Freelancers & 1099 contractors
Design, engineering, writing, trades, healthcare — anyone paid on a 1099 rather than a W-2.
Coming soon — waitlist open
Retirement for people who work for themselves.
A Solo 401(k) from Fates Financial, built for freelancers, contractors, and owner-only businesses — and designed from day one for a future where your retirement account can hold more than public funds.
- Waitlist is free
- No obligation
- One email, when it opens
Who it's for
If your paycheck comes from you
A Solo 401(k) is generally available to self-employed people with no full-time employees other than a spouse. If that's you, this is likely the biggest retirement account you can open.
Owner-only LLCs & S-corps
You're the business. A spouse on the payroll is generally fine; other full-time employees are not.
Consultants and agencies of one
Project income that varies month to month, and a retirement plan that should flex with it.
Side businesses with self-employment income
A day job doesn't disqualify you. Income you earn on your own can still fund a Solo 401(k).
Why the ceiling is higher
One person. Two sets of contributions.
In a Solo 401(k) you wear both hats: you're the employee and you're the employer. You can contribute in both capacities, which is why the annual ceiling sits well above what an IRA allows.
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01
Contribute as the employee Elective deferrals from your self-employment income, pre-tax or Roth — your call, per dollar.
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02
Contribute again as the employer A separate profit-sharing contribution from the business, on top of what you deferred as the employee.
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03
Bring your spouse If your spouse earns income from the same business, they can generally participate in the same plan.
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04
Consolidate what's scattered Old 401(k)s and IRAs from previous work can generally be rolled in, so it's one account instead of five.
What's next
And then, the part nobody offers you.
Once the account is live, our roadmap is to let it hold assets that have historically sat behind an institutional door — inside the retirement wrapper you already own.
Real estate
Property exposure held inside the plan rather than alongside it.
Private credit
Lending strategies that have long been a staple of institutional portfolios.
Private equity & venture
Exposure to companies during the years they stay private.
Other alternatives
Additional asset classes as custodial and compliance support allows.
Alternative and private-market investments are not currently available on the Fates Financial platform and nothing here is an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security. These investments are illiquid, involve a high degree of risk including possible loss of principal, may be difficult to value, and are not suitable for every investor. Availability will depend on eligibility, custodian support, and applicable law.
How it'll work
Three steps, none of them a fax machine.
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01
Open the account
Answer a short set of questions about your business and we handle the plan paperwork behind the scenes.
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02
Fund it, or roll something in
Contribute as employee and employer, set a recurring schedule, or consolidate an old 401(k) or IRA.
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03
Allocate — and keep allocating
Start with public-market portfolios at launch. As alternatives become available, they show up in the same account.
Common questions
Before you join the list
What we can tell you today about the Solo 401(k).
Can I open one today?
Not yet. The Solo 401(k) is in build and isn't open for accounts. Joining the waitlist puts you on the list to hear from us when it launches — it isn't an application and doesn't commit you to anything. Our 529 is live today if you're saving for education.
What is a Solo 401(k)?
It's a 401(k) plan for a business with no full-time employees other than the owner and, in most cases, a spouse. Because you're both the employee and the employer, you can contribute in both roles — which is why the annual ceiling is materially higher than an IRA's.
Am I eligible?
Generally, if you have self-employment income and no full-time employees besides yourself and a spouse. Sole proprietors, single-member LLCs, partnerships, and owner-only S-corps commonly qualify. A W-2 day job alongside your own business usually doesn't disqualify you. We'll confirm eligibility during signup, and your tax advisor is the right person to confirm your specific situation.
Pre-tax or Roth?
Both. Employee contributions can generally be made pre-tax or as Roth, and you can split between them. Which is better depends on your current versus expected future tax rate — a question for your tax advisor, not a marketing page.
Can I roll over an old 401(k) or IRA?
That's the plan. Rollovers from previous employer plans and most IRAs are a standard Solo 401(k) feature, and consolidating scattered accounts is one of the main reasons people open one.
When will alternative investments be available?
After the account itself launches. We aren't putting a date on it, because availability depends on custodial support, compliance, and applicable law rather than only on our own timeline. We'd rather ship the account well first and add alternatives when they genuinely work than announce a quarter we can't stand behind.
What does the waitlist actually do?
It emails us that you're interested. We'll reach out when the Solo 401(k) opens, and we won't add you to a general marketing list.
Get in line before
the door opens.
Tell us you're interested and we'll email you once — when the Solo 401(k) is ready to open. No drip campaign, no obligation.
- Waitlist is free
- No obligation
- One email, when it opens