Start saving right away — enjoy $0 base fee for 12 months
Meet Maryland’s retirement mandate with a simple, powerful Guideline 401(k), and get 12 months with a $0 base fee.1
See our Privacy Policy to learn how we use and protect your information.
Meet Maryland’s retirement mandate with a simple, powerful Guideline 401(k), and get 12 months with a $0 base fee.1
See our Privacy Policy to learn how we use and protect your information.
Gusto customers trust us
customer satisfaction score2
Fintech 503
MarylandSaves was established in 2016. It requires Maryland employers with 1+ employees that have been in business for 2+ years to offer the state-sponsored plan or a qualified alternative like a Guideline 401(k) by December 31st of the year in which you become eligible.4 Compare your options
December 31st
Meet the mandate and more with a Guideline 401(k)
Get started in 20 minutes. We’ll help you choose a plan that meets the mandate and your business’s goals.
Our custom integration built with Gusto means no need to maintain deductions or manually re-enter payroll data.
You and your team get access to live support, guided employee onboarding, a mobile app, and more.
Retirement plan type
Starter 401(k)
Roth IRA
Maximum employee contributions for 20245
$6,000
$7,000
Employee asset-based fee
0.15%6
0.18%7
Additional active employee fees
None8
$22.50 account fee in the first year, $30/year after.7
Monthly employer fee
$39 / month + $4 per participant
(get $0 base fee for 12 months)
None
Investment options9
40
15
(Including Target Date Funds)
Professionally managed portfolios9
6
0
Employer match
No
No
Profit Sharing
No
No
Stay compliant. Set up a Guideline 401(k) in just 20 minutes.
Starter 401(k) plans do have limitations like lower contribution limits and no employer contributions. If you’d like to set up a plan with more options and flexibility, you may want to consider Core or Enterprise.10
With Guideline, it feels like we've put 401(k) administration on auto-pilot. Guideline 401(k) enables us to give our employees a big benefit without our small business hiring in-house expertise.Client of Guideline. Views may not be representative of other clients.
Get a retirement plan you and your team will love
The MarylandSaves Program was created to encourage more people to save for retirement. It requires Maryland employers with 1 or more employees to provide access to a retirement plan. The plan can either be a private plan like a 401(k) or the state-sponsored plan.
For companies that have been in business for at least 2 years and have at least 1 employee, the deadline to register for MarylandSaves or certify exemption with a 401(k) plan is December 31st of the year in which you become eligible.
You are eligible to participate in the MarylandSaves Program if:
Yes. All of Guideline's 401(k) plans are designed to satisfy state program requirements and are priced to be affordable for businesses of all sizes.
While it is possible for a plan to convert from a Starter 401(k) to a standard 401(k) plan at Guideline, the transition cannot take place until the beginning of the next calendar year. Learn more here.