The Solo 401(k) - Retirement Planning for the Self-Employed

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Running a consultancy, LLC, or S-Corp in the Pacific Northwest and getting close to retirement? This episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan? is built for you. Phillip Smith, Financial Planner with Tidepool Wealth Strategies, shows late-career small business owners how a Solo 401(k) can cut today’s taxes, accelerate savings in your final 5–7 working years, and stay flexible when income is lumpy.

We cover 2025 Solo 401(k) contribution limits, stacking employee deferrals with employer profit sharing, age-50 catch-ups and the enhanced 60–63 super catch-up, plus pretax vs Roth vs after-tax dollars (including when a “mega backdoor Roth” makes sense). You’ll also hear Solo 401(k) vs SEP IRA vs SIMPLE IRA trade-offs for Oregon/Washington owners, S-Corp wage considerations, key setup and funding deadlines, plan loans, rollovers, and practical SECURE 2.0 updates. If you’re searching “Solo 401k for consultants,” “SEP vs Solo 401k,” or “late-career retirement planning for business owners,” start here.

Chapters
00:00 Intro and why this matters when you're nearing retirement
00:29 Solo 401(k) overview for sole proprietors
01:13 Roadmap for the episode
02:07 Solo 401(k) basics and eligibility
02:39 2025 contribution limits, catch-ups, deadlines
04:19 Pretax vs Roth vs after-tax, mega backdoor Roth
06:28 Solo 401(k) vs SEP IRA vs SIMPLE IRA
11:42 Loans and rollover considerations
12:26 SECURE 2.0 updates to note
14:18 Action steps for this quarter
15:08 Closing and disclosure

Subscribe for more on retirement income, tax efficiency, and investment strategy. Explore additional content on our YouTube channel @TidepoolWealth and visit TidepoolWealth.com.

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Perfect Retirement Plan, and remember: it's not about having the smartest financial advisor, the most money saved, or the highest probability of retirement success. The perfect retirement plan, for you – is the one you act on.

Phillip Smith, CRPC AIF | Financial Planner
Tidepool Wealth Strategies
450 Country Club Road, Suite 350 | Eugene, OR | 97401

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Additional Disclosures:
The opinions contained in this material are those of the author, and not a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell investment products. This information is from sources believed to be reliable, but Cetera Wealth Services, LLC cannot guarantee or represent that it is accurate or complete.
All investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. There is no assurance that any investment strategy will be successful.