⚠️ 2026 Alert: The mandatory Roth catch-up rule is now in effect. Most brokerage Solo 401(k) plans are already out of compliance. Is yours?

Retirement Plan Architecture

Custom Tax Shields
for High-Income
Professionals.

Solo 401(k) + Cash Balance strategies that legally reduce your taxable income by $100,000 to $400,000+ per year. Designed for self-employed professionals who are serious about keeping what they earn.

$420k
Single-year deduction
20+
Years experience
48hr
Illustration turnaround
Book a Tax Savings Discovery Call Find Your Path ↓
Now Available on Amazon
The Solo 401(k) Playbook by Damon Harper
The Solo 401(k) Playbook
$9.99 Kindle  ·  $17.99 Paperback
Buy on Amazon Learn About Damon ↓
For Business Owners
You're Paying Too Much
in Taxes.
If your net income exceeds $200,000, there's a legal strategy that most CPAs never mention — and it could change your financial future.
Cash Balance + Solo 401(k) Annual Retainer Solo 401(k) + Profit Sharing Retainer One-Time Plan Design & Illustration — $1,500 Book a Free 30-Minute Strategy Call
For CPAs & Financial Advisors
Your Clients Have a
Tax Problem.
Partner with a retirement plan architect who delivers custom illustrations, handles the ERISA math, and makes you look exceptional to your highest-value clients.
Wholesale Plan Design & Illustrations CPA & Advisor Lunch-and-Learns National Advisor Training Programs Schedule a 20-Min Partner Call
The 2026 Problem

Three Things Happening Right Now
That Will Cost Business Owners Thousands.

Most self-employed professionals have no idea any of these apply to them — until it's too late.

01
The Roth Catch-Up Trap

If your 2025 wages exceeded $150,000, every catch-up contribution in 2026 must be Roth. Most brokerage Solo 401(k)s can't comply — they'll block your catch-up entirely. That's up to $11,250 in lost contributions per year.

02
The LTPT Employee Rule

Any employee working 500+ hours for three consecutive years became eligible for your plan on January 1, 2026. Your "solo" plan may no longer be solo — and you may not know it yet.

03
The Missing Strategy

High-earning self-employed professionals with $250,000+ in annual profit are often leaving $100,000–$300,000 in legal tax deductions on the table every year by not combining a Solo 401(k) with a Cash Balance Plan.

For Business Owners

Plan Design That Pays
For Itself Many Times Over.

Every engagement starts with a free consultation. After that, one path forward — designed specifically for your income, your situation, and your tax goals.

Most Popular
🏛️
Cash Balance + Solo 401(k)
Annual Strategy & Compliance
Solo: $3,500/year · Couple or Partners: $5,000/year

For high earners who are serious about keeping what they make. This isn't a set-it-and-forget-it product — it's a year-round relationship. I watch the rules change, I watch your income, and I make sure your plan stays optimized and bulletproof. At a 37% combined tax rate, this retainer pays for itself the moment it finds you $9,460 in additional deductions. Most clients see ten times that.

  • Plan design fee applied toward first year retainer
  • Year-round IRS compliance monitoring as rules evolve
  • Annual contribution strategy review as income changes
  • Priority direct access to Damon
  • Written CPA-ready summary included
Enroll Now → Book a Discovery Call
📊
Solo 401(k) + Profit Sharing
Annual Compliance Retainer
$1,500/year

For business owners who aren't yet at the age or income level where Cash Balance makes sense — but serious about maximizing what's available right now. I design your plan, coordinate the moving parts, and keep it compliant as the rules evolve — so when the time comes, you're already in position.

  • Plan design fee applied toward first year retainer
  • Safe harbor structuring & employee eligibility review
  • S-corp compensation optimization
  • Annual compliance check-in
  • Clear path and timeline to Cash Balance eligibility
Enroll Now → Book a Discovery Call
📋
Solo 401(k) Plan Design
& Illustration
$1,500 flat fee · Applied toward retainer if you upgrade

I design it — you take it to Schwab, Fidelity, or Vanguard and execute. You get a complete contribution illustration, tax savings projection, and a full plan specification document ready for your TPA. Everything your CPA and plan administrator need to run with it. No ongoing relationship required. Does not include Cash Balance.

  • Custom contribution & profit sharing illustration
  • Complete plan specification document (TPA-ready)
  • Roth vs pre-tax strategy recommendation
  • S-corp compensation optimization
  • Written CPA-ready tax savings summary
  • 48-hour turnaround
  • $1,500 applied toward any retainer if you upgrade
Get Started → Book a Discovery Call
📚
The Solo 401(k) Playbook
2026 Edition
$9.99 Kindle · $17.99 Paperback

The definitive guide to 2026 Solo 401(k) compliance, contribution limits, and tax strategy. Written specifically for self-employed professionals and their CPAs. Read it before your next tax meeting.

  • 2026 rule changes explained in plain English
  • Roth catch-up compliance guide
  • Cash Balance strategy overview
  • Real case studies and contribution results
Get it on Amazon →
Free Illustration Tool

Run Your Own Numbers.
See What's Possible.

Estimate your maximum contribution, tax savings, and the difference between a 401(k)-only plan and a full combo strategy. Three scenarios. 2025 and 2026 IRS limits. No email required.

2026 IRS Limits
401(k) + Profit Sharing
Combo Plan (+ Cash Balance)
Side-by-Side Comparison
Solo owner
Husband & wife
50/50 partners
Max 25% W-2 or ~20% net SE
OwnerPrimary
Solo owner
Husband & wife
50/50 partners
Mandatory commitment: Cash balance plans require annual contributions regardless of business performance. Only proceed with 3–5 years of stable, committed income.
Typically 5–6% alongside CB
OwnerPrimary
Solo owner
Husband & wife
50/50 partners
Typically 20–25% in 401k-only
Typically 5–6% alongside CB
OwnerPrimary
Solo401kArchitect.com  ·  Damon Harper  ·  Estimates for discussion purposes only  ·  © 2026

These are directional estimates. Final plan design requires an enrolled actuary and a strategy call with Damon.

Book Your Free Strategy Call →
Free Assessment

Are You a Cash Balance Candidate?

Six questions. Thirty seconds. Know exactly where you stand.

Question 1 of 6 0%
Real Results

The Numbers Speak
For Themselves.

$420,000
Taxable income reduced

Husband and wife earning over $500,000 — Combined Solo 401(k) and Cash Balance strategy designed in a single engagement.

$113,864
First-year tax savings

Age 55 business owner, $263,659 in earnings. Total plan contribution of $315,659. Tax savings at a 40% combined rate.

$83,250
2026 Solo 401(k) max

Maximum combined contribution for owners age 60–63 in 2026. Most business owners don't know this number — or how to reach it.

What CPAs & Clients Say

Trusted by CPAs,
Relied on by Business Owners.

I have referred several business owner clients to Damon for Solo 401(k) and Cash Balance plan design, and he consistently delivers. His illustrations are precise, strategic, and grounded in real tax outcomes.

Steve M.
CPA

A husband and wife earning over $500,000 came to me with a significant tax burden. Damon designed a strategy that reduced their taxable income by more than $420,000. My clients were stunned.

Donna R.
CPA

I knew I was overpaying in taxes but did not realize how powerful a properly designed Solo 401(k) could be. Damon walked me through every step and dramatically changed my financial outlook.

Michael T.
Business Owner
For CPAs & Financial Advisors

Your Clients Have a
Tax Problem.
We Have the Solution.

Partner with a retirement plan architect who makes you look exceptional to your highest-value clients — and handles all the ERISA complexity so you don't have to.

48-Hour Illustration Turnaround

Custom cash balance and profit sharing illustrations ready for your client meeting — fast enough to act before year end.

Lunch & Learn Presentations

CE-eligible sessions for your team on Solo 401(k) strategy, 2026 rule changes, and Cash Balance design fundamentals.

National Advisor Training Programs

Half-day and full-day training sessions for regional advisor teams at wirehouses, independent broker-dealers, and RIA firms. Help your advisors find $100k+ in AUM within their existing book.

Referral Partnership

A clean, professional referral relationship. You bring the client relationship — Damon brings the technical depth and ERISA expertise.

CPA Partner Testimonial

"His annual service and ongoing support make him a trusted resource for both CPAs and our shared clients. He has an exceptional ability to explain complex retirement strategies in a way business owners truly understand."

Steve M.
CPA
Ready to Partner?

Schedule a 20-minute intro call. No commitment — just a conversation about how we can serve your clients better together.

Schedule 20-Min Partner Call
About Damon

20 Years. One
Focus. Your Tax Bill.

Damon Harper has spent more than 20 years helping business owners keep more of what they earn. As a retirement plan architect specializing in Solo 401(k), Cash Balance, and Profit Sharing design, he has guided hundreds of self-employed professionals through strategies that most CPAs and financial advisors never think to offer.

Damon lives in Denver, Colorado, where he is equally at home navigating the mountains on a weekend and navigating the IRS code on a Monday. He founded Solo401kArchitect.com to put the tools of sophisticated retirement planning directly in the hands of the people who need them most — the self-employed.

20+ years in retirement plan design, sales, and ERISA compliance
Specialist in Solo 401(k), Cash Balance & Defined Benefit design
Author — The Solo 401(k) Playbook (2026 Edition)
National speaker and advisor trainer
Based in Denver, Colorado — serving clients nationally
Damon Harper
Retirement Plan Architect

"The best retirement plan is the one that's correctly designed, properly documented, and actually used. Most business owners have the first — but not all three."

Denver, Colorado
Serving clients nationally
[email protected]
Author · Speaker · Consultant
Now Available
The Solo 401(k) Playbook
The Self-Employed Owner's Complete Guide to 2026 Tax Savings, Contribution Limits & Compliance
Get the Book on Amazon →
Book a Call
Let's Find Out How Much
You're Leaving on the Table.
Choose your path below — free consultations for both business owners and CPA/advisor partners.
For Business Owners
Free 30-Minute Tax Strategy Review
A direct conversation about your current plan, your income, and whether a better strategy exists for your situation. No obligation, no sales pressure.
Schedule Your Free Call →
For CPAs & Financial Advisors
20-Minute CPA & Advisor Partnership Call
A quick conversation about how we can serve your high-income business owner clients together. Referral partnerships welcome.
Schedule Partner Call →

Typically responds within one business day · Denver, CO (MT) · Serving clients nationally

Get the Solo 401(k)
Annual Compliance Checklist — Free

The annual compliance checklist every self-employed business owner needs — IRS deadlines, contribution limits, filing requirements, and rule changes that affect your plan. Plus ongoing updates as regulations evolve.