When Choosing a Retirement Plan, Don’t Default to the ‘Obvious’ Choice

Dental practice retirement planning requires more strategy than defaulting to the obvious choice—most dentists leave significant tax savings on the table by selecting standard retirement plans without exploring alternatives that align with their exit timeline and wealth goals. Why Retirement Plan Selection Matters for Dental Entrepreneurs: Solo 401(k)s, SEP IRAs, and defined benefit plans offer different tax advantages depending on your income level and practice structure Your retirement vehicle directly impacts EBITDA, business valuation, and post-exit tax liability Timing matters—the wrong plan choice can cost six figures before you exit DSO partnerships and practice transitions change which plans make sense for your situation What Tim Covers in This Episode: Tim McNeely breaks down the retirement plan landscape for 8-figure dental practices, explaining which vehicles work best at different income thresholds and how your choice affects practice value during transition negotiations. You'll learn why the "obvious" option often isn't optimal and how to align your retirement strategy with your exit timeline. Key Takeaways: Compare tax efficiency across Solo 401(k), SEP IRA, and defined benefit plan structures Understand how retirement plan contributions reduce taxable income while building personal wealth Position your retirement strategy to maximize practice value at exit Learn more and connect with Tim at timmcneely.com Connect with Tim McNeely: Website: https://timmcneely.com Take the Advisory Gap Assessment: https://timmcneely.com/exit-assessment Book an Exploratory Call: https://timmcneely.com/contact Tim McNeely, CFP® CIMA® CEPA® CPFA®, is a wealth advisor and exit strategist serving dental entrepreneurs with $5M–$25M practices. He specializes in exit architecture — coordinating tax strategy, deal structuring, estate planning, and advisory team alignment around the largest financial event of a dentist's career. He operates LifeStone, a LifeStone for dental entrepreneurs.   The Dental Wealth Nation Show is produced by LifeStone. New episodes weekly. Connect with Tim McNeely: Website: https://timmcneely.com Take the Advisory Gap Assessment: https://timmcneely.com/exit-assessment Book an Exploratory Call: https://timmcneely.com/contact Tim McNeely, CFP® CIMA® CEPA® CPFA®, is a wealth advisor and exit strategist serving dental entrepreneurs with $5M–$25M practices. He specializes in exit architecture — coordinating tax strategy, deal structuring, estate planning, and advisory team alignment around the largest financial event of a dentist's career. He operates LifeStone, a Virtual Family Office for dental entrepreneurs.   The Dental Wealth Nation Show is produced by LifeStone. New episodes weekly.