STANDARD 401(k)

The fastest way to your new 401(k) plan

Most 401(k) providers make this harder than it needs to be. Legacy infrastructure, manual reconciliation, a half-dozen vendors between you and a working plan. 401GO cuts all of that. One platform, built from scratch, that handles setup, payroll sync, compliance, and administration — so you can offer a great retirement benefit without becoming an expert in retirement.

With a 98% client retention rate and sub-3% churn, the numbers make the argument we won’t.

How to set up a 401GO 401(k) for your small business

Setting up a 401(k) used to mean weeks of paperwork, vendor calls, and waiting. Here’s what it looks like with 401GO:

Step 1

Design your plan (as quick as 15 minutes)

Answer a few questions about your business: how many employees, whether you want to offer a match, what vesting schedule fits your hiring strategy. Our platform guides you through plan design without requiring you to know the difference between a traditional and safe harbor structure to get started. We’ll help you figure out what fits.

Step 2

Connect your payroll

We sync directly with your payroll system — automatically passing contribution data, deferral elections, and employee records in both directions. No spreadsheets. No manual uploads. No reconciliation errors showing up in next quarter’s audit. Our True360™ service covers platforms without a native API connection at no added cost.

Step 3

Enroll your employees

Employees receive an invitation, complete enrollment online or in the mobile app, and choose their contribution rate and investment elections. The platform handles the rest. Participation tends to go up when the process is frictionless — and employees who can manage their account from their phone are more likely to stay engaged with it.

Step 4

We run the plan

Compliance testing, IRS filings, SECURE 2.0 updates, participant support — handled at the platform level, not delegated to you. You get real-time dashboards showing participation rates, contribution activity, and compliance status. No quarterly review prep. No spreadsheets to reconcile.

There’s never been a better time to start. The government is paying part of the tab.

SECURE 2.0 created meaningful tax credits for small businesses that start a new retirement plan. If you have fewer than 100 employees and don’t currently offer a plan, you may be eligible for up to $5,000 per year in tax credits for the first three years — plus an additional $1,000 per eligible employee per year if you include an employer match.

That’s up to $16,500 in potential tax credits over three years, depending on your employee count. It doesn’t make the plan free, but for a lot of small businesses, it gets close.

401GO handles SECURE 2.0 compliance at the platform level — auto-enrollment defaults, QACA escalation, long-term part-time eligibility, Roth catch-up changes — so you get the credits without tracking the regulatory changes yourself.

The SECURE 2.0 tax credit alone opens the conversation with almost every small business owner who doesn’t yet have a plan.

What’s included
in every 401GO plan

401GO covers the full range of retirement needs so you can say yes to the right plan for you.

Payroll integration that actually works both ways

True360™ syncs payroll data, deferral elections, and employee records automatically — in both directions. Contribution errors are the #1 complaint small business owners have about their 401(k) provider. They're also entirely preventable. We prevent them.

SECURE 2.0
compliance, handled

Auto-enrollment, QACA escalation, long-term part-time eligibility, Roth catch-up updates — all implemented at the platform level. You don't track regulatory changes across multiple plans. We do.

A real person assigned to your account

Not a ticket queue. Not a chatbot. A dedicated human contact who knows your plan and picks up the phone. Every employer and every participant gets one. It's how 401GO holds a 98% retention rate — the support is part of the product.

Investment options that fit your employees

Our in-house lineup gives participants a broad, low-cost fund selection. If you're working with a financial advisor, they can build a custom lineup from thousands of funds through our custodial partner, Matrix Trust. You're not locked into a proprietary menu.

Real-time reporting you can actually use

Participation rates, deferral trends, contribution activity, and compliance flags — visible in your dashboard at all times. If you share plan data with employees or advisors, the reports are formatted to share directly, no reformatting required.

Mobile access
for everyone

Employers manage plan activity from a mobile app. Participants enroll, adjust contributions, and check balances the same way they check everything else — from their phone. Higher mobile accessibility correlates directly with higher participation rates.

How 401GO compares

Most 401(k) platforms for small business are middleware — a modern interface sitting on an outsourced backend. That means they’re dependent on third-party recordkeepers and TPAs for everything that matters operationally. 401GO owns the whole stack. Here’s what that means in practice:

401go

Human Interest

vestwell

Vertically integrated
(no outsourced backend)

15-minute plan setup

True360™ two-way payroll sync

Dedicated human support contact

In-house TPA + recordkeeping + fiduciary

SECURE 2.0 compliance at platform level

No transaction fees

Custom fund lineup builder

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions? We’ve Got Answers.

Honest answers about how the platform works, what it costs, and where it fits.

How much does a 401(k) plan cost for a small business?

401GO’s pricing is transparent with no hidden fees or transaction charges. The cost depends on your plan size and structure — we’ll give you a clear number in a conversation, not after you’ve committed to anything. SECURE 2.0 tax credits can offset a significant portion of startup costs for eligible businesses (see above).

How long does it take to set up a 401(k) for a small business?

For some, plan design and setup takes about 15 minutes on 401GO’s platform. For others, it may take a little longer. However it’s still the fastest in the industry. Payroll integration is handled by our team. Employee enrollment is self-serve through the platform or mobile app. Most employers go from zero to a running plan in days, not weeks.

Do I need a financial advisor to set up a 401(k)?

No. 401GO is designed so that small business owners can set up and manage a compliant 401(k) without specialist expertise. If you work with a financial advisor, they can be added to your plan and given full advisor portal access. If you don’t, our team handles investment fiduciary responsibilities in-house.

What's the difference between a traditional 401(k) and a Safe Harbor 401(k)?

A traditional 401(k) gives you maximum flexibility on plan design and employer contributions, but requires annual IRS nondiscrimination testing. A Safe Harbor 401(k) satisfies those tests automatically by meeting specific employer contribution requirements — which simplifies compliance and often allows business owners and highly compensated employees to contribute more. 401GO offers both. We’ll help you figure out which fits your business.

What happens if my payroll system isn't on your integration list?

Our True360™ service was built for exactly that situation. It delivers the same hands-off payroll sync accuracy as a full API integration, at no added cost, for any payroll platform. You don’t need to switch payroll providers to work with 401GO.

Is 401GO a good fit for a business with fewer than 10 employees?

Yes. 401GO was built specifically for small and medium-sized businesses. There’s no minimum employee count. For very small businesses and owner-only setups, we also offer a Solo K — designed for self-employed individuals and business owners with no full-time employees.

What is SECURE 2.0 and does it affect my plan?

SECURE 2.0 is a federal law passed in late 2022 that introduced significant changes to retirement plan rules — including new tax credits for small businesses starting plans, expanded automatic enrollment requirements, and new rules for long-term part-time employees. 401GO implements all SECURE 2.0 requirements at the platform level. You don’t need to track regulatory changes across your plan individually — we do that.

Not the right fit?
Explore the full 401GO portfolio.

401GO offers a full range of retirement plan types. If you’re not sure where to start, our team will help you find the right structure for your business size, goals, and budget.

Standard 401(k)

the core offering, built for SMBs

Safe Harbor 401(k)

simplified compliance for employers who want it

Starter 401(k)

for businesses just getting started

Solo 401(k)

for owner-only businesses

ERISA 403(b)

purpose-built for tax-exempt organizations

Traditional IRA

individual retirement access

Cash Balance

for businesses with more complex planning needs

FUTURES BUILT HERE

Your employees have been waiting long enough

The average small business employee has been waiting 4.3 years longer than their counterparts at large companies to access a workplace retirement plan. A 401(k) from 401GO is set up in a day. The investment in their future compounds from there.