Keep More of What You Earn: The $83,250 Altruist Solo 401k Strategy Regardless of Your Income

If you’re self-employed and working with a financial advisor who custodies at Altruist, you may be leaving tens of thousands of dollars on the table every year. Let’s break down exactly how solopreneurs can contribute up to $83,250 in 2026 to an Altruist Solo 401k — using advanced plan documents that unlock the powerful Mega Backdoor Roth strategy.

Watch: How to contribute up to $83,250 to your Altruist Solo 401k in 2026 using the Mega Backdoor Roth strategy

Who Is Eligible for a Solo 401k?

Before diving into the $83,250 strategy, you need to confirm you qualify. A Solo 401k — also called an Individual 401k or Self-Employed 401k — is available to self-employed individuals and owner-only businesses. There are two core eligibility requirements:

1. Earned self-employment income — This is income reported on Schedule C (sole proprietorship or single-member LLC), a W-2 from your own S-corp or C-corp, or Line 14 of a K-1 from a partnership.

2. No non-owner, non-spouse full-time W-2 employees — The business must be owner-only. A full-time W-2 employee is someone age 21 or older who works either 1,000 hours per year with a year of service or 500 hours per year for two consecutive years. A spouse who earns self-employment income from the business may also participate.

Question	Answer
Do I need a formal legal entity (LLC, Corp)?	No. You can operate as a sole proprietor without any formal entity.
Is there a minimum income requirement?	No. Even micro self-employed businesses qualify as long as earned self-employment income is reported.
Can I have a day job W-2 and still open a Solo 401k?	Yes. Side hustlers with separate self-employment income qualify, even while contributing to a day-job 401k plan.
Can my spouse participate?	Yes, if your spouse also earns self-employment income from the business.
Can I have another owner in the business?	Yes, as long as the other owner holds at least a 3% or more ownership interest, the plan is still considered a Solo 401k.

Why Pair Altruist Accounts with My Solo 401k Financial Plan Documents?

Altruist is a modern platform built specifically for financial advisors, offering streamlined account management, low fees, and a trusted infrastructure for advisor-managed portfolios. Many registered investment advisors (RIAs) custody their client accounts at Altruist.

However, Altruist does not offer a Solo 401k plan that supports advanced features like the Mega Backdoor Roth and $1500 in Solo 401k tax credits nor does it provide 5500-EZ filing support.

The good news: Altruist will open Solo 401k accounts for clients who bring their own plan documents. That’s where My Solo 401k Financial comes in. Customers obtain IRS-approved Solo 401k plan documents from My Solo 401k Financial — drafted specifically for their self-employed business — and then hold their investment accounts at Altruist through their advisor.

💡 Example: How It Works

David is a freelance software consultant working with a financial advisor who custodies at Altruist. David obtains an advanced Solo 401k plan from My Solo 401k Financial, which supports the Mega Backdoor Roth and participant loans. His advisor then opens David’s Solo 401k accounts (traditional, Roth, and after-tax) at Altruist, using the Altruist platform for investment management. My Solo 401k Financial assists with plan document preparation and ongoing Solo 401k compliance — David and his advisor get the best of both worlds.

What My Solo 401k Financial Plan Documents Unlock at Altruist

With plan documents from My Solo 401k Financial, your Solo 401k accounts at Altruist gain access to powerful features that would otherwise be unavailable:

Feature	Without My Solo 401k Financial Plan	With My Solo 401k Financial Plan at Altruist
Mega Backdoor Roth (After-Tax Contributions)	❌ Not Available	✅ Supported
Solo 401k Participant Loans	❌ Not Available	✅ Supported
$1,500 Solo 401k Tax Credit (SECURE 2.0)	❌ Not Available	✅ Supported
Alternative Investments (Real Estate, Crypto, Private Placements)	❌ Not Available	✅ Supported
Accounts Held at Altruist	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Multiple Account Types (Bank + Brokerage)	❌ Not Available	✅ Supported

ℹ️ Portability Note: The Solo 401k plan from My Solo 401k Financial is totally portable. If you’re working with an advisor who custodies at Altruist, you can have your accounts at Altruist while the plan documents are provided by My Solo 401k Financial. This also means you can have both bank and brokerage accounts — for example, bank accounts to facilitate alternative investments and brokerage accounts for traditional investments — all under the same plan.

Understanding the Mega Backdoor Roth Solo 401k Strategy

The Mega Backdoor Roth is one of the most popular features among My Solo 401k Financial clients — and it’s the key to reaching $83,250 in total contributions. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Make a Voluntary After-Tax Contribution

The Mega Backdoor Roth strategy involves first making a voluntary after-tax contribution. This contribution type has a much higher limit than the standard Roth elective deferral — you can contribute 100% of your self-employment compensation, dollar-for-dollar, up to $72,000 (the overall plan limit), minus whatever you’ve already contributed as employee (other than catch-up contributions) and employer contributions.

Step 2: Convert to a Roth Account

Once the voluntary after-tax contribution is made, you then transfer the funds from the voluntary after-tax account to either a Roth Solo 401k inside the plan (in-plan Roth conversion) or out of the plan to a Roth IRA. This is the “backdoor” part — the funds are now in a Roth account with the potential for tax-free growth.

💡 Why Roth? Once the funds are in a Roth account, they grow tax-deferred. When you take qualified distributions in retirement, the earnings come out tax-free. This is why the Mega Backdoor Roth is such a powerful wealth-building strategy — you’re getting significantly more money into a tax-free growth environment each year.

⚠️ Important: Both steps are required. Your Solo 401k plan documents must allow for (1) voluntary after-tax contributions AND (2) the in-plan conversion to a Roth Solo 401k or the transfer to a Roth IRA. The plan offered by My Solo 401k Financial supports both steps.

Step-by-Step: How to Reach $83,250 in 2026

Let’s walk through a real-world example to show how a solopreneur can contribute over 83% of their self-employment income to their Solo 401k in 2026.

📊 Example: The $83,250 Strategy for a 60–63 Year Old Solopreneur

Assumptions:
• Age: 60–63 (qualifies for SECURE 2.0 super catch-up)
• Self-employment compensation: $100,000 (Schedule C net income, less ½ SE tax)
• No day-job 401k contributions
• Solo 401k plan allows voluntary after-tax contributions (My Solo 401k Financial plan)

Step	Contribution Type	Amount	Running Total
1	Employee Elective Deferral (100% of comp up to limit)	$24,500	$24,500
2	Super Catch-Up Contribution (Age 60–63, SECURE 2.0)	$11,250	$35,750
3	Employer Profit-Sharing (20% of $100,000 SE comp)	$20,000	$55,750
4	Voluntary After-Tax Contribution (Mega Backdoor Roth)	$27,500	$83,250
Total Solo 401k Contributions in 2026			$83,250

Ready to Unlock the $83,250 Solo 401k Strategy?

Whether you’re just getting started or ready to maximize your Mega Backdoor Roth contributions, My Solo 401k Financial can help you set up the right Solo 401k structure — with accounts at Altruist or the brokerage of your choice.

Next Steps:
✅ Open Your Solo 401k Account Today

⚠️ Disclaimer: All information provided in this blog post and associated webinar is for educational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or investment advice. Contribution limits and tax rules are subject to change. Always consult a qualified tax professional, attorney, and financial advisor before making retirement planning decisions.