A 401(k) practice from Radius Wealth Management
We design and run retirement plans for small businesses, end-to-end. Plan setup, compliance, investments, employee education — we take care of all of it. Transparent, fee-only pricing. Fiduciary advice. And straight-talk guidance on the SECURE 2.0 tax credits that may cover most of your plan's cost in the first three years.
Why business owners call us
Every business owner we sit down with brings the same handful of frustrations to the table. Here's how we think about each one.
You probably are. An independent industry study found that roughly 75% of small-business 401(k) plans pay hidden fees — revenue sharing, wrap charges, and asset-based admin fees buried in fund expenses.1 We'll benchmark what you're actually paying today and show you whether it's reasonable for your plan size.
A workplace retirement plan is now table stakes for hiring and retention — especially for the under-40 talent that's hardest to keep. A well-designed 401(k) signals that you're investing in their future, not just renting their time.
That advice is often years out of date. The SECURE Act 2.0 created tax credits that may cover up to $16,500 of plan costs in the first three years for businesses with 50 or fewer employees. For many of our clients, the credits more than offset what they pay to run the plan.
You should be — plan sponsors carry real fiduciary responsibility under ERISA. We serve as a co-fiduciary on the investment lineup, document the prudent process required by regulators, and coordinate with a third-party administrator on testing, filings, and notices. You stay informed; we handle the heavy lifting.
One short call. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help.
1 Employee Fiduciary, "401(k) Fee Study: 75% of Small Business Plans Pay Hidden Fees" (study of 104 small business plans with under $5M in assets). Used here for general benchmarking; not representative of any specific plan.
Two reasons to move this year
State retirement mandates
Eighteen states (and counting) have now enacted laws requiring employers to either offer a qualified retirement plan or enroll workers in a state-run auto-IRA. Massachusetts joined the list in the FY2026 budget with its Secure Choice Savings Program; once implementation begins, employers with 25 or more employees without a plan will be subject to the mandate.
A 401(k) gives you and your employees significantly higher contribution limits than a state auto-IRA, plus the design flexibility a state program can't match. If you're going to be required to offer something, it's worth offering something better.
Federal tax incentives
The SECURE Act 2.0 made small-business retirement plans dramatically more affordable. Eligible employers with 50 or fewer employees may qualify for tax credits covering up to 100% of plan startup costs for the first three years, plus additional credits for employer contributions and auto-enrollment features.
Combined, these credits may total up to $16,500+ over the first three years. For many businesses, that means the IRS effectively underwrites the plan during the period when cost matters most.
SECURE 2.0 tax credits
For eligible small employers, three federal tax credits stack on top of one another. Eligibility depends on headcount, plan design, and employee compensation. We'll help you confirm which apply to your situation.
| The credit | Up to | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Plan Startup Credit | $5,000 / year for 3 years | 100% of qualified plan setup and administration costs (employers with ≤50 employees; reduced for 51–100). |
| Employer Contribution Credit | $1,000 per employee, per year | A credit on the employer match or non-elective contributions for employees earning ≤$100,000. Phases down years 3–5. |
| Auto-Enrollment Credit | $500 / year for 3 years | Adding an eligible automatic enrollment feature to a new or existing plan. |
Tax credit eligibility, amounts, and phase-outs are determined by IRS rules and depend on your specific facts and circumstances. Figures shown reflect current federal law and may change. Radius does not provide tax or legal advice; consult your CPA or tax counsel.
Our service model
Most 401(k) "providers" sell you software and a phone number. We work the way a wealth advisor should: as a partner who handles the moving parts so you don't have to learn them. One team, one point of contact, the whole stack.
01
We design the plan around your business — Safe Harbor, traditional 401(k), Roth, profit-sharing, or owner-only Solo 401(k). We benchmark your options against your goals (retention, tax efficiency, owner contribution maximization) and coordinate setup end-to-end with the recordkeeper and TPA.
02
We work alongside a third-party administrator on annual nondiscrimination testing, Form 5500 filings, required participant notices, and plan amendments. We document the fiduciary process you're required to follow under ERISA, so the paper trail exists if it's ever needed.
03
Open-architecture, fee-only investment lineup. We select and monitor funds based on cost, performance, and suitability — without revenue-sharing arrangements that distort our recommendations. We meet with you to review the lineup at least annually and document the rationale.
04
A plan only works if employees use it. We run enrollment meetings, plain-language Q&A sessions, and one-on-one consultations. Higher participation means a healthier plan, easier compliance testing, and a benefit your team actually values.
Let us help you figure out the right plan structure for where you are today.
See the numbers
Most business owners can't answer that question — and that's by design. Plan fees are notoriously buried. Our analyzer estimates what you're paying today, what a transparent plan would cost, and what the SECURE 2.0 credits could mean for your bottom line.
Quick step before the numbers
Tell us who's running the analysis.
We share the calculator with you and notify our team so we can follow up with the answer that fits your specific plan. No spam — one call, no obligation.
A plan your size deserves a direct conversation
Let's talk directly.
For organizations above 10,000 employees, the analyzer's small-plan benchmarks aren't a useful guide. Schedule a call and we'll model your specific situation.
The numbers above are estimates based on industry averages. Your actual savings depend on your plan documents, your provider, and your business specifics. The fastest way to get a real answer is a 20-minute conversation — we'll review your current plan, identify what you're actually paying, and tell you honestly whether we can do better.
Who you're working with
Radius Wealth Management is a Boston-based Registered Investment Advisor founded by Nancy von Stackelberg, CFP®, who has spent 50+ years managing wealth — including more than 400 high-net-worth relationships during her time at Fidelity. We're a fee-only fiduciary, which means we're legally obligated to act in your interest, not the interest of a fund company or insurance carrier. We don't accept commissions. We don't get paid by the products we recommend.
For our 401(k) practice, that translates to plain-language advice, transparent pricing, and an open-architecture investment platform. When you call us, you talk to one of the three people on this page — not a call center.
Principal & Co-Founder
Nancy brings 50+ years of investment and financial services experience to Radius. Before founding the firm, she was a vice president and senior account executive at Fidelity, where she worked with more than 400 high-net-worth family relationships totaling more than $1.1 billion in assets. She has overseen plan structures, retirement and insurance needs, and investment management across her career — the foundation of how Radius approaches 401(k) plan sponsors today.
Independent Investment Advisor & Partner
Christian leads the day-to-day relationship with 401(k) plan sponsors. He brings nearly a decade of financial services experience and is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®). When he's not working with clients, he runs the firm's investment research, fund selection, trading, and portfolio management — meaning the same person designing the plan is the one monitoring the investments.
Account Manager
Cole runs client service and back-office operations for the firm's 401(k) clients — onboarding, recordkeeper coordination, participant questions, and the day-to-day mechanics that make the plan run smoothly. A former varsity athlete at Northeastern with a bachelor's in Business Administration & Communications and a master's in Project Management, Cole keeps everything moving and on schedule.
Next step
Whether you have an existing plan you suspect is overpriced, or you're looking at a state mandate and trying to figure out your options, the conversation is free and there's no obligation. We'll review your current plan documents, identify what you're paying, flag any compliance concerns, and tell you honestly whether we can do better for you.
No sales pitch. No obligation. If we're not a fit, we'll tell you.