Retirement Planning Services for Employers
Driven by robust technology, systems and services, Merit has the ability to help create successful retirement plan outcomes for plan sponsors and participants alike.
Plans Fit for Everyone's Needs
Whether you're a start-up or an established business, a non-profit or a government agency, we can help you offer an employee retirement plan that strives to simplify your administrative efforts, meet the needs of a diverse workforce, and is structured and delivered in a way that promotes participation.
Our passion and commitment are to assist you with the design, implementation and ongoing support of an employee retirement plan that best suits your company's and your workforce's needs. As an independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), we serve as an investment fiduciary acting solely on your behalf and are committed to your success. We adhere to a high fiduciary standard of care, enabling you to offer your employees a diversified mix of investment options, education and personalized counseling as they pursue their retirement goals.
Why Choose Merit Financial Advisors
Our firm's size and scale provide its clients with the deep knowledge, creative thinking and industry experience necessary to help deliver a tailored solution. We are:
An independent investment fiduciary advisor committed to your success.
Focused on retirement plans. We don't just dabble in retirement plans.
Passionate about delivering "level 10" service to our clients.
Committed to positive outcomes for plan sponsors and participants.
Our Services
Fiduciary Support
- Investment Policy Statement Review
- Investment Selection including 3(21) & 3(38) Services
- Performance Monitoring and Reporting
- Selection and Monitoring of QDIAs
- Fee and Service Review
Benchmarking of Provider Fees & Services
- Review ERISA Spending Accounts or PERAs
- Generate/Evaluate Service Provider RFPs
- Service Provider Transition or Plan Conversion
- Employee Engagement
- Group Education Meetings
Support Individual Employee Questions
- Quarterly Newsletter / Learning Webinars
- One-on-one meetings
- Financial Wellness
- Individual Participant Advice and Education
How We Can Help
As a trusted partner, we are focused on retirement plans across all plan types and sizes. From companies small and large, our team works with our clients to build a retirement program that helps employees pursue their retirement goals.
PROFIT SHARING AND 401(K)
A profit-sharing plan allocates a percentage of company profits to eligible employees. It requires a "plan document" establishing its term, a trust for plan assets to fund it, a record-keeping system for contributions and profit distributions, and a process for offering the plan to eligible employees. A profit-sharing plan can help business owners maximize tax benefits and reward their employees. A 401(k) is a defined contribution plan in which participants establish a contribution up to IRS limits. Employers may match a percentage of employee contributions; 401(k) plans are valuable recruiting tools, but also impose added fiduciary obligations upon employers who must maintain them.
EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN (ESOP)
An ESOP is a qualified retirement plan often used to help business owners transition their business to their employees. This allows the employees an ownership stake and the ability to benefit from the company's success.
DEFINED BENEFIT
A defined benefit retirement plan, often known as a pension plan, promises a specific monthly benefit upon retirement. These permit an employer to contribute annually (and therefore deduct) more than a defined contribution plan. Defined benefit plans can be complex to administer and the employer is responsible for all of the planning and investment risk.
NON-QUALIFIED DEFERRED COMPENSATION (NQDC)
For highly compensated employees who often struggle to save enough for retirement through traditional retirement plans, an NQDC plan can help. NQDC plans allow a select group of employees the ability to defer a larger portion of their compensation and defer the taxes on that money until a future date.