Qualified retirement plans are designed to meet which of the following?

Qualified retirement plans are specifically designed to meet IRS guidelines to obtain favorable tax treatment. These plans must comply with a set of regulations established by the Internal Revenue Service that dictate how they should be funded, how contributions can be made, how benefits can be distributed, and eligibility requirements for participants.

Meeting these guidelines allows the plans to provide tax advantages to both employers and employees. For instance, contributions made to a qualified retirement plan are typically tax-deductible for the employer and deferred for the employee until withdrawal, leading to significant tax savings.

While investment growth is certainly an important aspect of retirement planning, and some plans may offer flexibility in withdrawals, these elements do not inherently fulfill the specific purpose of a qualified retirement plan. Additionally, unlimited contributions do not align with IRS guidelines, which impose limits on the amount that can be contributed to these plans each year. Therefore, the necessity for qualified retirement plans to follow IRS guidelines is what makes this answer correct.