Simplify Compliance.
A company-sponsored match demonstrates an investment in employees’ long-term financial success while creating a strong incentive for retirement plan participation.
Key Benefits
- Rewards employees who actively save for retirement
- Helps encourage higher participation rates
- Designed to help satisfy annual nondiscrimination testing requirements
- Immediate vesting on Safe Harbor contributions
- Simple and easy-to-understand plan design
- Supports employee recruitment and retention
Plan Features
| Eligibility | Age 21 requirement One year of service and 1,000 hours worked Quarterly entry dates |
|---|---|
| Employee Contributions | Pre-tax contributions Roth contributions Catch-up contributions |
| Employer Contributions | Safe Harbor Match contribution Additional discretionary matching contribution available Discretionary profit-sharing contribution available |
| Automatic Enrollment | 10% automatic enrollment Eligible participants automatically enrolled unless they elect otherwise |
| Participant Features | Participant loans permitted Hardship withdrawals available In-service withdrawals available at age 59½ |
| Vesting | Safe Harbor Match contributions are immediately 100% vested |
Key Plan Provisions, Safe Harbor Match Option
| Eligibility | Service requirement: One year of service, 1,000 hours worked in a 12-month computation period Age requirement: 21 Entry dates: Quarterly |
|---|---|
| Compensation | W-2 compensation Exclude fringe benefits Include post-severance compensation |
| Excluded Classes | Union employees Leased employees Non-resident aliens |
| Employee Deferrals | Pre-tax contributions Roth contributions Catch-up contributions allowed |
| Safe Harbor Contribution | 100% of deferrals up to the first 3% of compensation, then 50% of deferrals for the next 2% of compensation, whether or not they elect to participate Immediately 100% vested |
| Automatic Enrollment | Initial percentage: 10% Permissible withdrawals are allowed in the first 90 days after the first automatic deferral |
| Discretionary Matching Contribution | Determination period: Plan year, true-up required if deposited more frequently Compensation prior to participation is excluded Allocation requirements: None |
| Discretionary Profit-Sharing Contribution | Method: New Comp, cross-tested Compensation prior to participation is excluded Allocation requirements: Employed on the last day of the applicable plan year and work 1,000 or more hours in the applicable plan year |
| Vesting | Safe Harbor Match: Immediate Discretionary employer match: Six-year graded Discretionary employer profit sharing: Six-year graded Exclusions: Service prior to age 18 |
| In-Service Withdrawals | Available from rollover source at any time Hardship withdrawals Age 59½ in-service withdrawals from all sources with no limitations Loans permitted |
Due to the inclusion of both Roth and catch-up provisions, special instructions may be included in DocuSign reflecting TRA’s recommendation to use a deemed election for highly paid individuals.
Why Businesses Select This Plan
Simplify Compliance
The Safe Harbor Match design is intended to help employers satisfy annual nondiscrimination testing requirements while reducing plan management complexity.
Consistent Employer Contributions
Contributions are made uniformly to eligible employees, creating a predictable budgeting approach from year to year.
Support All Eligible Employees
Employees receive the employer contribution whether they decide to contribute to the plan or not.
Straightforward Administration
With a fixed contribution formula, employers can spend less time evaluating participation rates and contribution calculations.
How the Contribution Works
With the Alignment(k) Safe Harbor Match design, the employer contributes:
3% of Compensation
For all eligible employees, whether or not they elect to participate in the plan. This approach creates consistency across the workforce and eliminates the need to rely on employee deferral rates when determining employer contribution obligations.
Compare Alignment(k) Start Plan Designs
| Feature | Safe Harbor Match | Safe Harbor Non-Elective |
Traditional 401(k) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employer Contribution | 100% of deferrals up to the first 3% of compensation, then 50% of deferrals for the next 2% of compensation | Fixed 3% contribution to all eligible employees | Employer discretion |
| Employee Participation Required for Employer Contribution | Yes | No | No |
| Designed to Help Satisfy Nondiscrimination Testing | Yes | Yes | Subject to annual testing |
| Safe Harbor Contribution Vesting | Immediate | Immediate | Based on employer schedule |
| Best For | Employers rewarding employee savers | Employers seeking predictable contributions | Employers seeking maximum flexibility |
Help clients choose the right 401(k) solution with a simple, guided process backed by TRA’s retirement plan expertise.
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What is a Safe Harbor Match plan?
A Safe Harbor Match plan provides a fixed employer contribution to all eligible employees, regardless of whether they contribute to the plan themselves.
Do employees have to contribute to receive the employer contribution?
No. Eligible employees receive the Safe Harbor Match contribution even if they do not make salary deferral contributions.
How does this plan help with compliance testing?
Safe Harbor Match plans are designed to help employers satisfy annual nondiscrimination testing requirements when plan provisions are maintained according to applicable rules.
Can I add a matching contribution or profit-sharing contribution?
Yes. Employers may generally add discretionary matching and profit-sharing contributions in addition to the Safe Harbor Match contribution.
Are contributions immediately vested?
Yes. Safe Harbor Match contributions are immediately 100% vested.
Is this plan a good fit for small businesses?
Many employers choose this design because it provides predictable contribution costs and a simple, consistent retirement benefit strategy.
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