Money
Nobody is setting up your retirement. Here's how to do it yourself.
If you perform for a living, no HR department is quietly moving money into a 401(k) for you. That job is yours, and it's the easiest one to postpone forever. Here's the plain version of how self-employed performers save.
The quiet problem
A salaried employee gets retirement almost by accident: money is withheld, an employer often matches, and it compounds for decades. Perform for yourself and none of that happens automatically. Add irregular income and a busy season that never seems like the right time, and years slip by with nothing set aside.
The good news: the self-employed actually have better retirement accounts available than most employees. You just have to open one.
Your three main options (US)
A Roth or Traditional IRA. The simplest place to start. Anyone with earned income can open one at any brokerage in an afternoon. Contribution limits are modest, but it's the perfect first account — a Roth especially, since qualified withdrawals in retirement are tax-free.
A SEP-IRA. Built for the self-employed. You can contribute a percentage of your net earnings up to a much higher ceiling than a regular IRA, and it's easy to set up. Great for good years when you want to put a lot away.
A Solo 401(k). For a one-person business with no employees, this often lets you contribute the most of all, because you contribute both as "employee" and "employer." A little more paperwork, but powerful once your income is steady.
The move that actually works
Pick one account and automate a transfer — even small — the day gig money lands. "Pay yourself first" beats "save what's left," because on gig income there's rarely anything left. A simple rule like "10% of every booking goes to retirement before I spend a dollar" quietly builds a fund the busy season would otherwise eat.
Not sure what 10% of your gigs looks like? Our free set-aside calculator shows you the numbers, including what to hold back for taxes at the same time.
US general information for working performers — not financial, tax, or legal advice. The rules change and everyone’s situation is different; talk to a professional about yours.
Practical gig-business notes, occasionally.
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