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Retirement Plans

Start a Retirement Savings Plan Today!

Starting a retirement savings plan is an important step for most small business owners. Yet, research shows that retirement plans are less prevalent among small employers according to LIMRA’s Market Facts Quarterly and with so many employees, many future retirees end up struggling financially during their retirement years.

Equitable is the U.S. financial services company that helps build fulfilling futures. Since 1859*, they’ve been working with clients across generations, building on what’s proven and pursuing what’s possible.

  • More than 51 years of experience in the association retirement business, supporting AIA members for over 26 years*
  • Over 19,000 participants in association retirement plans*
  • More than $2.1 billion assets under management (as of 9/30/19)*
*These facts and references refer specifically and exclusively to Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (NY, NY).

The Members Retirement Program is designed to deliver what busy architects want: a commitment to keeping costs affordable while delivering a turnkey program with a wide range of services. From setup through administration, it gives you access to a dedicated professional experienced in retirement planning to assist you at every step of the way.

Figuring out your life

  • Full range of investment options that provide a wide array of asset classes
  • Single point of contact once you’re enrolled
  • Quality service and administration.

Through the Members Retirement Program, you’ll work with a dedicated retirement plan professional who is knowledgeable about every aspect of the plans and will work with you to determine which plan or combination of plans may work best to meet your goals. Contact a Retirement Program Specialist at 800-523-1125 or visit the Equitable website to learn more about the offerings for AIA members or to schedule a free retirement planning consultation.

 

The right plan and service platform will be affordable and easy to manage for you and for your employees. Scroll down to find out more about the AIA Members Retirement Program and the many plan design options available.

If You’re a One-Person Firm—Consider An Affordable Owners 401(k)

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An Owners 401(k) combines the benefits of profit sharing and 401(k) plans without costly set-up charges. With an Owners 401(k), one-person practices may be able to defer more than they might be able to with SEP-IRA, SIMPLE 401(k), profit-sharing plan or other defined contribution plans. Plus, by allowing for a profit-sharing contribution as well as a 401(k) salary deferral, contributions in Owners 401(k) plans can be up to three times as much as what’s allowed under some other types of retirement plans.
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If You Have an Established Firm with Younger Employees—Consider a New Comparability Plan

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If you’re an owner with younger employees looking to maximize your retirement plan, you may be able to take advantage of age-weighted allocations and new comparability formulas that benefit plan participants approaching retirement. These plans, known as New Comparability or Cross-Tested plans, enable you to divide plan participants into two or more designated groups, and in many cases, the plan can make larger contributions for one group — those closest to retirement — than for another.
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If You Have a SIMPLE IRA or SEP-IRA—Consider Upgrading to a Safe Harbor 401(k)

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The Safe Harbor 401(k) is a plan that offers significant contribution flexibility with a salary deferral of as much as $19,500 for 2020 plus a $6,500 “catch up” contribution if you are 50 or older (all amounts subject to IRS cost of living adjustments), plus the ability to contribute to a profit-sharing plan. Owners can defer the maximum contribution for themselves, regardless of employee participation, making Safe Harbor 401(k) an attractive plan for highly compensated owners with employees and you avoid the annual testing that’s required in a Traditional 401(k).
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If You Have Multiple Retirement Plans—Consider Consolidating Plans

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If you manage multiple retirement plans such as an IRA, Rollover IRA, 401(k), Profit-Sharing and/or 403(b) accounts, you may want to consider consolidating retirement plans and assets. By consolidating your other plans into a single 401(k) plan, you may be able to simplify investment management, save time, reduce fees, stay diversified and be a more effective, informed investor. Plus, if you consolidate IRA assets into a 401(k) plan, you may have access to loan features and other benefits not available with an IRA.
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If You Are A Component—Consider a 401(k) Plan

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A 401(k) plan can allow you to accumulate a larger nest egg than you can with an IRA because there’s a higher limit on pre-tax contributions. Importantly, the AIA Program has been designed to overcome many of the barriers Components face when considering setting up a plan. A Component 401(k) plan can be designed to meet your needs and goals — and those of your board. Options include:

  1. Stand Alone 401(k) enables component staff to make pre-tax salary deferrals without any contributions from the component.
  2. 401(k) With Employer Matching Contributions enables both staff to make pre-tax salary deferrals and the component to match a stated portion of salary deferrals.
  3. 401(k) with a Non-Elective Contribution so that staff can make pre-tax salary deferrals and the component makes a non-elective contribution to every eligible Staff member whether they choose to make pre-tax salary deferrals or not.

Click here to find out more.
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If You Have An Established Plan With Assets Over $500,000 – Consider the Retirement Gateway Association Program

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Retirement Gateway® is a program of bundled and unbundled qualified plan services that includes a group variable annuity. It is designed to provide the next step in retirement planning for existing plans with $500,000 or more in plan assets.

  • No asset fees or additional charges with initial set-up
  • Competitive-cost as a bundled full service program or unbundled with outside Third Party Administrator (TPA)
  • Sophisticated and easy to use web-based services in addition to customer service desk
  • Comprehensive and customizable investment selection
  • Fiduciary services available through Wilshire, to provide you with guidance in choosing your investment lineup.

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If You Want Upside Market Participation with Downside Protection, Consider Structured Capital

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An individual variable annuity program that can help you grow your retirement assets and address the ups and downs of a fluctuating market. Structured Capital Strategies®, a long-term retirement product, was created to invest on a tax-deferred basis in one or more of our variable investment options and/or in one of the Segments comprising the Structured Investment Option (SIO). The SIO provides a capped rate of return tied to the performance of a specified index with some downside protection. When you invest in SIO, in just three steps you can:

  • Select from one of three time periods: 1, 3, and 5 years
  • Invest in segments that track an index: Structured Capital Strategies tracks 8 well-known equity and commodity indexes
  • Protect your investment with downside protection of -10%, -20% or -30%, depending on the index and duration chosen.

The cap will not be known before you invest, and it may limit your potential in up markets. While you are protected from some downside risk if the negative return is in excess of the protection offered by this product, there is a risk of a substantial loss of your principal.
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NEW!  If You Want Cost-Conscious Tax-Deferral, Consider Investment Edge®

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Investment Edge® can help investors potentially grow their wealth and keep more of what they earn. It allows them to take advantage of:

  • Diversification to capture growth opportunities and help manage volatility.
  • Tax deferral to defer current taxes and promote growth.
  • Tax-efficient distributions to adjust their income flow with flexible options available through Income Edge.

This product is designed for investors who want tax-deferred growth potential as they seek wealth for retirement and other life goals. Investment activity in Investment Edge® does not generate current income taxes, allowing greater wealth-building opportunities than taxable accounts can offer.

Investment Edge® also includes cost- and tax-free rebalancing, a critical component that helps keep portfolios on track with target allocations. Diversification and asset allocation do not guarantee a profit, nor do they eliminate the risk of loss of principal.
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AIA Trust Members Retirement Plan Services Offered

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• Tax-deductible contributions, tax-deferred earnings, tax withholding & reporting
• Acceptance of rollovers from IRAs, 403(b) TSAs, 457 government plans
• IRS pre-approved plan documents and design flexibility to help meet employer goals
• Automatic plan updates for changes in law at no additional cost to employer
• Full-service plan administration with 5500 Annual Reporting
• Contribution calculation service and 401(k) testing (if required)
• 24/7 online access to account information & transactions plus timely, informative quarterly statements
• Access to employer/participant Web sites—and to account executives for questions
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To learn more—and get started on the path to retirement savings, visit equitable.com/aia or call 800-523-1125.

Program Provider

The Members Retirement Program (contract form #6059) is funded by a group variable annuity contract issued and distributed by Equitable, New York, NY. Equitable does not provide tax or legal advice and should consult their tax and legal advisor regarding their particular circumstances.

Retirement Gateway, Investment Edge, and Structured Capital Strategies® variable annuities are issued by Equitable Financial Insurance Company New York, NY 10104 and co-distributed by affiliates Equitable Advisors, LLC and Equitable Distributors, LLC New York, NY 10104.  Please note that withdrawals from a company-sponsored retirement plan are subject to normal income tax treatment and if taken prior to age 59 ½ may be subject to an additional 10% federal income tax penalty. Tax-qualified retirement plans already provide tax deferral, under the Internal Revenue Code. Deferral of an annuity contract does not provide any additional tax benefits. Before purchasing such an annuity, you should consider whether its features and benefits beyond tax deferral meet your needs and goals. You may also want to consider the relative features, benefits and costs of the annuity contract compared with any other investments you may use. Please consider the charges, risks, expenses, and investment objectives carefully before purchasing a variable annuity. For a prospectus containing this and other information, please contact a financial professional. Read it carefully before you invest or send money.

“Equitable” is the brand name of Equitable Holdings, Inc. and its family of companies, including Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (NY, NY), Equitable Advisors, LLC and Equitable Distributors, LLC.

GE-2894082 (6/20) (Exp. 6/22)