Posted on 08/22/2012 5:36:22 AM PDT by Kaslin
Dear Carrie: I'm 64 and about to retire. I'm starting to get my finances organized, and I'm wondering, should I leave my money in my 401(k) or transfer it to a different account? --A Reader
Dear Reader: Retirement planning can sometimes seem like a lot of work, but the more you get organized now, the more you can relax later on. You're wise to be looking at your choices ahead of time because when it comes to what to do with a 401(k) after retirement, there are some pros and cons to consider. And what you choose will have an impact not only on the potential continued growth of your retirement savings but also on your income taxes.
REVIEW YOUR BASIC CHOICES
Generally, there are four things you can do with a 401(k) when you leave your job. One in particular -- rolling over to a new employer -- doesn't really apply to your situation, but the other three merit consideration. Basically, when you retire you can:
--Take the cash -- At your age, there's no penalty, but there are tax consequences. Withdrawals from a 401(k) are taxed as ordinary income, so this could be a big initial hit. The Internal Revenue Service withholds 20 percent right off the top (this is mandatory) and any remaining taxes will be factored in when you prepare your return for the year in which you take the distribution. On the plus side, you'll have immediate access to your money. On the minus side, your savings will no longer grow tax-deferred. There is a 60-day window in which you can still choose to move your money into a tax-deferred IRA, but after that time, your only choice is to put it in a taxable account.
--Keep your 401(k) with your former employer -- This is probably the easiest and does have some benefits. You avoid income taxes and the mandatory 20 percent withholding; your money continues to grow tax-deferred; and you maintain the option of rolling it over, should you ever decide to go back to work. The main potential drawback is that your investment choices are limited to what's available in the plan. If you have 15 or so funds to choose from, that could be just fine. But if you're limited to three or four investment selections, you might be better off moving your money elsewhere. There also may be limitations on withdrawals and when and how you invest. Make sure you get the details.
--Roll it over to an IRA -- Like a 401(k), an IRA keeps your money growing tax-deferred. It also gives you the flexibility to choose the types of investments that you deem best. Plus, you can invest and access your money whenever you want, without going through a plan provider. Those are significant advantages. One possible drawback is that a 401(k) may have more legal protection from creditors than an IRA.
DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH COMPANY STOCK
If you have appreciated company stock in your 401(k), there's another course of action that could save money on taxes. No matter what you do with the rest of your 401(k) assets, you can transfer your company stock to a taxable account and take advantage of what's called net unrealized appreciation. With this strategy, when the shares are transferred, you pay ordinary income taxes only on the cost basis of the stock (the average cost at the time you received it from your employer), which could be significantly lower than the current value. If you sell immediately, you pay taxes on the appreciation beyond the cost basis at the long-term capital gains rate. If you decide not to sell immediately, you will pay taxes on any additional appreciation at either the long- or short-term capital gains rate, depending on your holding period.
If you were to simply roll this stock over into an IRA, you'd end up paying ordinary income taxes on the current value when you withdraw it, which could be much higher than long-term capital gains taxes.
FACTOR IN SOCIAL SECURITY
Whether you take your entire 401(k) in cash at once or withdraw from it over time, the distributions will be added to your ordinary income. This, in turn, can impact how your Social Security benefits are taxed. Currently, single filers could pay income taxes on up to 85 percent of benefits if their modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is over $34,000. For married couples filing jointly, the MAGI threshold is $44,000.
As you can see, there's a lot to consider. You'll also want to look at your 401(k) in conjunction with your other sources of retirement income. This might be a good time to sit down with your tax or financial advisor to review your entire financial picture. All the best for a long and rewarding retirement.
I’m going to cash in my 401(k) and buy a big dark-chocolate candy bar, if I have enough.
Take it out of the bank and hide it because confiscating 401(k) money will be the Libs next trick to fund their ever-expanding Welfare State. They have done it in other countries and the Dem mobsters here can’t resist getting their hands on a big pot of money by any means possible.
Carrie did NOT answer the question!!!
WHAT do I invest in to SAFELY beat a 1.5% Return????
Bonds?
Stocks?
Gold?
Mutual Funds? Which ones?
Index Funds?
Get a financial advisor you trust. When I retired two years ago, I rolled my pension and 401(k) into a couple different IRAs with Edward Jones. I could not be more pleased with the results. Even though I have drawn many thousands out, I still have more than I started with. How can you beat that?
Move to a state without a state income tax, then start withdrawing and paying the tax on it.
Expect to get screwed on SS for saving that money.
Exactly!
I was actually pointing out that the real question being asked, had not been answered.
As a broker, I concur.
Since I sit a Bloomberg machine, I trade fixed income products for a living. I am only 40 but half of my portfolio is municipal bonds I buy on dips, or idiotic panic by the likes of Meredith Whitney. There are 2mm muni bond issues out there, 42,000 issuers....about 500 are distressed or defaulting.
Anyways, I do this for a living and can only say that she should consult three (3) people: 1) A CPA, 2) an estate attorney versed in revocable trusts and able to defend them in court, and 3) a TRUSTED financial advisor.
If your broker wants to put you in annuities and mutual funds, he/she is out for an 6-9% commission. Go fee based or find someone that will be honest with you about low commission investments such as individual stocks, ETFs, and taxable and non-taxable bonds.
Also, all this advice depends on your objectives, suitability, age, dependents, medical situation, etc.
Now go find those 3 people and take them to lunch!
I rolled mine into a Roth IRA and put it in DBS.
Since TARP and Obama in 2008/9 until now, I have lost over 50%. The only way I’ve found to stay intact with my 4 option plan from my employer is to have about half of it in bonds. It either loses at a much slower rate or gains a bit now and then, but that intial hit was devastating.
"Safety" is a relative term. You could keep your money locked in a fire-proof vault in your basement, and it might be physically safe. But it won't have a chance to grow at all, so it's value will diminish through inflation over time.
If you look at the historic returns on gold, they have a steady growth. There have been many breath-taking increases along the way, as well as gut-wrenching drops. In the end, it will just depend on when you get in, and when you get out. Gold doesn't pay dividends, so you generally only make money through capital appreciation; i.e., you sell for a higher price than what you bought.
All the other options have the potential for growth, and many options pay dividends, allowing income without touching principal. It just depends on how much you invest, as to whether or not that income is enough to live on.
There are many ways to beat a 1.5% return, bonds, funds, and stocks. There are dividend-paying ETFs that have small fees, and yield 3-5% or higher. The question is, what's happening to your principal, and is there a chance you could lose a significant amount of your original investment?
Hope yer correct as I will continue to hold and rebal yearly all $$ xcept for emerg $ as follows;
20% VWINX 70 VTINX and 10% VBILX
I feel its pretty simple and come RMD time(10 yrs) the IRA stuff will go into the current non qualified VTINX or under the mattress.I dont pay Chuck Schwab or Ray James, I keep those fees for me and as my brain goes(the 60’s) it will still be manageable.
As you obviously know common wisdom sez you dont need 15 funds when 1,2,3 will do the trick.
Virtually zero risk: CDs, Cash, Inflation protected Treasury bonds purchased directly from the US Treasury.
Low risk: 30% stock index fund, 40% Intermediate-term bond index fund, 30% short-term bond index fund.
Higher risk: 50% stock index fund, 25% Long-term bond index fund, 25% Intermediate-term bond index fund, 20% sector funds or individual stocks.
Remember that TAX avoidance should be part of your strategy. Deferred or no tax is a good thing. Investment "expenses" ($ paid to brokerage or manager) are another important consideration. What is the expense ratio for the funds, stocks that you're holding. "Indexed" funds are known for low expenses.
If in doubt, spend a few hundred dollars on an "independent" certified financial adviser. The adviser you hire should have "zero" interest in selling or representing any investment instruments/companies. I.e., they should be agnostic when it comes to investment instruments/companies.
Hopefully this info was helpful.
Take a look at www.modern-woodmen.org . They have a fixed rate annuity IRA with no fees; a guaranteed minimum rate of return (paying a current rate higher than their guaranteed minimum); a guarantee that you can’t lose your principal if you cash it in, move or surrender it; you can withdraw 10% a year with no loss of interest during the 8 year surrender charge period (most of us are unlikely to withdraw more than that percentage in the immediate years following our retirement); in short, it’s a safe place to park retirement money where it will grow slowly over the years. Not for everyone, but fine for our conservative family. They are a not for profit fraternal society that’s been in business since 1883.
Ammo would be a good investment. Lead seems to be increasing in value everyday that BHO is President.
I used M* XRay when I was figuring up my mix,made it pretty easy.
I have learned a lot there in the last 10yrs...
Others should go a browse but be carefull you’ll need your TMI filters “On”.
7.62-54
7.62-51
7.62-39
30-06
5.56
9mm
45ACP
And the weapons to shoot them from.
I am not being factious. Over the last 5 years each and every one of those cartridges if bought from military surplus in bulk has increased in value more than 100%.
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