Self-employed? Don't forget to save for retirement? Owning your own business gives you the opportunity to forge your own path. Along with the freedom to work on your own terms and that includes your financial growth. While growing your business, you need to consider the future that you want in retirement. The drawbacks self-employment is that you have no employer-sponsored retirement plan and you must plot your own course for when saving for retirement. Fortunately, a 401(k) for the self-employed gives individuals four ways to save for the future. The top four providers of 401(k) plans for the self-employed include Fidelity Investments, John Hancock Retirement, Vanguard, and Merrill Edge. Read on to find out how these companies help self-employed individuals prepare for their financial future.

The adaptability of Fidelity Investments 401k plans gives you access to retirement professionals who can help you grow retirement funds. A wide range of investments gives you flexibility and contributions to your fund can be made by phone or mail. The tax benefits of a 401(k) are tax-deferred growth, taxable contributions, and pre-tax employee deferral contributions that will help you grow your business and your wealth for retirement.

Investment options with Fidelity Investments include investment opportunities with mutual funds, stocks, bonds, FDIC-insured CDs and ETF’s. One-on-one guidance is available in person, by phone or online along with research, tools will help you track your investments and make changes when you wish. Fidelity Investment 401(k) plans are only available to individuals who are self-employed or own their own business.

Another advantage of a 401(k) plan for the self-employed is that there are more options than if you are locked into an employer plan. John Hancock offers a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) that is a popular choice for the self-employed. A SEP is simple and has high contribution limits, the opportunity to change your contribution percentage every year and it offers a maximum contribution of $50,000 or 25 percent of your compensation. There is a 10 percent tax penalty that applies to most money that is withdrawn before the age of 59 ½.

The SEP is not the only 401 (k) plan offered by John Hancock Retirement but it gives one of the highest contribution rates available for your personal investments. On the other end of the spectrum is the Traditional IRA that can give you an upfront tax deduction. Although contribution for 2016 is $5,500 if you are under 50 and $6,500 if you are over 50, a traditional IRA can give you an immediate tax advantage. John Hancock offers these two products and more for the self-employed.

Along with other 401(k) providers, Vanguard offers Individual IRA plans, and SEP-IRA and a Simple IRA plan that for the self-employed. Employee contributions of either pre-tax or Roth employee deferrals can contribute up to $18,000, per year, if you are under 50 and up to $24,000 if you are over 50. Contributions for this plan cannot exceed 100 percent of your earning compensation.

Merrill Edge

Individual or solo 401(k) plans allow you to take a tax deduction for contributions that come from your business while reducing your personal taxes. Reducing your tax liability is another advantage of a 401 (k) and there are an array of products that can help you with saving for the future and dealing with today’s tax liabilities. The Merrill Edge Individual 401(k) offers simple and straightforward pricing for the management of your investments, online access to your plan, 24/7, and educational resources to help you become as active in your investments as you are the growth of your business.

The Merrill Edge Individual 401(k) offers the added benefit of access to your money through a 401 (k) loan option, giving you, even more, flexibility with your money. The benefit of flexible contributions based on your cash flow and a contribution limits as high as $53,000. The easy online set-up can take less than 30 minutes so waiting until tomorrow to invest in your future is not necessary. Like most of the top 401(k) providers, the Merrill Edge plan offers help from a specialist who will gladly help you plan your future.

Need to find good deals on printer ink cartridges? Today’s professionals work from home, setting up home offices that are outfitted with the same equipment that they use in commercial work spaces. These items include professional or home-use printers and copiers. Modern printers are fairly easy to maintain, but printer ink can run out quickly! Whether a person works remotely from their home or are the office manager for a corporate workspace, they’ll want to know the best strategies to buy printer ink. These people will be interested in stores that offer print-shop quality ink refills, branded ink cartridges and easy ordering processes. Three ways to get good deals on printer ink cartridges include shopping at warehouse clubs, searching local retailers, and buying ink cartridges online. Read on to find out more about shopping for deals on ink cartridges.

Warehouse clubs are great places to purchase printer ink. Club members can get printer ink cartridges for less than they would pay at other venues. Many of these clubs also have flexible delivery options that allow customers to shop in stores or purchase items through the store’s website. Members can often get free shipping for ink that they buy online or have the option to pick-up their online purchases at brick-and-mortar stores.  BJ’s Wholesale Club is a warehouse club that offers in-store, online, and site-to-store bargains. It carries a variety of single and multi-pack OEM printer cartridges. Specific brands that are available at BJ’s Wholesale Club include HP, Canon, Brother and Epson. Sam’s Club is another warehouse store that offers good prices on branded printer ink. Members can get both new and refurbished printer ink cartridges. Sam’s Club carries Lexmark, Canon, Epson, HP, Innovera and Brother printer ink brands. The Costco warehouse club carries some of the same brands as other stores at comparable prices. It also offers a cartridge refilling service that helps its members save even more money on printer ink. The service is only available for OEM printer ink cartridges. Members are encouraged to bring their cartridges into the store to be refilled while they shop; cartridges are ready for pick up in an hour.

The local big-box retailer is another convenient place to buy printer ink cartridges. While brick-and-mortar office supply stores have closed many locations due to sluggish sales, one can still find more than a few outlets in most cities.  Due to heavy competition from online platforms such as Amazon, these retailers offer exceptional variety, pricing and services. Office Depot carries all the well-known brands for printer ink cartridges that include HP, Brother, Epson, Canon, Dell, Samsung and Lexmark.  It offers a price match policy that guarantees that its customers get the best prices on printer ink, and Office Depot customers enjoy free shipping. Consumers can save extra on printer ink by purchasing Office Depot-brand refurbished printer cartridges. With its subscription program, customers can receive automatic shipments of ink to their home or office. They never have to worry about running out of ink again. Staples is a direct competitor of Office Depot and carries many of the same OEM printer inks. It also has its own line of printer ink cartridges that are compatible with the most popular printer brands. Consumers can find a wide selection of printer ink cartridges at Walmart. This store offers rock-bottom prices and convenient in-store, online and site-to-store pickup.

Online retailers offer one of the most convenient ways to purchase printer ink. There are many websites that sell ink cartridges from original equipment brands and third-party manufacturers. These e-tailers carry new cartridges, refurbished ink packs and refillable ink kits. When it comes to online printer ink sales, Amazon crushes the competition. The brands that it sells include Brother, Canon, Dell and Hewlett Packard (HP). Amazon’s easy return and buyer protection policies make it the go-to source for new and refurbished ink cartridges. Carrot Ink is another established online printer ink supplier. It’s known for its discounted printer inks that include refurbished and third-party manufactured cartridges. It’s a good choice for those who need bulk ink supplies for government offices, schools and large corporations. Carrot ink gives these entities quantity discounts and allows them to split up shipments to various locations across the United States.

Don't get left in the dark! Home portable generators provide comfort and convenience in unforeseen circumstances. Whether nasty weather is about to hit or the power unexpectedly goes out, home portable generators keep everything powered up and ready to use. A good portable generator has enough wattage to power major appliances - such as the refrigerator - in a home. Generators of this caliber should also be easy to move from place to place, convenient and safe to use, versatile enough to take camping, and run for several hours on one tank of fuel. While home portable generators range in price from a couple of hundred to thousands of dollars, there is one out there for each shopper's needs that won't break the budget. The top three home portable generators include the Westinghouse 7,500-Watt Wen, the Champion 3,800-Watt Dual-Fuel, and the Wen 2,000-Watt 56200i. Read on to find out more about these top notch portable generators.

The Westinghouse 7,500-Watt Wen is a gas-only generator that packs a punch. Weight 192 pounds, this portable generator is bit heavy than others, the steel frame adds some extra protection to the tank and overall unit. One of the best features is the remote key fob, able to start up the generator from up to 100 yards away, which is the height of convenience in a storm. While this Westinghouse is powered only by gas, the 6.6-gallon tank provides 16 hours of run time at 25 percent load. This generator is a little louder than others, but it's a good bet for a gas-powered portable generator that produces the power needed in an emergency. Shoppers can find this portable generator through Amazon for around $849, and a dual-fuel model for slightly more money.

The Champion 3,800-Watt Dual-Fuel portable generator is one of the best values on the market. One of the most affordable home portable generators available, the Champion does not skimp on power or features. The dual-fuel tank allows it to run for up to 10.5 hours on propane or for up to nine hours on a full tank of gas. Made with cold-start technology, this generator is ready to rumble with just the push of a button. The steel framework protects it and makes it easy to move, and impressive features include a cast-iron sleeve, built-in surge protection, oil sensors, and a variety of outlets. This Champion portable generator can be found on Amazon for around $643.

The Wen 2,000-Watt 56200i is the quietest of the home portable generator bunch. Easily transportable, this generator weighs in at only 50 pounds and gets as loud as a typical conversation. This generator is safe to use for small electronics, such as laptops and phones, and can run up to six hours at 50 percent capacity. There's an energy efficient mode that saves gas when appliances are plugged in and unplugged from the generator. Plus, While it has 1,600 watts, this generator provides a kit (sold separately) that allows users to connect multiple generators for added wattage. The Wen 56200i is currently 40 percent off at Amazon, selling for $420.

Savings accounts are a type of bank account where you can store your money and earn interest. This differs from a checking account, where you can easily access your money for everyday expenses. With a savings account, you may have to wait a certain number of days before you can access your funds, but this can be worth it if you can earn a higher interest rate than you would with a checking account.

When opening savings accounts, you will want to consider the interest rate offered. Different banks offer different rates, so it's important to shop around and find the best one for your needs. If you plan on making regular deposits into your savings account, look for a bank that offers bonuses or additional incentives when you do this.

You should also consider the fees associated with opening and maintaining a savings account. Some banks may charge monthly or annual fees and other charges, such as ATM fees if you need to withdraw money from your account.

When choosing an online savings platform, ensure it is secure and offers the necessary features. Look for platforms that offer FDIC insurance to protect your funds and those with low or no fees associated with opening an account.

Look for banks that offer account management tools such as budgeting software or mobile apps so you can manage your money easily. High-yield savings accounts offer some of the highest interest rates available. They often require a minimum deposit and may have other restrictions as well.

Money market accounts are a type of savings account that offers a higher interest rate than a typical savings account. They often require a higher minimum deposit, and some may have other restrictions, such as monthly minimum deposit requirements. They offer the flexibility to access your funds more easily than a traditional savings account.

Certificates of Deposit offer fixed interest rates. They require a minimum deposit and typically come with a fixed term, meaning you must leave your money in the account for a certain period or face a penalty.

Online savings accounts can offer higher interest rates than traditional banks due to lower overhead costs. They are also more convenient, as they allow you to manage your money from the comfort of your own home or through a mobile device.

Many online banks offer easy account opening and management tools, such as budgeting software and mobile apps, that make tracking and managing your money easier. They often offer bonuses or incentives such as cashback and other rewards when you deposit your account.

Savings accounts can be a great way to save for the future and earn interest on your funds. Make sure to research and shop around to find the best savings solution for your needs.