Rolling Over Your 401k With A Former Employer
No matter what the terms of your former employers 401k plan, you always are free to roll an account from a 401k over into a personal IRA. Some people may wish to cash out their 401k plan at this time or take a distribution. However, you need to be familiar with 401k withdrawal rules, as there are various fees and penalties associated with early withdrawals.
Withdrawing From A 401 After Leaving The Company Without A Penalty
In any of the following situations, you may qualify for early withdrawal without being subjected to any penalty:
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If you leave a company the same year you turn 55 years old
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If you suffer from total or permanent disability
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If you cash out in equal installments spread over an expected period of your remaining lifetime
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If you need to pay for medical expenses, which are more than 10% of your income
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If as a military reservist, you have been called to active duty
Agree To Take The Distributions
If you are retiring, you can take penalty-free distributions on your savings starting at age 59.5. If you are under age 59.5, you can still take a distribution, but you will need to pay a 10% penalty unless you meet the hardship exemption or IRS Rule of 55 criteria. If you are 72 or older, you must take minimum withdrawals. Keep in mind you will need to pay income tax on the withdrawn amount unless you set up a Roth 401 that you had for at least five years and paid taxes when you put the money in. If you fail to meet the five-year requirement, only the earnings portion of your distributions is subject to taxation.
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Leave The Money In The Old 401k Account
Because of the turmoil around job changes, this become the default option for many people, as weve discussed above.
Pros: If the costs of the old plan are really low and if the investment options are extremely good, this may be a viable option.
Cons: As weve discussed, you may be paying high fees, have restricted investment options and lose early withdrawal options.
Changing Employers And A 401 K
A change of company might mean you change your 401 k too. Try to find out how long that company can hold your 401k after you leave. We encourage you to discuss this matter with your new employer. It’s important that you take your old 401 k into consideration when you look for a new place of work. You may also want to choose your new employer based on the kind of retirement plan is on offer.
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Option : Roll Over Your 401 Into An Ira
Instead of keeping your funds in a 401, you may also choose to roll over your plan into an IRA. Youll do this with a bank or brokerage firm separate from your employer. This is a common choice for people who are leaving the workforce or for those who dont have an employer that offers a 401 plan.
The main benefit of an IRA versus a 401 is more flexibility in withdrawing money penalty-free before reaching the age of 59 ½. You also have direct access and more control over your investment options. You may have other investments and can now move this money to the same brokerage so that everything is in one plan, which consolidates logins.
If you choose to withdraw money from a rollover IRA, it may be used for a qualifying first-time home purchase or higher education expenses in addition to the exceptions for 401s.
The drawbacks of an IRA is that youll lose some hardship distribution options as well as qualified status, which means less protection of your assets. For example, if you were to be sued, some states would allow money in IRAs to be collected but not if it was in a 401.
You May Not Have The Best Investment Options
Even if the fees are reasonable, your orphaned 401k offers only limited investment options. By their very nature, 401ks cannot provide access to every investment option available in the market. Instead, someone at your old employer or someone in the insurance companys or brokers back office decided which investment funds you could use. Leaving your money in an old 401k is leaving your money to the whims of the least common denominator in that process.
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Should You Invest In Your 401k If You Plan To Retire Early
Some readers brought up an interesting point in response to the 3 Ways To Define Financial Independence. Should you count your 401k and IRA when you calculate your Financial Freedom Ratio*? You cant access these tax advantaged retirement funds without penalty until age 59-1/2. If you plan to retire at 40 or 50, wouldnt it be better to invest in a taxable account so your saving is easier to access?
*Financial Freedom Ratio = investable asset/annual expense. If your FFR is over 25, then youre close to financial independence.
First of all, I count our 401k and IRA in our investable asset. We dont plan to access them until were 60, but they are invested and they are growing. I wouldnt have been able to justify quitting my job if I discounted 50% of our net worth. Here is our withdrawal plan.
- Age 40 60: Support our lifestyle with Mrs. RB40s paychecks, my online income, dividend from taxable account, rental properties, and P2P lending. We can draw down from our taxable account as needed.
- Age 60-70: All of the above plus withdrawal from 401k, IRA, and Roth IRA.
- Age 70+: All of the above plus social security benefits.
What Happens To My Restricted Stocks Or Stock Options When I Leave My Job
Regardless of the type of stock, you should review your grant agreement or consult with your employer regarding terms and conditions of the award. There are different restrictions and liabilities depending on the type of equity award you have.
Under most circumstances, there is an opportunity to exercise vested stock options after your end date with your employer. However, this depends on the terms of your award. We recommend you understand the impact on your finances before you make any decisions.
Additionally, proceeds from the sale of your shares could be subject to capital gains tax, and tax implications of equity awards are complex and vary by state, local jurisdiction, and country. You should consult financial and tax advisors before you exercise your options or sell stock.
Although Schwab is not permitted to interpret grant agreements or plan documents, and no one can predict the performance of your former employers stock, a Financial Consultant can help you understand how your equity award fits into your overall financial picture.
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What Happens To Your 401 When You Quit
Look whats that? Oh hey, its the bright future ahead of you now that youve left that old job behind. Time to move on to new opportunities whether theyre waiting for you right now, or youre about to take some time to discover your next step.
But theres one slice of your old job hanging out in your periphery that employers 401, and all your money invested in it. So whats going to happen to that account, and what do you need to do next?
Withdrawing Funds Between Ages 55 And 59 1/2
Most 401 plans allow for penalty-free withdrawals starting at age 55. You must have left your job no earlier than the year in which you turn age 55 to use this option. You must leave your funds in the 401 plan to access them penalty-free. But there are a few exceptions to this rule. This option makes funds accessible as early as age 50 for many police officers, firefighters, and EMTs.
Make sure to understand the rules around the age requirement for penalty-free withdrawals. For example, the age 55 rule won’t apply if you retire in the year before you reach age 55. Your withdrawal would be subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty tax in this case.
You might retire at age 54, thinking that you can access funds penalty-free in one year. It doesn’t work that way. You must wait one more year to retire for this age rule to take effect.
The retirement rule regarding age 55 and up won’t apply if you roll your 401 plan over to an IRA. The earliest age at which you can withdraw funds from a traditional IRA account without a penalty tax is 59. 1/2.
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What Happens If I Leave My Job With An Outstanding 401 Loan
Leaving a job, whether by quitting or getting fired, is always a stressful time. Parting ways with a company with whom you have an outstanding 401 loan can cause even more problems.
Regardless of how long you have left on a 401 loan, the IRS requires 401 loans to be repaid within 60 days of leaving an employer who sponsors the plan in which you took a loan out.
Borrowers who fail to repay the remaining balance within 60 days will be required to pay income tax on the amount at the applicable tax rate. Additionally, a 10% early withdrawal penalty tax will be assessed as the IRS will deem the unpaid portion as an unqualified 401 disbursement.
If youâve spent the entire amount you received from your 401 loan, this amount will need to be made up by April 15, when taxes are due.
To avoid any taxes or penalties, you could take out a personal loan depending on the outstanding amount. This method would essentially extend the repayment period and avoid having you come up with a lump sum on your own.
Additionally, if you have made enough contributions to a Roth IRA to cover the outstanding balance on your 401, you may be able to withdraw the amount you need tax and penalty-free. Withdrawals of Roth IRA contributions are not considered ineligible distributions as those contributions were already taxed prior to them being deposited into the Roth IRA.
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Roll It Over Into An Ira Of Your Choosing
This is a very good option for most people. Rolling over simply means you transfer the balance from one qualified investment account into another, and it is very easy. If you roll over your 401 k account into a Rollover IRA, it preserves the benefits of most of the options above, and it avoids the downsides.
Pros: This preserves the tax benefits of the 401k, expands your investment options, can reduce expenses, and allows you to control your retirement nest egg.
Additional Benefits of 401k Rollovers: If you need to preserve the early withdrawal and loan options, there are other individual retirement plan rollover options that can be considered.
Cons: It can increase costs if you pick the wrong brokerage or insurance company for the rollover, but working with a 100% objective advisor should eliminate this drawback.
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Are You Still Working
You can access funds from an old 401 plan after you reach age 59 1/2 if you’re still working, but you may not have the same access to the funds at the company for which you currently work if you’ve changed jobs.
Check with your 401 plan administrator to find out whether your plan allows what’s referred to as an in-service distribution at age 59 1/2. Some 401 plans allow this, but others don’t.
Roll It Over Into An Ira
If you’re not moving to a new employer, or your new employer doesn’t offer a retirement plan, you still have a good option. You can roll your old 401 into an IRA.
You’ll be opening the account on your own, through the financial institution of your choice. The possibilities are pretty much limitless. That is, you’re no longer restricted to the options made available by an employer.
The biggest advantage of rolling a 401 into an IRA is the freedom to invest how you want, where you want, and in what you want, says John J. Riley, AIF, founder and chief investment strategist for Cornerstone Investment Services LLC, Providence, Rhode Island. There are few limits on an IRA rollover.
One item you might want to consider is that in some states, such as California, if you are in the middle of a lawsuit or think there is the potential for a future claim against you, you may want to leave your money in a 401 instead of rolling it into an IRA, says financial advisor Jarrett B. Topel, CFP, Topel & DiStasi Wealth Management LLC, Berkeley, California. There is more creditor protection in California with 401s than there is with IRAs. In other words, it is harder for creditors/plaintiffs to get at the money in your 401 than it is to get at the money in your IRA.
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Early Money: Take Advantage Of The 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 you just left. Money that is still in an earlier employer’s plan is not eligible for this exceptionnor is money in an individual retirement account .
If your account is between $1,000 and $5,000, your company is required to roll the funds into an IRA if it forces you out of the plan.
Leave The 401 In The Care Of Your Former Employer
If your 401 balance is low say $5,000 or less most plans will allow you to keep the money where it is after you leave. By default, you may be able to manage the money without making changes, but your investment choices will be limited. If the money is under $1,000, the company may cut you a check to force the money out. If the money is between $1,000 and $5,000, they will likely help you set up an IRA if they are forcing you out.
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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:
Rest Assured As The 401k Account Still Belongs To You
The short answer is that nothing of substance happens. Your account is frozen, meaning you can no longer contribute to it. However, that 401k account, as well as most if not all the money in it, is still legally yours and continues to belong to you even after you have left that employer.
The money remains with the investment manager or the custodian of your now former employers 401k plan. Nothing has changed regarding ownership of that account or the funds in that account except that you no longer work for that employer.
You are no longer eligible to contribute to that 401k account but whatever funds you had in an account with that employers 401k plan are yours to keep.
This is true for all funds you personally may have contributed to your account with your now former employers 401k plan. Certain matching contributions made by your employer may not be included in the funds available to you if you have not met your particular plans requirements for vesting. However, any contributions that you personally made to that plan will be yours to keep.
Many employers require that you remain with the company for a specific amount of time. For example, your employer may require that for you to be fully vested in the companys 401k plan you must work at the company for at least 3 years. If you leave before your third year work anniversary, any employer match would remain at the company.
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The Early Withdrawal Penalty
If you want to withdraw money from your 401 k, you must be aware of the withdrawal penalty. This applies to you if you’re younger than age 59 when you try to withdraw funds from your retirement plan. If you want to withdraw some of your contributions from your 401 k and you’re less than age 59, heavy restrictions could apply. You could expect up to 10% of the funds to be deducted as a penalty.
There are exceptions to this rule, though. One thing to keep in mind is your personal circumstances. For example, if you have to leave your job due to illness, you can generally get access to your 401 k funds without restriction. This also applies to members of the military in many instances. If you’re unwell and have to use your 401 k funds to finance medical treatment, this is usually allowed without your contributions being penalized.
Disadvantages Of Closing Your 401k
Whether you should cash out your 401k before turning 59 ½ is another story. The biggest disadvantage is the penalty the IRS applies on early withdrawals.
First, you must pay an immediate 10% penalty on the amount withdrawn. Later, you must include the amount withdrawn as income when you file taxes. Even further down the road, there is severe damage on the long-term earning potential of your 401k account.
So, lets say at age 40, you have $50,000 in your 401k and decide you want to cash out $25,000 of it. For starters, the 10% early withdrawal penalty of $2,500 means you only get $22,500.
Later, the $25,000 is added to your taxable income for that year. If you were single and making $75,000, you would be in the 22% tax bracket. Add $25,000 to that and now youre being taxed on $100,000 income, which means youre in the 24% tax bracket. That means youre paying an extra $6,000 in taxes.
So, youre net for early withdrawal is just $16,500. In other words, it cost you $8,500 to withdraw $25,000.
Beyond that, you reduced the earning potential of your 401k account by $25,000. Measured over 25 years, the cost to your bottom line would be around $100,000. That is an even bigger disadvantage.
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