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How do I opt out or stop contributing to my 401(k) account?
How do I opt out or stop contributing to my 401(k) account?

If you don't want to invest in your 401(k), here's how to opt out or stop your contributions.

Updated over a month ago

If you're not interested in making paycheck contributions (known as deferrals) into your Guideline 401(k) or you'd like to pause them temporarily, you can opt out at any time by logging into your account.

Please note, you will need to set up your Guideline account, even if you wish to opt out.

How to stop your contributions

  1. Access your Guideline dashboard. Within the Contribution section on the main landing page, click “Manage contribution." This link is also available under the Portfolio section of your account.

  2. Within the Contributions screen, change the contribution rate to 0% or $0 for both pre-tax and Roth.

  3. Click the “Suspend Contributions” button at the bottom of the page to affirmatively opt out of deferrals.

How to opt back in after suspending contributions

With your Guideline 401(k), you may adjust your contribution rate and type at any time.

If you decide you would like to contribute to your Guideline 401(k) plan again, you can easily follow the instructions above and increase your contribution rate.

Please note that if you change your contribution rate too close to when your employer runs payroll, your new rate will be reflected on the following payroll run. You can contact your employer or payroll department directly to confirm when your company runs payroll.*


* If your employer uses a manual payroll or non-integrated payroll provider (as opposed to one of our integrated payroll partners with real-time data sync), there may be a delay in your contribution rate change being applied within payroll. For last-minute changes, you should check with your company's payroll department to confirm that the contribution rate change is reflected in payroll before they process payroll.

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