Core employer retirement plan types relevant to Series 6 coverage.
Employer-sponsored plans matter on Series 6 because they combine plan design, tax treatment, and rollover implications. Questions in this section usually test whether you can distinguish broad plan families and understand the employer relationship, not whether you can recite every plan limit from memory.
Think of these plans as workplace wrappers with different contribution, matching, vesting, and distribution patterns. The customer’s employment situation is often just as important as the investment menu inside the plan.
| Employer-plan issue | Better instinct |
|---|---|
| Type of plan | Identify whether the plan is defined contribution, salary deferral, or another employer structure |
| Employer role | Employer contributions and plan sponsorship change the analysis |
| Vesting and access | Not all money is equally available at all times |
| Rollover implications | Leaving employment can change the next best step |
Study employer plans as employment-linked accounts, not just as tax shelters.