Many small business owners do not offer a retirement plan due to a lack of knowledge of retirement products. Less than 50 percent of small business owners say they have heard of a SEP or SIMPLE IRA². And forty seven percent say they are only somewhat familiar with 401(k) plans³. "I hear a variety of questions from small business owners about retirement plans, ranging from how much a plan will cost to whether the plan has the flexibility to grow with their business," said Amber Fowler, a small business consultant who specializes in financial program management.

Through an alliance with the Principal Financial Group® - the nation's 401(k) leader - QuickBooks Retirement Solutions offers small business owners a wide selection of retirement product options, including 401(k), SIMPLE IRA and SEP IRA. In addition, through both dedicated licensed sales representatives and the QuickBooks Retirement Solutions web site, small business owners receive the information and decision support needed to select the product that best meets their needs.

Other reasons business owners cite for not offering a retirement product are the high levels of effort and expense required for administration. "In executing most administrative activities via the Web, QuickBooks Retirement Solutions eases the burden of managing a retirement product. And the highly-competitive fixed costs make offering a retirement product much more affordable to small business owners," said Elliot Cooperstone, vice president and general manager of Intuit's Employer Services Group. "Further, offering a retirement plan not only helps attract and retain talented employees, but it could provide real cost savings as some small business owners may be eligible for a tax credit under the new tax legislation⁴."

For more information, small business owners can visit www.401k.quickbooks.com.