Retirement Plan Services for Merrillville Business Owners

Start With the Questions Behind the Plan

Is this your first employee retirement benefit, or has your business outgrown the arrangement you already have? A plan that once fit a small team may deserve another look after hiring, changes in ownership or a shift in the owner’s retirement timeline.

• What are you trying to accomplish for yourself and your employees?
• How predictable is the cash available for employer contributions?
• Who would be eligible, and what would participation mean for the business?
• What administration, provider costs and ongoing responsibilities come with each choice?
• How does saving through the business fit alongside your other retirement resources?

Employer Retirement Plans We Can Discuss

“Qualified retirement plan,” sometimes shortened to QRP, has a specific meaning under tax law. Our discussion can include qualified plans as well as 403(b) arrangements and IRA-based SEP and SIMPLE plans. Eligibility and requirements differ; these options are not interchangeable.

401(k) Plans

A 401(k) allows employees to save through payroll deferrals, with employer contributions depending on the plan’s design. We can discuss the business’s goals, contribution approach, investment considerations and provider arrangements before deciding what deserves a closer review.

403(b) Plans for Eligible Employers

A 403(b) is available to eligible employers such as public schools and certain tax-exempt organizations, rather than businesses generally. For an eligible Merrillville organization, we can discuss establishing or reviewing an arrangement in light of its workforce and priorities.

Profit-Sharing Plans

Profit-sharing plans provide for employer contributions allocated under the plan’s rules. We can explore how a contribution strategy relates to the owner’s goals and employee benefits, with the plan administrator evaluating design requirements and the tax professional reviewing tax consequences.

Cash Balance Plans

A cash balance plan is a type of defined benefit plan, not an individual investment account. Its funding and administration deserve careful evaluation. We can discuss whether an actuarial assessment is appropriate before considering this approach for your business.

Traditional Defined Benefit Plans

These plans provide a benefit determined by a plan formula and involve actuarial calculations and funding obligations. We can discuss the questions an owner should take to an actuary and plan administrator, including the commitment involved as business circumstances change.

SEP IRAs

A SEP uses employer contributions to individual retirement accounts for eligible participants. We can review how contributions for the owner and eligible employees fit the business’s resources, coordinating questions about eligibility and contribution rules with the appropriate professionals.

SIMPLE IRAs

SIMPLE IRA plans combine employee salary-reduction contributions with required employer contributions and have employer eligibility requirements. We can discuss whether this arrangement deserves consideration and what the owner needs to understand about ongoing contributions and administration.

Connect Employee Benefits With Your Own Retirement Plan

Your business and personal finances influence each other. Committing money to a retirement benefit can affect available cash, while relying on a future business sale raises different questions about your retirement resources. I want to understand both sides before we discuss a direction.

For example, an owner considering a new benefit may also be approaching retirement personally. A useful conversation looks at employee participation, business cash needs and the owner’s income goals together. This is an illustration of a planning question, not a recommended plan design.

Explore services for businesses and business owners, business retirement plan services and business succession planning.

Establish a New Plan or Review What You Have

If You Are Starting a Plan

We clarify your priorities and the options worth evaluating. Before proceeding, we discuss the proposed services, fees, provider roles and next steps. Plan design, eligibility, documentation and implementation requirements need appropriate professional review.

If You Already Offer a Plan

Bring the questions that prompted you to consider a review. We can discuss whether your goals, contribution approach, investments and costs still fit. A review does not automatically mean replacing the plan or changing providers.

We identify matters to coordinate with your tax professional, third-party administrator, recordkeeper or actuary, as applicable. Responsibilities depend on the engagement; do not assume financial guidance replaces plan administration, actuarial work, legal advice or the employer’s responsibilities.

Working With James From Merrillville

You work directly with me to connect decisions to your overall financial picture, identify priorities and discuss follow-through. My financial-services career began in 2011, and I founded Mehok Wealth Management in 2026 with an emphasis on personal relationships with individuals, families and business owners.

Phone and video meetings are available. In-person meetings are by appointment only in Crown Point, Indiana; we confirm the location when scheduling. This page serves Merrillville employers and does not represent a Merrillville office.

Prepare for a Free Discovery Meeting

Our first conversation lasts approximately 30–60 minutes and is free. We get to know your business, your goals and what matters most. No recommendations are made at this first meeting. I respond to conversation requests within one business day.

Start with a general picture of your business, approximate workforce size, whether you already offer a plan and the question you most want answered. Please do not submit employee census information, payroll files, account numbers or other sensitive information through the general website form. If documents are needed later, we will discuss an appropriate sharing method.

Request Your Free Discovery Meeting

Or call (219) 400-0485. Get to know James Mehok.

Important Information

This material is educational and is not individualized investment, tax, legal or plan-design advice. Plan eligibility, contribution limits, testing, funding, administration and filing requirements vary and may change. Consult qualified tax, legal, actuarial and plan-administration professionals as appropriate. No plan or strategy guarantees tax savings or investment results. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Services, fees and responsibilities are subject to the agreed engagement and applicable registration requirements.

Sources: IRS retirement plan options; IRS 403(b) plans; Department of Labor small-business retirement plan guide; Department of Labor plan types. Reviewed October 2026.

Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Private Advisor Group, a registered investment advisor. Private Advisor Group and Mehok Wealth Management are separate entities from LPL Financial.