their employees. They wanted to go the extra mile to make them feel appreciated and rewarded, so the restaurant decided to offer a retirement plan.

The owners discovered that working with Paychex and its Retirement Services provided them with a great recruitment and retention tool.

Employees at Lago 210 handle food prep work in the kitchen.
Lago 210
1:17

“We do care very much about our employees, and we want them to be able to save for the future. But also (use a retirement plan) for recruitment and bringing new employees in. The food service industry is tough when it comes to getting good people in and having that one extra benefit to be able to offer them makes a big difference.”

Jordan Zybala
Owner
Lago 210

Converting Your Retirement Plan Is Simple

We can work with your current provider to make switching to Paychex simple — including preparing documents, setting up payroll processing, transferring assets, and re-enrolling employees into your new plan. We'll also work with you to establish your plan's investment lineup and customize plan parameters

client reviewing documents

Retirement Services FAQs

  • What Are Retirement Services?

    What Are Retirement Services?

    Retirement services cover the full range of services needed over a plan’s life, particularly for a business or organization managing multiple plans. These can include plan design, investment, conversion, setup, enrollment, administration, and compliance testing.

  • What Is a 401(k) Retirement Plan?

    What Is a 401(k) Retirement Plan?

    A 401(k) retirement plan is a type of retirement account that allows employees to contribute a defined amount of pretax or Roth (after tax) dollars each pay period. Employers also have the opportunity to match part or all of the employee's tax-deferred retirement contributions, or provide a profit-sharing contribution, although those contributions are not required. A 401(k) plan is a great option for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and large corporations, particularly since pension plans are no longer common and the future of Social Security benefits is unpredictable. Learn more about different types of retirement plans, 401(k) options, and 401(k) benefits.

  • What Are the Most Common Retirement Plans?

    What Are the Most Common Retirement Plans?

    Employers most commonly use 401(k) plans because of their flexible plan designs and the ability to save much more than other retirement plans such as IRAs.

  • What Are the Different Types of 401(k) Plans?

    What Are the Different Types of 401(k) Plans?

    There are many types of 401(k) retirement plans, with different rules that govern each:

    • Traditional 401(k): An employer-sponsored retirement plan that allows employees to make pre-tax contributions via payroll deduction. Investment earnings and 401(k) contributions are tax-deferred until they are withdrawn. Businesses can choose to make matching or profit-sharing employer contributions to the plan, although employer contributions are not required as part of a traditional 401(k) plan.
    • Safe Harbor 401(k): This is similar to the traditional 401(k), however, this plan exempts an employer from the annual nondiscrimination testing that is required with traditional 401(k) plans if the employer makes specific contributions to employees' accounts.
    • SIMPLE 401(k): Built specifically for small businesses with 100 employees or fewer, SIMPLE 401(k) plans are not subject to annual nondiscrimination testing. With this type of 401(k) plan, the employer is required to make fully vested contributions.
    • Pooled Employer Plan: A professionally administered retirement plan that allows employers of any size to pool assets into a 401(k) plan. Since resources are pooled, there is reduced fiduciary liability, simplified plan administration, and potential cost savings.
    • 403(b): tax-sheltered annuity or TSA plan offered by public education systems and certain 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations.

    There are pros and cons to each type of plan. Businesses tend to use 401(k) plans because they are flexible and enable employees to save more. A retirement specialist can review the different plan descriptions and help you decide which one is best for your business.

  • Who Uses Paychex for 401(k)?

    Who Uses Paychex for 401(k)?

    Businesses of all sizes and organizations across industries trust Paychex to help them deliver 401(k) benefits to their employees. We can help you find the right retirement plan services that not only fit your business, but also help you build and maintain a high-quality workforce. Hear from a few of our customers.

  • What Are Typical 401(k) Management Fees?

    What Are Typical 401(k) Management Fees?

    Some typical 401(k) management fees are: 

    • Plan administration fees: Day-to-day operational expenses for plan recordkeeping, accounting, legal, trustee services, etc.
    • Investment fees: Expenses for 401(k) investment management and other investment-related retirement plan services.
    • Individual service fees: Expenses charged separately to the accounts of participants who choose to take advantage of a particular plan feature, such as taking out a plan loan.