Illinois Secure Choice vs. Guideline 401(k)

Meet Illinois’s retirement mandate with an all-in-one 401(k) and live support.1

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60k+
businesses2
1M+
savers3
93%
customer satisfaction score4
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Fintech 505

The mandate in a nutshell

The Illinois Secure Choice program was established in 2018. It requires Illinois employers with 5+ employees that have been in business for 2+ years to offer the state-sponsored plan or a qualified alternative like a Guideline 401(k).6 Compare your options
  • 5+ employees

    Initial deadlines have passed, sign up immediately to avoid penalties

Meet the mandate and more with a Guideline 401(k)
  • Magnifying glass with check mark inside, simple icon.

    20-minute setup

    Guideline will help you set up a 401(k) and enroll your employees for you. With Illinois Secure Choice, you may have to do extra work on behalf of your employees during setup.
  • Lightening bolt simple icon.

    Seamless administration

    We’ll automatically deduct 401(k) contributions each pay run. With Illinois Secure Choice, you may need to manually send payroll contributions, maintain employee records, and more.
  • Two hands shaking simple icon.

    Fast, live support

    We have your back — you and your team get access to fast, live support via phone and email. Our annual plan sponsor customer satisfaction score is 93%.4
Get back up to $16,500 in tax credits on your new 401(k).7
See if you’re eligible

Compare Illinois Secure Choice with Guideline Starter

Guideline logo
Illinois Secure Choice
  • Retirement plan type
    Starter 401(k)
    Roth IRA
  • Maximum employee contributions for 20258
    $6,000
    $7,000
  • Employee asset-based fee
    0.15%9
    0.30%10
  • Additional active employee fees
    None11
    $16/year account fee
    (charged quarterly at $4 each quarter)10
  • Monthly employer fee

    $39 / month + $4 per participant

    None
  • Investment options12
    40
    15
    (Including Indexed Funds)
  • Professionally managed portfolios12
    6
    0
  • Exempt from IRS testing
    Yes
    Yes
  • Employer match
    No
    No

Custom integrations. Quick resolutions.

All of our payroll integrations are direct and custom built — we don’t use 3rd party software to sync data. Data syncs every 24 hours with 99% accuracy.13 See all payroll integrations
  • and more
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Investments are our responsibility12

Just like with the state offering, you won’t be responsible for investment option choices. We’ll serve as the ERISA 3(38) fiduciary which means we’re responsible for selecting and managing all investment options — our goal is to reduce your liability and provide you with peace of mind.12 Learn more

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Estimate your plan costs

Your company could be eligible to receive up to $16,500 in tax credits over the plan’s first three years to help offset initial plan costs.7
Thomas P.WHIPSAW Media
Our experience with Guideline has been exceptional. Proactive communications, easy-to-use interface, and support that’s both fast and detailed.Client of Guideline. Views may not be representative of other clients.
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Illinois retirement mandate FAQs