Safe Harbor

A plan option that can help business owners maximize savings and pass compliance testing.

What is Safe Harbor?

Safe Harbor is a type of employer contribution that can be added to a 401(k) plan in order to help the plan pass compliance testing.



How Safe Harbor Works

Safe Harbor is a type of employer contribution that is added to a 401(k) plan in order to help the plan pass compliance testing. There are three types of contributions an employer can choose from: non-elective, basic, enhanced.

Why Safe Harbor is Important

Adding a Safe Harbor provision to the 401(k) plan allows the plan to pass compliance testing. This enables highly compensated employees to maximize their annual personal contributions.

How Fisher Can Help

Fisher is one of America's top advisory firms with deep experience helping business owners navigate the ins and outs of evaluating and setting up a Safe Harbor strategy tailored to meet their specific objectives.

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ForSafe Harbor VideoView Transcript

Safe Harbor Video

Watch this short video to learn how successful business owners can leverage Safe Harbor to maximize savings for themselves, and highly compensated employees, while passing annual compliance testing.

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SAFE HARBOR GUIDE

What business owners need to know about adding a Safe Harbor to their 401(k) Plan.

There are 3 Options for Safe Harbor Contributions

Non-Elective Safe Harbor

Eligible employees get an annual employer contribution of 3% of their salary. This amount is immediately fully vested and the employee gets it whether or not they contribute to the plan.

Basic Safe Harbor Match

The employer matches 100% of the first 3% of each employee's contribution and 50% of the next 2%. Employees are required to contribute to their 401(k) in order to get the match.

Enhanced Safe Harbor Match

The employer matches 100% of the first 4% of each employee's contribution. Like a Basic Safe Harbor Match, employees are required to defer money to their 401(k) in order to qualify for the match.

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Safe Harbor Case Study

See how to leverage a Safe Harbor feature to help highly compensated employees maximize their 401(k) contributions.

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Solutions for Top Heavy 401(k) Plans

Learn about some of the solutions available for top heavy 401(k) plans.

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