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Can Bankruptcy Take My 401k

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Can Creditors Touch My Retirement & 401k Funds

Can I Take Out A 401(K) Loan After Filing Chapter 13 Bankruptcy?

Most of your retirement funds such as 401ks and other qualified retirement accounts are protected from creditors and untouchable by a bankruptcy trustee. Since these funds are protected by federal bankruptcy laws, it is rarely a good idea to cash in your retirement accounts to pay off your debts.

In aChapter 7 bankruptcy, most retirement accounts are classified as exemptions under the Bankruptcy Code. That means these accounts cannot be liquidated to pay your creditors. UnderChapter 13 bankruptcy, none of your assets are taken from you. The monthly repayment plan amount is determined by your income. Your retirement savings are only included in this amount if you want them to be.

Protection Against General Creditors

Retirement plans set up under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act are for the most part protected from creditors, bankruptcy proceedings, and court judgments. ERISA plans are set up with your employer and include 401 plans, pension plans, SIMPLE IRAs, Simplified Employee Plans , employee stock ownership plans, and profit-sharing plans.

ERISA accounts are afforded additional bankruptcy protections under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act . If you enter bankruptcy proceedings, you can exempt ERISA-qualified account assets from your bankruptcy estate.

Traditional or Roth IRA accounts are protected from creditors only in a bankruptcy proceeding. BAPCPA allows you to exempt up to $1,000,000 in IRA assets from your bankruptcy estate. This protection applies to the sum of your IRA accounts, not each account in isolation. The dollar value is adjusted every three years. As of 2021, the exemption amount is $1,362,800. In addition, these exemption limits do not apply to retirement funds rolled over from an ERISA account into an IRA.

Some states have opted out of federal bankruptcy protections and use their own laws to determine bankruptcy exemptions. Nevertheless, BAPCPA protects your retirement assets even if you live in one of these states.

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K Savings Is Handled Differently In Chapter 13 And Chapter 7

What happens to your 401k is different based on whether you file for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

In Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases, the trustee liquidates your assets. The trustee then uses the proceeds from liquidation to pay a portion of your debt.

However, the assets liquidated dont include your 401k. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act excludes your 401k and other retirement savings. Its always smart to double-check that youre entitled to the protection before you file, but for most people, 401k savings is off-limits in Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

If youd like to know more about the Employment Retirement Income Security Act, check out this information from the US Department of Labor.

There is no liquidation in Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The good news is you still dont need to worry too much about your 401k when you file for Chapter 13.

In this type of bankruptcy, your debt is paid from your disposable income. You create a three- to a five-year payment plan and make payments each month based on your income. Your 401k savings has nothing to do with your payments. Chapter 13 doesnt involve property liquidation, so your assets arent a factor.

The bottom line is regardless of whether you file for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, your 401k savings is protected.

Chapter 7 Vs Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

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Under Chapter 7 bankruptcy, your 401 plan can qualify under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act , which most employer plans do. It restricts a trustee from selling off your savings to pay off debt. Even if your plan doesnt qualify, your savings may still be protected under federal exemptions. One exemption protects all retirement funds that are tax free up to $1,362,800 per person. Qualifying for exemptions requires filing a Schedule C document with the bankruptcy court. In Chapter 13 bankruptcy, all tax-exempt retirement accounts are safe because you do not give up any property.

Also Check: Can An Individual Open A 401k

When Can My 401 Be In Danger

While creditors and bankruptcy trustees cannot touch your 401, per the ERISAs anti-alienation clause, the federal government can. The Internal Revenue Service can seize your funds if you have an unpaid tax assessment or a federal tax levy is enforced. Your assets can also be distributed to an ex-spouse by court order.

One reason not to move funds from your 401 into another account before filing for bankruptcy is you will lose federal protections. And moving assets into your retirement account may appear as fraud. The trustee may then claim youre interfering with the bankruptcy process, defrauding a creditor, or otherwise being untrustworthy, which can lead the court to dismissing your case. Withdrawing money to pay just one creditor is a bad idea too this may be considered whats called a preferential transfer. Its therefore best to talk to a bankruptcy attorney before doing anything with your account.

In addition, your money may be at risk if you transfer it from a retirement account into a regular bank account just before your bankruptcy case begins. Any assets you purchase with 401 funds may also become part of the bankruptcy estate.

Where Are Debtors Assets Located

It is important to determine where certain assets are legally located in order to understand the exemption and collection law applicable to the asset.

The location of real property is obvious. But some debtors effectively relocate foreign real estate by owning the property in an LLC. The debtors then hold the LLC interests as personal property in Florida.

In this manner, the debtor owns moveable LLC interests in Florida, subject to Florida laws, rather than owning the underlying real property situated outside Florida.

Asset location is an issue primarily when debtors plan to protect financial accounts. Most financial institutions provide that their customers financial accounts are situated at the branch office where the account is maintained or in the state where the customer resides when the account was opened.

For example, if a Georgia resident opened an IRA account at a Georgia branch of a national financial institution, and the debtor then moved to Florida, Florida exemption laws might not apply to the IRA account. The account may instead be anchored at the Georgia branch where it was opened. The new Florida resident is better protected if he moves his existing financial accounts to a Florida branch of the same financial institution or to a new institution with Florida offices.

Recommended Reading: Where Do I Go To Borrow From My 401k

Will Bankruptcy Affect My 401

A 401 is an employer-sponsored retirement plan which lets employees put aside retirement savings without being taxed until they withdraw money from the account. In the United States, the average 401 contains about $89,000 in funds a considerable chunk of money. But is how is that money treated during bankruptcy? What happens to your 401 account if you decide to file for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13?

Fortunately, Congress saw the importance of having retirement savings even if someone was filing for bankruptcy. In most cases, a 401 is protected. However, there are situations where your actions could put your retirement savings at risk. Transferring funds or taking out a 401 loan will impact your bankruptcy. Even adding funds to your 401 could cause an issue.

A successful bankruptcy requires planning. The work done before a case is filed is often more important than what occurs afterward. At Young, Marr, Mallis & Associates, our Philadelphia bankruptcy lawyers commitment to detail and experience are critical components that will help ensure you are receiving the most benefits from filing. It is also vital that you disclose all your retirement accounts so our office can address each appropriately. Call 755-3115 in New Jersey or 701-6519 in Pennsylvania today to start the process.

Can You Withdraw Money From Your 401k Before Or During Your Bankruptcy

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There are certain things a debtor should not do before filing bankruptcy.

I will occasionally have a bankruptcy client ask me if she should withdraw money from her 401k before filing bankruptcy. I also have received questions about whether it is ok to take out of a 401k after filing bankruptcy. My answer is always that is a bad idea, but the reasoning as it pertains to a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy is slightly different, so I will now tackle each one separately.

There are two reasons why it is a bad idea to withdraw from a 401k before filing bankruptcy. The first one is not specific to bankruptcy, but rather to general retirement and tax planning. The penalties associated with an early 401k withdrawal, plus the reduction in your retirement savings, truly make this an option of last resort.

Therefore, the only time I could endorse this strategy in any way is if the debtor is using the money to pay off creditors and avoid filing bankruptcy. I basically would never endorse a 401k withdrawal if it doesnt resolve the debt situation.

The second factor in withdrawing from a 401k prior to bankruptcy is the impact on the bankruptcy itself. Money saved in a 401k is exempt in bankruptcy and cannot be taken by the bankruptcy trustee. However, when it is converted into cash before filing bankruptcy, it loses its exempt status and becomes a non-exempt asset in the form of cash.

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Tips To Protect At Risk Assets Even If You Go Bankrupt

In truth, most people who are considering personal bankruptcy have ceased to make any contributions to their RRSP because they are using most of their income to make debt payments. However, if you do have exposure to recent contributions here is how we advise clients.

Our first step is to review your RRSP documents to determine how much you have contributed in the last 12 months. If you contribute through your paycheque at work we can generally get this information from your paystub. If you have an RRSP through a bank or investment advisor, they will provide a statement.

If you have made no contributions in the last 12 months, no further action is required you can keep your RRSP.

If you have made contributions in the last 12 months or have other seizable assets like RESPs, you have three options:

  • You may request that the trustee contact the bank or investment company and withdraw the contributions from the prior 12 months. It is the trustees responsibility to pay the tax owing on that withdrawal, so you have no further costs or obligations.
  • If you have significant seizable assets, you could decide to file a consumer proposal. In a consumer proposal you dont lose your RRSP or any assets.
  • As a final planning point, if you are not worried about having your wages garnisheed, you could stop contributing to your RRSP now while you catch up on rent, utilities or other current bills, so that contributions in the last 12 months are reduced.

    Protected Assets Vs Unprotected Assets

    Protected assets are safe from bankruptcy due to state exemptions, wildcard exemptions, or the amount of money you are allowed to keep in bankruptcy. Unprotected assets can be sold in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, or paid for under a debt repayment plan in Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

    The types of funds that are protected include:

    • Employee Retirement Income Security Act plans
    • Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs
    • Profit-sharing plans
    • Defined benefit plans

    Unfortunately, your savings account, investments, and stock option plans are not protected accounts. These are not ERISA-qualified accounts and can be used for debt relief or seized by your bankruptcy trustee.

    There is a limit to how much retirement money you can keep in bankruptcy. As of the last publish date of this article, the limit is $1,283,025 total per person, so this considers all your accounts and retirement funds combined. Most people do not have this much in their retirement accounts, so it is not an issue for their bankruptcy filing.

    Retirement accounts are protected assets. They cannot be taken by bankruptcy trustees and used for debt relief or to pay back creditors. While you can still choose to use your retirement funds when you file for bankruptcy, you will not be forced to do so.

    Read Also: Can I Access My 401k If I Lose My Job

    Exemptions For Traditional Iras And Roth Iras

    As of 2018, an exemption protects IRAs and Roth IRAs only if you hold $1,283,025 or less across all of your retirement plans. This is an overall exemption, rather than an exemption for each plan. If you have more than that amount in your plans, any surplus amount in a traditional or Roth IRA can be transferred to the bankruptcy trustee to pay to creditors. Federal law raises this amount every three years, so you should check the specific amount when you file.

    If A Company Goes Bankrupt What Happens To My 401

    Where Does Lost 401K Money Go

    Can a company take your 401 money? Generally, no. In addition to protecting your retirement savings in bankruptcy, the ERISA is a federal law that requires retirement plan assets to be held in a trust account, apart from an employers other business assets. Therefore, a partition is created which results in employers being prohibited from accessing 401 savings funds for their business operations, including the payment of creditors in the event that the company declares bankruptcy.

    Experts do warn of two circumstances where the employer may fail to pay all the money entitled to you in your 401. The first circumstance could occur if the employer didnt deposit your contributions before declaring bankruptcy, which is usually limited to a pay periods worth of contributions. The second circumstance is when an employer match hasnt been deposited into the trust fund, which could be a larger amount of money routinely matched monthly or even yearly. If the employer hasnt made its matching contribution to the plan before bankruptcy, the employers match to your 401 could be lost.

    As you can see, the answer to the question of what happens to my 401 if my company goes bankrupt depends to some extent on the practices of each employer, but employees can check their pay stubs to familiarize themselves with how the contributions are made and ask an HR representative when the matches occur. Where possible, choose a responsible employer who handles this area with care!

    Also Check: How Do I Get My 401k Early

    Not Everyone On Florida Can Use Florida Exemptions

    This is a bit confusing, but the residency requirement for filing bankruptcy in Florida is not the same as the residency requirement for using Florida exemptions. You may file bankruptcy in Florida if you have lived here for more than 180 days .

    But to be allowed to use Floridas exemptions, you must live in Florida for 730 days before you file bankruptcy. But you arent left out in the cold. If you cannot use Florida exemptions, you can still use the exemptions of the state where you lived just before moving to Florida. Your 401k is more than likely safe, and as stated earlier, it is protected under federal law if it is ERISA-qualified.

    Meet With A Bankruptcy Lawyer

    No one wants to lose property in bankruptcy, but it can happenespecially in Chapter 7. Chapter 7 debtors don’t have the right to dismiss the case when the trustee wants to take property without first getting permission from the court. So it’s essential to know how to protect cash and bank accounts in bankruptcy if that’s the way you choose to go, as well as any other property before filing your action. Ultimately, the most prudent course of action is to consult with a knowledgeable bankruptcy lawyer.

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    Special Bankruptcy Exemption Rules For Iras And Roth Iras

    While 401s and other retirement savings plans enjoy uncapped protection against creditors in most bankruptcy cases, traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs are subject to a limit of $1,362,800 per person. In other words, creditors are able to pursue any funds which are left over beyond this limit. Additionally, the $1,362,800 limit applies to your combined plans not each individual plan.

    It is very important to point out that in June of 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that inherited IRA funds were not considered to be retirement funds in the true sense. As a result of this critical ruling, any IRA funds which you inherit from a relative are not considered to be exempt from collection by creditors in bankruptcy.

    Interestingly, the term retirement funds is not specifically defined anywhere in the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted that in the traditional sense, retirement funds are typically defined as sums of money set aside for the day an individual stops working, and that this definition may not necessarily apply to inherited IRAs, which could theoretically be withdrawn and used for anything, and not retirement purposes exclusively.

    Let Us Help With Your Estate Planning

    Can I withdraw from my 401k if I have an outstanding loan?

    As you move on through life and accumulate 401k/IRA funds, presumably you do not intend that your life savings should be lost to a bankruptcy court trustee for distribution to creditors. Just as we have discussed above, if you leave 401k/IRA funds to a beneficiary at the time of your death without planning, your beneficiary could lose the funds you designate for that beneficiary if that person is experiencing financial problems that ultimately lead to a filing for bankruptcy protection.

    Who can draft an Accumulation or Conduit trust to protect the 401k or IRA funds for an estate? Traditionally, estate planning attorneys who regularly draft wills and trusts establish these trusts. However, many bankruptcy attorneys like myself can affordably draft a spendthrift Accumulation/Conduit trust designed to keep your 401k/IRA funds from being ripped from the hands of your loved ones.

    . If you need a spendthrift Accumulation or Conduit trust to shelter IRA or 401k funds, we are pleased to provide that service. If you are ready to revise your will and estate plan, then I can help with that task as well.

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