Defined benefit plan decisions for business owners
A retirement plan decision starts with the business that will support it. These guides work through sustainable cash flow, staff coverage, and ongoing administration, then address the different questions faced by consultants, attorneys, physicians, and dental practice owners.
Choose your starting point
Start with the business-owner checklist to prepare your financials and employee census. Choose the practice-specific guide when your income or staffing needs a closer look. If you already have a plan, use the funding-estimate guide to prepare questions for your actuary.
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Defined Benefit Plan for Business Owners: What to Review Before You Commit
A practical precommitment checklist for business owners reviewing defined benefit plan cash flow, staff coverage, actuarial funding, and ongoing duties.
Read guideDefined Benefit Plan for a Solo Consultant: Fit and Tradeoffs
A solo consultant should test a defined benefit plan against uneven contracts, adjusted self-employed compensation, future hiring, and weak-year cash before requesting an actuarial proposal.
Read guideWhy Defined Benefit Plan Funding Estimates Can Change
A defined benefit plan proposal is not a standing contribution quote. See how compensation, staff, investment results, and actuarial assumptions can change annual funding.
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All defined benefit plans guides
- Defined Benefit Plan for Business Owners: What to Review Before You Commit
A practical precommitment checklist for business owners reviewing defined benefit plan cash flow, staff coverage, actuarial funding, and ongoing duties.
- Defined Benefit Plan for a Solo Consultant: Fit and Tradeoffs
A solo consultant should test a defined benefit plan against uneven contracts, adjusted self-employed compensation, future hiring, and weak-year cash before requesting an actuarial proposal.
- Why Defined Benefit Plan Funding Estimates Can Change
A defined benefit plan proposal is not a standing contribution quote. See how compensation, staff, investment results, and actuarial assumptions can change annual funding.
- Defined Benefit Plan for Dentists: A Practice Owner's Decision Guide
A dental practice owner’s guide to reviewing employee coverage, collections, equipment costs, partners, and administration before considering a defined benefit plan.
- Defined Benefit Plan for Physicians: An Owner's Decision Framework
A physician practice owner’s decision file for reviewing sponsoring entities, employee coverage, cash timing, actuarial funding, and ongoing plan duties.
- Can a Hospital Physician Use a Defined Benefit Plan for 1099 Locum Income?
A hospital-employed physician with separate 1099 locum work should separate employers and compensation before requesting a defined benefit plan illustration.
- Defined Benefit Plan for a Solo Attorney: Separate Client Funds From Firm Cash
A solo attorney should test a defined benefit plan against earned firm cash, compensation, and possible staff coverage without treating client trust funds as available.
- When Should a Dental Practice Owner Review a Defined Benefit Plan?
Use practice cash, planned hires, equipment needs, and annual plan changes to choose when to seek or revisit a defined benefit plan illustration.
- Retirement Accounts Tax Reduction Guide for 2026
Compare owner retirement plans by cash flexibility, employee costs, and ongoing funding obligations, with a hypothetical reserve-and-savings allocation.