You Become Too Dependent On Your Employer
Remember: If you leave your job for whatever reason, you have until next years tax filing deadline to pay back the entire balance of your 401 loan. That means when you take out a 401 loan, youre all of a sudden very dependent on your job and your paycheck to pay back that loan.
Many people choose to repay their 401 loans over the course of five years. Meanwhile, many workers say theyve been at their jobs less than five years.6 Do you see the problem here? You might be happy at your job now, but what about a year from now? Or two years from now?
Heres the bottom line: Debt limits your ability to choose. And a 401 loan can leave you feeling tied financially to your job . . . even if you desperately want to leave or have an exciting job opportunity in front of you. Dont give your boss that kind of power over you.
Option : Keep Your Savings With Your Previous Employers Plan
If your previous employers 401 allows you to maintain your account and you are happy with the plans investment options, you can leave it. This might be the most convenient choice, but you should still evaluate your options. Each year, American workers manage to lose track of billions of dollars in old retirement savings accounts, so you should make sure to track your account regularly, review your investments as part of your overall portfolio and keep the beneficiaries up to date.
Some things to think about if youre considering keeping your money in your previous employers plan:
Taking Withdrawals From A 401
Once money goes into a 401, it is difficult to withdraw it without paying taxes on the withdrawal amounts.
“Make sure that you still save enough on the outside for emergencies and expenses you may have before retirement,” says Dan Stewart, CFA®, president of Revere Asset Management Inc., in Dallas. “Do not put all of your savings into your 401 where you cannot easily access it, if necessary.”
The earnings in a 401 account are tax-deferred in the case of traditional 401s and tax-free in the case of Roths. When the traditional 401 owner makes withdrawals, that money will be taxed as ordinary income. Roth account owners have already paid income tax on the money they contributed to the plan and will owe no tax on their withdrawals as long as they satisfy certain requirements.
Both traditional and Roth 401 owners must be at least age 59½or meet other criteria spelled out by the IRS, such as being totally and permanently disabledwhen they start to make withdrawals.
Otherwise, they usually will face an additional 10% early-distribution penalty tax on top of any other tax they owe.
Some employers allow employees to take out a loan against their contributions to a 401 plan. The employee is essentially borrowing from themselves. If you take out a 401 loan, please consider that if you leave the job before the loan is repaid, you’ll have to repay it in a lump sum or face the 10% penalty for an early withdrawal.
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What Is The Catch
For employees over 50 years of age, the employer might also offer what is known as the catch-up contribution. This lets you save an additional amount of money apart from the defined deductions from your salary.
The catch-up contribution is fantastic for those who did not start their nest egg early in life and is highly recommended for anyone who is eligible.
This is for good reason. Your tax rate is much higher in your working years than it is in your retirement years .
S Offer Higher Contribution Limits
In this category, the 401 is simply objectively better. The employer-sponsored plan allows you to add much more to your retirement savings than an IRA.
For 2021, a 401 plan allows you to contribute up to $19,500. Participants age 50 and older can add an additional $6,500, for a total of $26,000.
In contrast, an IRA limits contributions to $6,000 for 2021. Participants age 50 and older can add an additional $1,000, for a total of $7,000.
Thats a clear advantage for the 401.
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Iras Require Some Investment Knowledge
The flip side of having many investment choices in an IRA is that you have to know what to invest in, and many participants simply arent in a position to do that. And thats where a 401 may offer a better option for workers, even if the investment selection is more limited.
A 401 is often turnkey, says Claire Toth, senior wealth strategist at Peapack-Gladstone Bank in Summit, New Jersey. Set it and forget it.
So while a 401 may offer fewer choices, says Toth, they do provide okay default investment options for participants without knowledge and they may offer coaching to help participants understand their choices.
Still, if you do have that knowledge already, Lackwood says, you can manage your IRA how you see fit with quick attention and with possibly less administrative cost.
Early Withdrawals: The 401 Age 55 Rule
If you retireor lose your jobwhen you are age 55 but not yet 59½, you can avoid the 10% early withdrawal penalty for taking money out of your 401. However, this only applies to the 401 from the employer that you just left. Money that is still in an earlier employers plan is not eligible for this exceptionnor is money in an IRA.
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Rich Doesnt Happen By Accident
Lots of people believe that theyll just get rich somehow. In fact, more than one in five Americans believe the best way to get rich is to win the lottery.
Thats not a joke.
You need to think ahead. And I dont just mean to retirement. Are you going to need a car in a few years? A wedding? A honeymoon? A house? The money for that doesnt just appear. Unfortunately, most people put off thinking about this stuff, which results in them wringing their hands, saying things like Were always struggling to make ends meet. Some of them got there because they didnt plan for anything. So get over the initial excuses. Yes, its hard to pick up the phone. But think about what time youre living in. Here you have a site with thousands of other readers who are in exactly the same boat as youand even better, the experienced ones will help you through it.
Set up your retirement accounts now. Your future self will thank you.
You Can Withdraw Money Early From A 401
Money you stash in a 401 isn’t meant to be touched until retirement, and any money withdrawn before you turn 59 1/2 could be subject to a 10% early-withdrawal penalty. But if you leave a job as early as age 55, you can tap the 401 penalty-free.
Company 401s also generally allow participants to borrow from their accounts. You may have to pay a fee to take a loan. Plus, you’ll be charged interest on the amount you take out. But you’ll basically be paying interest to yourself because the money goes into the account. Watch out if you have outstanding loans when you leave a company — the loans will have to be repaid within 60 to 90 days. If not, the amount of the loan will be considered a taxable distribution.
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A Couple Of Things To Remember
You own the money you contribute to your 401 so if you change employers, you can roll it over into your new employers 401 or another qualifying retirement plan account.
Keep in mind that your 401 plan operates on the assumption that you are saving for retirement so once youve put dollars in, there are penalties if you decide to take them out before you reach retirement age.
To withdraw the money means you also miss out on the advantage of time and its effect on compound interest.
Saving early and increasing your contributions as you go can help set yourself up for a secure retirement.
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How To Open And Manage A 401
If your company offers a 401, be sure to actually enroll in it or you wont have an account. The exact procedure for opening a 401 varies from company to company. If you work in an office, youll likely have an HR representative who can provide you with instructions or other resources to help you set up your account. Otherwise, you can always ask your supervisor or colleagues if you dont know how to get the ball rolling.
It might be worth consulting with a financial advisor if you have questions about how a 401 fits into your overall retirement plans. SmartAssets free matching tool can pair you with advisors in your area.
There are four main options you have to manage your 401 when you leave your company. You can either withdraw the money directly from your account, roll it over into an IRA, move it to your new company or keep it with your old company.
Immediately withdrawing your money from your account is the option you should avoid at all costs. This is because those funds then factor into your taxable income, heavily increasing your tax burden for the year. In addition, if youre younger than 59.5 years old, the IRS will slap you with a 10% income tax penalty. Your best bets are to either leave your 401 with your old employer, take it with you to your new job or roll it over into a shiny, new IRA.
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What Is 401k Vesting And How Does It Work
401k vesting, also known as your vested balance, is the amount of money in your retirement savings account that you are allowed to take with you in case you decide to leave your current job.
It also signifies your maximum borrowing limit if you want to take a 401k loan.
The way vesting works is quite simple and straightforward, though it tends to throw people off track.
The money you put into your 401k account is always 100% yours. However, in order to claim the contributions made by your employer, you must be fully, or at least partially, vested. Depending on your companys rules and regulations, becoming fully vested in your account can take anywhere between three to six years.
There are two main types of vesting schedules followed in most organizations:
- Cliff Vesting: As per this schedule, you cannot claim your employers contribution unless you have for them for at least three years. After that, you have full ownership of all the money in your 401k account.
- Graded Vesting: Under this schedule, you get to become fully vested after six years of service in the same place. Each year, your ownership grows by 20%. So, for instance, if you leave after working for only one year, you can only claim 20% of what your employer contributed over that time period.
If you wish to change jobs, dont forget to check your vested account balance first. Based on your plan, staying a little longer can add a handsome amount of money to your 401k savings.
How To Avoid 401 Early Withdrawal Penalties
There are certain exceptions that allow you to take early withdrawals from your 401 and avoid the 10% early withdrawal tax penalty if you arent yet age 59 ½. Some of these include:
Medical expenses that exceed 10% of your adjusted gross income
Permanent disability
If you leave your employer at age 55 or older
A Qualified Domestic Retirement Order issued as part of a divorce or court-approved separation.
Even if you can escape the additional 10% tax penalty, you still have to pay taxes on your withdrawal from a traditional 401. owner owes no income tax and the recipient can defer taxes by rolling the distribution into an IRA.)
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Periodic Distributions From 401
Instead of cashing out the entire 401, you may choose to receive regular distributions of income from your 401. Usually, you can choose to receive monthly or quarterly distributions, especially if inflation increases your living expenses. If the 401 is your main source of income, you should budget properly so that the distributions are enough to meet your expenses.
For example, if you have accumulated $1 million in retirement savings, you can choose to receive $3,330 every month, which amounts to approximately $40,000 annually. You can adjust the amount once a year or every few months if your 401 plan allows it. This option allows the remaining savings to continue growing over time as you take periodic distributions.
Leave The 401 With Your Employer
This is probably the easiest option to consider when you retire. If you are happy with the plan and investment options you already have set in place, you could leave the account as is and let it continue to grow with your employer. The account stays tax-deferred and accumulates without getting taxed. Its also easy to change your asset allocation in your 401 plan without paying a transaction fee when transferring money between investments.
Another benefit to keeping it with your employer is that you can borrow from your 401, which can be useful if you are under the age of 59 and a half and need to take some money out before your full retirement age. Although some employers have different rules and restrictions on taking money out early, you should still check to see if this is a viable option for you. A word of caution: if you cant pay back the money you took out, you will be required to pay a 10% early withdrawal penalty fee.
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Other Benefits Of A 401
Even for employers who do not offer any matching program, every employer with a 401 plan is responsible for administering the plan. That may seem like its no big deal, but it actually saves quite a bit of trouble for the employees. As an employee in a 401 plan, you dont have to worry about the complicated rules and regulations that need to be followed, or about making arrangements with the funds in which you invest your moneyyour employer takes care of all of that for you. Thats quite a bit of saved paperwork.
At the same time, employees who participate in a 401 maintain control over their money. While employers provide a list of possible investment choices, most commonly different sorts of mutual funds, employees have quite a bit of freedom to decide their own strategy. Whether you are willing to take on a little more risk with your investments, or if you would rather play it safe, theres probably an option for you.
Is Having A 401 A Good Idea
While you might have good intentions, it can be hard to save. What makes a 401 better than savings is that your contributions come out of your paycheck before you receive it. Its a painless way to save.
A 401 also lowers your tax burden. Since the funds are taken out pretax, the more you put into your 401, the lower your taxable income is, which can add up to significant savings over the years.
As you age, it gets harder to continue to work. You want to be able to relax, travel and spend time with loved ones. Setting aside funds in your 401 helps make your retirement dreams a reality.
To get started with a 401, ask your human resources department how and when you can sign up. Find out whether your employer offers a match. If it does, aim to set aside enough to take full advantage of your employers matching funds.
Even if your employer doesnt match funds, a 401 can help you grow your retirement savings and lower your taxes. So, for most employees, it is a good idea.
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Can I Take All My Money Out Of My 401 When I Retire
You are free to empty your 401 as soon as you reach age 59½or 55, in some cases. Its also possible to cash out before, although doing so would normally trigger a 10% early withdrawal penalty.
If you want to cash out everything, you can opt for a lump-sum payment. Think carefully before taking this approach, though. Withdrawing your savings all at once could result in a hefty tax bill and, if not managed wisely, leave you living in severe poverty later on in retirement.
Option : Roll Over Your Old 401 Into An Individual Retirement Account
Still another option is to roll over your old 401 into an IRA. The primary benefit of an IRA rollover is having access to a wider range of investment options, since youll be in control of your retirement savings rather than a participant in an employers plan. Depending on what you invest in, a rollover can also save you money from management and administrative fees, costs that can eat into investment returns over time. If you decide to roll over an old 401 into an IRA, you will have several options, each of which has different tax implications.
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What Are The Rules For A Roth Ira
Roth IRAs are only available to people making less than $129,000 a year as an individual, or $191,000 for married couples. They have contribution limits of $5,500 a year, or $6,500 for those over 50. Unlike 401ks and traditional IRAs though, there’s no penalty for withdrawing part of your contribution early.
