Any Web Sites That Review SEP ?

[njoracle]

I'm looking for a web site where I can read some reviews on SEP plans that are
available from various vendors. Any recommendations?

[da...@meyersmoney.com]

On Friday, March 25, 2016 at 9:00:04 AM UTC-7, njoracle wrote:
> I'm looking for a web site where I can read some reviews on SEP plans that are
> available from various vendors. Any recommendations?

Bear in mind that a SEP plan is basically a trivial one-page document that you, as employer, need to keep on hand (and give a copy of to any employee you have if you have any) -- and an associated IRA account.

Every major brokerage offers SEP-IRAs plans for free. Since they really don't need to do anything different in being custodians for them than they do for regular IRAs. All administration, liability, etc -- falls on the employer in question.

I don't generally recommend them for folks who have employees, but for the self-employed, they're pretty trivial.

[cmadler]

Yes, a SEP can be established by filling out IRS Form 5305-SEP -- the form itself is only about 1/3 of a page (with 1-2/3 pages of instructions, typical IRS) -- giving a copy of it to any employees, and then set up and fund the individual account(s).

I'd expect to pay nothing for it on the employer side, although on the employee side there may be monthly/quarterly/annual account charges, as well as investment costs (e.g., mutual fund expenses), just as there would be for any other IRA. But once it's funded, any employees are free to transfer funds to any other IRA, so if you do have employees, just pick the brokerage where you want your investments.

[njoracle]

This for a self-employed person (a relative). I was looking at Wells Fargo
versus Schwab but since I know Schwab, will probably recommend them as the
custodian.

[Tad Borek]

On 3/28/2016 12:41 AM, njoracle wrote:
> This for a self-employed person (a relative). I was looking at Wells Fargo
> versus Schwab but since I know Schwab, will probably recommend them as the
> custodian.

Any self-employed individual considering a SEP should also consider an
individual 401(k) plan ("solo-k"). They require a tiny bit more
paperwork but the contributions you can make are higher than a SEP's
until you get to higher income levels. You can open them at many of the
same places you'd consider for a SEP-IRA, though there are fewer
low-cost options and some of them limit your investment alternatives.
The usual suspects (Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab, etc.) all offer them.

As others replied, the typical SEP-IRA uses the IRS prototype SEP as
"the plan" and you just need to sign a one-page form to set that up. So
comparing SEPs for an individual typically means comparing the places
where you can open up the IRA account itself, for receiving contributions.

-Tad