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SEP IRA

Plan for retirement with ease

What's a SEP IRA?

A Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) IRA is a flexible retirement plan offering tax benefits to business owners and their employees as well as self-employed people.Footnotes 1,2

SEP IRA features

Don't Miss Out: Up to $1000 credit per employee for eligible employer contributions and qualified plan start-up tax credits.Footnote 2
Open an account with Merrill
Item 1 of 4 Contribute significantly more than you could with a traditional IRAFootnote 1
Item 2 of 4 Make flexible contributions that are generally tax deductible by the businessFootnote 2
Item 3 of 4 Take advantage of an easy-to-mange plan that requires less paperwork
Item 4 of 4 Options beyond State Mandated Programs to grow with your business

Get started with a SEP IRA in 3 easy steps

Step 1 of 3

DECIDE HOW YOU WANT TO INVEST

Manage your own investments or have Merrill investment professionals manage your portfolio for you, with the option to work with an advisor.
Step 2 of 3

OPEN YOUR ACCOUNT

It's easy to set up your account (any employees you have will set up their own account), and there are no program or administrative fees for accounts open online.
Step 3 of 3

ADD FUNDS

Quickly and easily fund accounts for you and your employees with Merrill E-Contribs for Small Business Retirement Accounts, a free platform.

Which Retirement account is right for your business?

Compare the features of retirement accounts available at Merrill, find out which one works best for you, your business and any employees you may have.

Bring Value to your business without the extra fees

If you open your plan online, there are no setup fees or annual administrative fees, plus you always get unlimited $0 online stock and ETF trades. Footnote *Options contract and other fees may apply โ€” if you're investing with your Merrill Edge Self-Directed account.
$0  annual administrative fees
$0  setup fee
unlimited online stock and ETF trades Footnote *options contract and other fees may apply

Key insights

A simplified employee pension (SEP) plan provides an affordable, easy-to-manage solution to help you work toward the retirement you want. A SEP is a flexible, cost-effective retirement plan that offers you and your employees (if you have them) an opportunity to build retirement assets through tax-deferred growth.

Tax benefits

Employer contributions to the SEP IRA may be tax-deductible to the business.

High contribution limits

You may contribute annually the lesser of 25% of compensation (20% of net earnings from self-employment), or $70,000 for yourself and each eligible employee for 2025 up to your tax-filing deadline.

Power of compounding

While you work, your SEP account is also working. With compounding, earnings realized on investments โ€” including interest, dividends or other returns โ€” have the potential to accumulate additional earnings.Footnote 4

Investment flexibility

Employees can control how they invest their assets. All contributions are 100% vested immediately. Investments may be subject to commissions, loads and operating expenses.

Explore all plans available for small business

Get more details about small business retirement plans available at Merrill and find the one that works best for your needs.

Ready to get started?

Or call us at 855.667.9451

Frequently Asked Questions

Footnote 
You have choices about what to do with your 401(k) or other type of plan-sponsored accounts. Depending on your financial circumstances, needs, goals and employer plan terms, you may choose to roll over to an IRA or convert to a Roth IRA, roll over a 401(k) from a prior employer to a 401(k) at your new employer, take a distribution, or leave the account where it is (if applicable). Each choice may offer different investments and services, fees and expenses, withdrawal options, required minimum distributions, tax treatment (particularly with reference to employer stock), and provide different protection from creditors and legal judgments. These are complex choices and should be considered with care. For more information visit our rollover page or call Merrill at 888.637.3343.
Footnote 
Other fees may apply. Free and $0 means there is no commission charged for these trades. $0 option trades are subject to a $0.65 per-contract fee. Sales are subject to a transaction fee of between $0.01 and $0.03 per $1,000 of principal. There are costs associated with owning ETFs. To learn more about Merrill pricing, visit our Pricing page.
Footnote 1 As the business owner, your contributions to your SEP IRA account and deductions for such contributions may vary based on your net earnings and self-employment tax deduction. Please consult your tax advisor.

Footnote 2 For more information, visit the IRS website popup.

Footnote 3 Withdrawals are subject to ordinary income tax. In addition, a 10% additional early withdrawal penalty may apply to withdrawals taken prior to age 59ยฝ.

Footnote 4 Refer to IRS Publication 560, Retirement Plans for Small Business (SEP, SIMPLE, and Qualified Plans) for additional information on plan contributions and limits. For more information visit the IRS website popup.

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Investment products offered through Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, and insurance and annuity products offered through Merrill Lynch Life Agency Inc.:
Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value
Are Not Deposits Are Not Insured by Any Federal Government Agency Are Not a Condition to Any Banking Service or Activity

Investing in securities involves risks, and there is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities.

Asset allocation, diversification, and rebalancing do not ensure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets.
Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.

This material is not intended as a recommendation, offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security or investment strategy. Merrill offers a broad range of brokerage, investment advisory and other services. Additional information is available in our Client Relationship Summary (PDF).

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as "MLPF&S" or "Merrill") makes available certain investment products sponsored, managed, distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of Bank of America Corporation ("BofA Corp."). MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, Member SIPC popup and a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation ("BofA Corp.").
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