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July 1, 2025

Your Key to Business Growth: How SEP and SIMPLE IRAs Open Doors to Small Business Owners

Turn a national challenge into your prospecting advantage.

The U.S. is in the midst of a retirement savings crisis, and for financial professionals, that spells opportunity. A major factor driving this crisis is the lack of retirement plan access among employees of small businesses. As states move to mandate retirement savings programs for employers, a growing number of small business owners will be looking for better, more personalized alternatives to government default options. That’s where you come in.

What’s in it for you?

Helping small businesses set up SEP and SIMPLE IRAs is more than just a service—it’s a gateway to long-term client relationships, recurring revenue, and portfolio expansion. These plans offer flexibility and tax advantages that many default state-run programs can’t match. By positioning yourself as a knowledgeable resource, you can:

  • Prospect nationwide—regardless of local mandates.
  • Schedule high-value appointments with business owners who need solutions now.
  • Build multi-layered relationships that extend to the business owner’s employees and families.
  • Uncover cross-selling opportunities

The Tools: SEP and SIMPLE IRAs

Both SEP and SIMPLE IRAs offer significant value to small business owners—and a compelling reason for them to work with you:

SEP IRA (Simplified Employee Pension)

Position SEP IRAs as the smart tax-advantaged way for self-employed professionals to boost retirement savings while lowering taxable income.

  • Ideal for sole proprietors and small businesses with few or no employees.
  • Employer-funded only—up to 25% of compensation or $70,000 (2025).
  • Low administrative burden and flexible contributions.
  • Excellent for high-income owners wanting to maximize deductions.

SIMPLE IRA (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees)

Use SIMPLE IRAs to open conversations about employee benefits, retention strategies, and future needs.

  • Tailored for businesses with 100 or fewer employees.
  • Employers must match up to 3% of compensation or contribute 2% for all eligible employees.
  • Employees can contribute up to $16,500 (2025), with catch-up options for those over 50.
  • Easy to administer and attractive for retention and recruitment.

 

 

State Mandated versus sep and simple iras

 

Why you should act now

With increasing regulatory pressure and business owners actively seeking help, this is your moment to:

Stand out as a strategic partner, not just a product provider.

Establish your niche with small business clientele who often go unserved by large institutions.

Build a pipeline of loyal, long-term clients by solving a pressing business challenge.

The bottom line

SEP and SIMPLE IRAs are not just retirement tools—they’re business-building tools.

Use them to position yourself as a valuable consultant, expand your book, and meet the needs of a growing market segment. Every small business is a potential door to deeper client relationships—and your next major referral.

 

 

SIMPLE IRA and SEP IRA Plan Implementation Checklist

also available in Chinese, Korean and Spanish

 

See our complete library of resources on the Agent Portal.

 

We’re Here to Help

Click here to contact your Retirement Services Relationship Manager.