Guideline Help Center (2024)

FAQs

Is a Guideline 401k safe? ›

In addition to the processes, procedures, and safeguards Guideline has in place to protect all plan assets, we also carry an ERISA bond that protects all plan assets under Guideline's control that protects those assets from any negligent action by Guideline or its employees.

401(k) participants can contact our Customer Success team by submitting a form, emailing [email protected], or by phone at (888) 344-5188.

Access your Guideline dashboard. Within the Contribution section on the main landing page, click “Manage contribution." This link is also available under the Portfolio section of your account. Within the Contributions screen, change the contribution rate to 0% or $0 for both pre-tax and Roth.

Third-party plan administrator

Guideline may take on this role for your plan as the plan administrator within the meaning of Section 3(16) of ERISA.

Taking a 401(k) cash disbursem*nt after leaving your company | Guideline Help Center. If you're looking to cashout your 401(k), you can do so once you leave your employer. However, taxes and penalties may apply in some cases.

If you terminate employment with the company sponsoring your 401(k), you may keep your account if it meets specific balance requirements. If you no longer work for the employer who sponsored your Guideline 401(k) account, you may be able to keep your 401(k) funds with Guideline in certain cases.

Luckily, you typically don't need to report your 401(k) contributions, 401(k) or IRA balances, or even investment returns to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Guideline is an all-inclusive 401(k) technology designed for growing businesses. We handle all plan administration for you, including set up, participant enrollment and education, recordkeeping, investment management, compliance, and reporting.

By age 30, Fidelity recommends having the equivalent of one year's salary stashed in your workplace retirement plan. So, if you make $50,000, your 401(k) balance should be $50,000 by the time you hit 30.

You can do a 401(k) withdrawal while you're still employed at the company that sponsors your 401(k), but you can only cash out your 401(k) from previous employers. Learn what do with your 401(k) after changing jobs.

Can I close my 401K at any time? ›

Typically, you can't close an employer-sponsored 401k while you're still working there. You could elect to suspend payroll deductions but would lose the pre-tax benefits and any employer matches. In some cases, if your employer allows, you can make an in-service withdrawal if you've reached the age of 59 ½.

Help meet your state retirement mandate with a simple, powerful Guideline 401(k). Prefer to chat? Give us a call at (888) 228-3491. See our Privacy Policy to learn how we use and protect your information.

401(k) fees can range between 0.5% and 2% or even higher, based on the size of an employer's 401(k) plan, how many people are participating in the plan, and which provider is offering the plan. The average annual fee charged by most funds is 1%, according to the Center for American Progress.

SIMPLE 401(k) plans

As with a safe harbor 401(k) plan, the employer is required to make employer contributions that are fully vested. This type of 401(k) plan is available to employers with 100 or fewer employees who received at least $5,000 in compensation from the employer for the preceding calendar year.

Is Guideline a good company to work for? Guideline has an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5, based on over 74 reviews left anonymously by employees. 55% of employees would recommend working at Guideline to a friend and 52% have a positive outlook for the business. This rating has decreased by 12% over the last 12 months.

Lower-risk investment types can help maintain the value of your 401(k), but it is important to consider that lower risk usually means lower returns. Bond funds, money market funds, index funds, stable value funds, and target-date funds are lower-risk options for your 401(k).

If you are closer to retirement, it's smart to shift your 401(k) allocations to more conservative assets like bonds and money market funds.