Net Worth
$385KTop 42%PeakWorth
$4.2M+$182KNet Worth
$385KTop 42%PeakWorth
$4.2M+$182KFI Age
50y 1m-11moLumpy income. Real plan.
S-corp vs sole-prop entity tax, reasonable-salary splits, and self-employed retirement contributions. Built for earners who don't get a W-2.
US workers self-employed
~16M (10%)
Solo 401(k) contribution cap (2025)
$70K
Self-employment tax rate
15.3%
Avg small-business sale multiple (SDE)
2–4×
Sound familiar?
The problems other toolsdon't solve for self-employed.
Self-employment taxes hit harder than W-2
You owe both halves of FICA plus income tax on net profit. The business decision tool shows how an S-corp election and a reasonable-salary split change your total tax at your actual profit level.
Retirement saving is on you
No default 401(k) means choosing and funding your own plan. Model Solo 401(k) or SEP contributions as pre-tax savings and see the long-run FI Age impact at your profit level.
Variable income makes planning hard
Good years and lean years average out — but only if you plan around them. Enter your real annual income and see how the projection and your FI Age respond.
What you'll use most
The features that matter most for you.
- Solo 401(k) / SEP-IRA contribution modeling
- LLC vs S-corp vs C-corp entity tax
- S-corp reasonable-salary analyzer
- Year-by-year variable income
- Business cash-runway modeling
- Self-employed health insurance + HSA
Start with a calculator
Quick wins for self-employed
Side Hustle Profitability calculator
Subtract self-employment tax, expenses, and the hours you actually work. See your real per-hour profit — and what it could become if invested.
Total Tax Burden calculator
Add up federal income tax, FICA, state, local, sales, and property tax. See the real % of your income that goes to government.
Income Growth Projection calculator
Project your salary 5, 10, 20 years out with realistic raise + promotion assumptions. See your lifetime earnings — and what that means for FI.
Savings Rate calculator
Your savings rate is the single most powerful number in personal finance. Find yours, see your time-to-FI, and what each 5% bump unlocks.
Then run a real decision
Decisions self-employed face most
Start, Buy, or Skip the Business Path?
Quit your W-2 to start a business? Buy an existing business? Compare income paths, retirement options, and risk-adjusted FI Age.
Which Retirement Accounts Should You Fund First?
Traditional vs Roth, 401(k) vs IRA, backdoor and mega backdoor — see how each account stack lands for YOUR tax situation and pick the one that fits.
How to Turn a Windfall Into Permanent Freedom
Got an inheritance, RSU vest, or large bonus? See a sequence of moves that turns a one-time event into permanent freedom — and what each step trades for what.
More across the PeakWorth network
Tools, comparisons, and benchmarks beyond self-employed.
Scenario
Can you retire on a $100K salary?
Yes — and a 30% savings rate gets you there ~7 years sooner.
Tradeoff
Retirement timing
The most sensitive variable in your whole plan.
Compare
PeakWorth vs J.P. Morgan Automated Investing
Chase-app robo at 0.35% vs the household plan above.
Built for
PeakWorth for military families
TSP, pension, and VA disability — built for how you earn.
Built for
PeakWorth for pension-eligible workers
Build the plan around your pension as guaranteed income.
Free tool
See your full financial trajectory in 2 minutes
No signup. Real numbers. See your FI Age and net worth at every age.
Frequently asked
Questions self-employed ask first
Should I elect S-corp?
Generally worth it once net profit clears ~$60–80K, depending on state. We compute the payroll-tax savings against the admin overhead at your actual profit level.
Solo 401(k) or SEP-IRA?
Solo 401(k) usually wins below ~$300K profit because of the employee deferral; above that they converge. PeakWorth doesn't run a dedicated Solo-vs-SEP optimizer, but you can model the contributions of each and compare the FI Age impact.
How do I plan around variable income?
Enter your real income for each year — high years and lean years — and the projection adjusts accordingly. (PeakWorth doesn't compute quarterly safe-harbor estimated-tax payments; that's a job for your tax software or CPA.)
See your real PeakWorth in 2 minutes.
Free Quick Start. No credit card. A real projection of where your finances are heading — and exactly which moves change the picture.