Keep your upside
Use your capital to build the business while keeping the payoff from your work.
Unlock ownership through retirement capital
Use qualified retirement funds to start or buy a business without taking a taxable distribution. Nexus by Talcott Forge enables this for founders through a Rollover as business startup (ROBS) 401(k).
Move on your timeline
Pursue the launch or acquisition without waiting on outside committees to deliberate.
Stay in control
Make strategy and operating decisions without external pressure or investor conflicts.
How ROBS 401(k)s Work
ROBS (Rollover for Business Startups) is a legal mechanism to use existing retirement savings (IRA, prior 401(k), or other qualified plans) as tax-free startup capital. No early withdrawal penalties. No income taxes. No debt. No equity dilution.
The Nexus 401(k) Process
Eligibility Check
C-Corp Formation
New 401(k) Plan
Retirement Fund Rollover
Business Funded
Setup process
What happens at each step
01
Eligibility check
$100K+ in qualifying retirement funds plus an active role in the business. Roth and inherited IRAs don't qualify.
02
C-Corp formation
A new C-Corp with formation filing, first-year registered agent, state filing fee, and EIN letter included. A 401(k) can only own qualifying employer stock.
03
New 401(k) plan
The C-Corp adopts a new plan and trust, and Nexus files for the plan trust EIN.
04
Retirement fund rollover
A direct trustee-to-trustee rollover from your existing 401(k), IRA, or 403(b), structured to avoid a taxable distribution.
05
Business funded
The plan buys newly issued stock in the C-Corp. Nexus also includes the first-year ERISA bond.
Where Nexus Fits
Nexus handles the structure around ROBS: forming the company, setting up the 401(k), coordinating the rollover, preparing the stock purchase, and keeping the ongoing administration visible after funding.
The founder remains responsible for running the business, keeping clean separation between personal and company assets, and staying engaged with required 401(k) plan obligations.
Nexus 401(k)
Setup through funding, then ongoing administration in one intelligent workspace.
Eligibility
Verified
C-Corp formation
In progress
401(k) plan
Next
Rollover
Pending
Compliance
Active after funding
Compliance infrastructure
A live operating view for the work after funding.
Compliance should not live in a spreadsheet, inbox, or once-a-year panic. Nexus keeps the plan calendar, documents, reviews, and next actions visible after the business is funded under the ongoing service agreement.
Nexus compliance dashboard
Post-funding administration, renewals, documents, and alerts.
Plan year
2026
Next filing
Q2
Open issues
0
Annual filing calendar
Form 5500 and plan-year work
Scheduled
Required testing
Coverage and nondiscrimination checks
Tracked
Plan documents
Trust, adoption agreement, amendments
Organized
Annual renewals
ERISA bond, valuation, registered agent, and state filing services
Visible
Common questions
Is ROBS legal?
Yes. ROBS is an IRS-recognized structure that has been in use since the 1970s. It relies on provisions in ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code that allow a 401(k) plan to invest in employer stock. Nexus handles the setup mechanics first, then ongoing administration continues under the quarterly service agreement.
How much retirement money do I need?
Most founders need at least $100,000 in a qualifying retirement account (401(k), IRA, 403(b), or similar) for ROBS to make economic sense. Below that, the setup and annual administration costs consume too much of the capital you would deploy.
Why does it have to be a C-Corp?
A ROBS plan invests in employer stock, and only C-Corporations can issue the kind of stock a 401(k) plan can hold. LLCs, S-Corps, and partnerships do not qualify. Talcott Forge forms the C-Corp for you as part of setup.
What does Nexus 401(k) include?
The setup fee covers C-Corp formation, first-year registered agent, state filing fee, EIN letter, the 401(k) plan and trust, plan trust EIN filing, the direct rollover, stock issuance to the plan, and a first-year ERISA bond. Ongoing administration is covered separately by the quarterly service agreement.
How long does it take to get funded?
Most Nexus 401(k) plans can go from intake to funded in 2 to 4 weeks. The variable is rollover speed: how quickly your existing custodian releases the funds. Setup includes the C-Corp formation, first-year registered agent, state filing fee, C-Corp EIN letter, plan and trust documents, plan trust EIN filing, stock issuance, and first-year ERISA bond.
What happens if my business fails?
The 401(k) plan owns stock that's now worth less. There's no loan to default on, no personal guarantee, no debt service. The downside is that retirement capital was deployed and is gone, the same as any equity investment that went to zero, but there's no additional liability beyond that.