Tax Consequences Of Inheriting An Ira If You’re A Surviving Spouse
Anyone can take control of an IRA or 401 after a loved one dies by simply presenting the original death certificate to the bank or financial institution where the account is held. The only requirement is that the individual be named as the beneficiary. But inheriting this type of account can come with tax consequences.
Taxation can be very different depending upon how and if the beneficiary is related to the deceased. A surviving spouse has the most flexibility as to what they can do with an inherited IRA or 401.
When The Account Must Pay Estate Taxes
It can pose a problem for the beneficiary of the IRA or 401 if the deceased owner’s estate is taxable and there aren’t enough assets outside the IRA or 401 to pay the estate tax bill. But again, this only applies to very valuable estates because of the $11.7 million exemption.
Each withdrawal from an IRA or 401 would result in the amount being included in the beneficiary’s taxable income. It would result in more income taxes if the beneficiary needs to take additional cash out of the account to pay the estate tax bill.
The only way to avoid this is to ensure that your estate has enough cash or other assets outside the retirement account to pay the estate tax billunless, of course, you leave the account to your surviving spouse. But this defers rather than eliminates any estate tax burden.
Roll The Money Into Your Own Retirement Account
This is usually the favorite strategy of spouses because it enables them to delay taxes on their inherited 401 funds until they withdraw the money in retirement. The government treats an inherited 401 that you roll over into your own account as if it had been yours all along, so it can continue growing for months or years before you have to take money out or pay taxes on it.
The downside to this approach is that after you’ve completed the rollover, you cannot access the money if you are younger than 59 1/2 without paying a 10% early withdrawal penalty plus taxes. So if you think you’ll need some money now, this isn’t your best move.
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Guaranteed Income For Life May Not Be As Good As It Seems
One fairly popular option is to use the money to purchase an annuity, which basically means you’ll receive a steady stream of income for the rest of your life in exchange for a large payment now.
Obviously, the upside to this is that you’ll have a steady “paycheck” for as long as you live, and there is zero chance that you will outlive your money. There are several options when choosing annuities, including options that guarantee payments to your spouse or heirs if you die before a certain time. Here’s a primer on annuities to help you get started if you want more information.
The major downside to an annuity is inflation. In other words, the payments you receive from the annuity will be worth less and less as time goes on. For example, if you buy an annuity that pays you $2,000 a month and the inflation rate averages 2%, those checks will have just $1,336 in purchasing power 20 years from now. You can find annuities with payments that increase over time, but this will cut down your initial income significantly.
Option : Cash Out Your Old 401
Another option is cashing out your 401, which does exactly what you would expect provides cash. But there are many implications to consider. The cash you withdraw is considered income, and you may incur local, state and federal taxes by doing so. You will lose the benefit of giving your accounts investments time to grow, and you may need to work longer to make up the difference. Whats more, if you leave your employer prior to the year you turn 55 and are younger than 59 ½, you will be required to pay a 10% early withdrawal penalty on top of any taxes on the money.
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After You Retire You Have An Important Choice To Make With Your 401 Account Here Are The Options Available Along With The Pros And Cons Of Each So You Can Determine Which Is Best For You
This article was updated on July 6, 2017, and was originally published on June 13, 2015.
If you’re planning to retire soon and have a 401 or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan, then you have an important question to answer: what happens with your retirement nest egg? You could choose to leave your money in the plan, take a lump sum payout or partial withdrawal, buy an annuity, or roll the money over to an IRA. All of these options have their pros and cons, so let’s see if we can figure out which is the best move for you.
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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.
You Could Roll It Over Into A New Retirement Account
There are a couple of reasons why you might not want to leave your old 401 where it is. The first is for your own sanity. The more investment accounts you have, the more logins you have to remember, tax documents you have to wait for, and addresses and beneficiaries and email addresses you have to update when those things change.
The second reason is that when you have all your investments in one place, together, its a lot easier for your advisor to help you make sure that your investment portfolio is properly diversified and forecast whether youre on track to hit your goals, like we do for you at Ellevest.
If youre starting up with a new employer that offers a 401 and their plan allows it, then you might be able to combine them by rolling your old 401 over. A rollover might be a good choice if your new 401 has particularly low fees or unique investment options. But if you dont have access to a new 401, or if you want more choices about what kinds of things you invest in or the fees youll have to pay, then you could roll your 401 over into an IRA instead. Heres an article that lists out the pros and cons of those two options.
There arent really any wrong answers no matter what you do with your old 401, the fact that youre thinking about the options and making a decision means youre looking out for Future You. And thats really what this is all about.
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Option : Transfer The Money From Your Old 401 Plan Into Your New Employers Plan
Moving your old 401 into your new employers qualified retirement plan is also an option when you change jobs. The new plan may have lower fees or investment options that better support your financial goals. Rolling over your old 401 into your new companys plan can also make it easier to track your retirement savings, since youll have everything in one place. Its worthwhile to talk with an Ameriprise advisor who will compare the investments and features of both plans.
Some things to think about if youre considering rolling over a 401 into a new employers plan:
Fund The Account Into An A Or B Trust
A surviving spouse can also fund the retirement account into an A or B trust if the trust was established in the deceased spouse’s estate plan prior to their death. This can occur with a beneficiary designation or a disclaimer by the surviving spouse.
Income taxes will still be deferred until the surviving spouse makes a withdrawal from the account if the IRA or 401 becomes a part of the deceased spouse’s trust. The surviving spouse will be required to start taking RMDs calculated over their life expectancy after the account becomes part of the trust.
The surviving spouse won’t be able to change the beneficiary of the account after the surviving spouse dies, however.
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Option : Leave The Money With Your Former Employers 401
If you have at least $5,000 in the plan when you leave the job, you can keep the money where it is. If you have between $1,000 and $5,000 in the plan, the employer can either allow you to remain in the plan, or they can roll your 401 funds into a rollover IRA for you. If you have less than $1,000 in the plan when you leave, the employer can allow you to leave your money in the plan, but they are also allowed to cut you a check for the full amount in the account.
If you do have less than $1,000 in the 401 when you leave the employer, it is important that you find out if they will automatically send you a check. If that is the case, you will need to act quickly to get those funds into another retirement account to avoid paying taxes and penalties on this amount. While $1,000 seems small, it can add up, and we dont want to pay the IRS more than we have to.
So when is it a good idea to leave funds with an old employer 401? Consider the investment options and fees in that plan. If the fees are low and investment options are good, you may want to consider keeping your money where it is. You can start contributing to your new plan with your new employer while the money in your old 401 plan is left to grow.
How Do You Withdraw Money From A 401 When You Retire
After retirement, one of the common questions that people ask is âhow do you withdraw money from a 401 when you retire?â. Find out the options you have.
As you plan your retirement, you should think about how you are going to live off your retirement savings once you are out of employment. You will need to figure out how to withdraw your retirement savings in your 401 post-retirement, and the best withdrawal strategies so that you donât exhaust your retirement savings.
When withdrawing your retirement savings from a 401, you can decide to take a lump-sum distribution, take a periodic distribution , buy an annuity, or rollover the retirement savings into an IRA.
Usually, once youâve attained 59 ½, you can start withdrawing money from your 401 without paying a 10% penalty tax for early withdrawals. Still, if you decide to retire at 55, you can take a distribution without being subjected to the penalty. However, any distribution you take after retirement is taxed, and you must include the distribution as an income when filing your annual tax return.
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You Will Be Taxed On 401 Distributions
Traditional 401 contributions are often made on a pretax basis, which means they lower your taxable income during your working years.
Because the money wasnât taxed when you contributed it, when you begin taking distributions from your 401, youâll have to pay tax because the IRS treats this money as ordinary income. That means you wonât get to keep everything youâve saved. And if you withdraw too much in a given year, you could push yourself into a higher tax bracket â meaning the government will take a larger portion of your savings.
While you will owe income tax on money that you withdraw from a traditional 401, you will not owe tax on money that you have saved in a Roth 401. If your savings is in a traditional account, itâs possible to do a Roth conversion, where you will owe income tax on the amount you convert in the year that you convert it. With a Roth IRA, you can enjoy tax-free distributions in retirement.
So how does a 401 work in retirement? While it can be rolled to an IRA, ultimately itâs up to you and how you want to use your lifetime of savings to generate the income you need to fund the things youâve been dreaming about for your retirement. An experienced financial advisor who understands the ins and outs of retirement income and tax planning can help.
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Your Questions Answered: What Happens To 401k When You Quit
Are you planning to leave your job? While you must have your reasons, there are some considerations you need to make when you quit your job. If you’re in the US, one of the most important things for you to consider is how it might impact your 401 k. 401 k plans are generally connected to your employer. If you leave your job or get a new employer, you may need to get a new 401 k plan as well. A 401 k connects part of your income to financial institutions. These institutions use this portion of the funds you earn for the purpose of investment. Part of the profits from this investment then goes back into your account. It’s a gradual and stable way for you to generate income until retirement.
Your 401 k is more than retirement savings, too. For many, a 401 k account is the main insurance they have for their spouse or children in case they die before retirement. This is why you need to make sure your family is protected under your new plan by knowing what happens to your 401k when you die. Making a decision like leaving your job shouldn’t be taken lightly. This article discusses some of your options when leaving a company or employer, as well as how it can affect your distributions and taxes.
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Income Tax And Your 401k
Unfortunately, the relationship between tax and 401k is fairly complex. There are certain penalties and taxes that may apply to your 401k if you leave, for example. If you’re under the age of 59 and leave your employer, you might be subject to an early withdrawal penalty. You may not be able to avoid these consequences if you’re less than age 59 and need to leave your workplace. If you do, you might be subject to the 10 penalty. The 10 penalty refers to a 10% charge on the money you are owed.
Once you’ve left your former employer, any money that you get paid out in distributions or into your IRA is considered part of your taxable estate. As such, it is subject to a certain type of income tax.
How Can I Protect My 401 In A Divorce
There are many options to keep as much of your 401 as possible during a divorce. You can consider selling your home, how close you are to Social Security , gathering evidence that keeps more money in your pocket, and making lifestyle changes that put more money back into your 401.
Remember, the divorce will have a negotiation phase, so you could offer something else to your ex instead of money from your 401.
There may not be a way to stop your ex from getting some of your 401, but you can make changes to put money back into the account after the divorce.
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Cashing Out Your 401k While Still Employed
The first thing to know about cashing out a 401k account while still employed is that you cant do it, not if you are still employed at the company that sponsors the 401k.
You can take out a loan against it, but you cant simply withdraw the money.
If you resign or get fired, you can withdraw the money in your account, but again, there are penalties for doing so that should cause you to reconsider. You will be subject to 10% early withdrawal penalty and the money will be taxed as regular income. Also, your employer must withhold 20% of the amount you cash out for tax purposes.
There are some exceptions to the rule that eliminate penalties, but they are very specific:
- You are over 55
- You are permanently disabled
- The money is needed for medical expenses that exceed 10% of your adjusted gross income
- You intend to cash out via a series of substantially equal payments over the rest of your life
- You are a qualified military reservist called to active duty
