Managing Your 401 For Maximum Returns
Investing in a 401 plan is one of many popular methods that can help you build a secure retirement. Many have enjoyed long and comfortable retirements by starting to save early in their lives and maximizing their employer match.
Here are some tips for maximizing your 401 investment results by managing the plan over time.
So What If Youre Not Eligible
If you dont work for an employer that offers a 401 plan, your retirement options are limited. The IRA is going to be your best friend, as long as you dont earn more than IRA income caps. You can choose to contribute pre-tax dollars to a traditional IRA and pay taxes on withdrawals in retirement or contribute post-tax dollars to a Roth IRA from which you can make tax-free withdrawals in retirement.
Again, you can only put in up to $5,500 per year. There is, however, some good news: If you forgot to make IRA contributions throughout the year, you can count IRA contributions you make up to April 15th towards the previous tax year.
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Our reporters and editors focus on the points consumers care about most how to save for retirement, understanding the types of accounts, how to choose investments and more so you can feel confident when planning for your future.
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What About A Traditional Ira
If your income is too high to contribute to a Roth IRA, you can go with a traditional IRA. Like a Roth IRA, you can contribute up to $6,000 a year$7,000 if youre 50 or olderand you and your spouse can both have an account.4
Thats where the similarities end. Unlike a Roth IRA, there are no annual income limits. But youre required to begin withdrawing once you turn 72, and even though contributions to a traditional IRA are tax-deductible, youll have to pay taxes on the money you take from it in retirement.5
Still with us? Now, lets look at some other options you can explore if youre self-employed.
Crank Up The Investments Available
- Contribute more Put a higher percentage of your income into your existing retirement plan. Since it lowers your taxable income, it may be cheaper than you think.
- Try other tax-deferred options Consider opening an individual retirement account if youve reached the maximum contribution level in your employer-sponsored plan.
- Consider getting taxed up front Money placed in a Roth IRA is taxed now, but qualified Roth earnings are never taxed. This can save you more money in the long run.
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What Are The Contribution Levels And Limits Of A Solo 401
To take full advantage of contributions to a Solo 401 plan you must understand your limits as an employee and employer, as well as contributions allowed on behalf of a spouse if applicable.
When contributing as the employee, you are allowed up to $19,500 or 100% of compensation in salary deferrals for tax years 2020 and 2021. If you are over 50, an additional $6,500 catch-up contribution is allowed for tax years 2020 and 2021. This is the type of contribution that can be made as pre-tax/tax-deferred or Roth deferral or a combination of both. Additionally, as the employer, you can make a profit-sharing contribution up to 25% of your compensation from the business up to $57,000 for tax year 2020 and $58,000 for tax year 2021. When adding the employee and employer contributions together for the year the maximum 2020 Solo 401 contribution limit is $57,000 and the maximum 2021 solo 401 contribution is $58,000. If you are age 50 and older and make catch-up contributions, the limit is increased by these catch-ups to be $63,500 for 2020 and $64,500 for 2021.
Compensation from your business can be a bit tricky. This is calculated as your business net profit minus half of your self-employment tax and the employer plan contributions you made for yourself plan). The limit on compensation that can be factored into your tax year contribution is $285,000 for 2020 and $290,000 for 2021.
You Can Also Choose A Roth 401
Many 401 plans give participants the option to choose a Roth 401. With a Roth 401, you make contributions to your plan with after-tax income, meaning the contributions do not reduce your taxable income. Like a Roth individual retirement account , you pay no income taxes on qualified distributions, such as those made after the age of 59 ½ .
Choosing a Roth 401 can make sense if you believe you will be in a higher tax bracket when you retire than you are today. For many young earners who are just beginning their careers, lower income levels and tax brackets could make a Roth 401 a great choice.
There is nothing forcing you to choose between either a traditional 401 or a Roth 401you can make contributions to both kinds of 401 plan, if your employer offers them. Consider speaking with a tax professional or a financial advisor when deciding between a traditional or a Roth 401, or dividing your contributions between both types.
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Next Steps To Consider
This information is intended to be educational and is not tailored to the investment needs of any specific investor.
Recently enacted legislation made a number of changes to the rules regarding defined contribution, defined benefit and/or individual retirement plans and 529 plans. Information herein may refer to or be based on certain rules in effect prior to this legislation and current rules may differ. As always, before making any decisions about your retirement planning or withdrawals, you should consult with your personal tax advisor.
Fidelity does not provide legal or tax advice. The information herein is general and educational in nature and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Tax laws and regulations are complex and subject to change, which can materially impact investment results. Fidelity cannot guarantee that the information herein is accurate, complete, or timely. Fidelity makes no warranties with regard to such information or results obtained by its use, and disclaims any liability arising out of your use of, or any tax position taken in reliance on, such information. Consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific situation.
With respect to federal taxation only. Contributions, investment earnings, and distributions may or may not be subject to state taxation.
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What Happens To Your 401 When You Change Jobs
You have several options for your 401 balance when you change jobs. Avoid simply cashing out your savingsif youre under 59½ years old, youll get hit with the 10 percent early withdrawal tax penalty, and if its a traditional 401 youll own income tax on the balance.
If you have less than $1,000 in your 401, the plan administrator is empowered to write you a check for the balance. This gives you 60 days to reinvest the money in an IRA or your new companys 401 plan before you are subject to the additional 10% tax penalty and possible ordinary income tax. If you have more than $1,000 but less than $5,000 in your 401, the administrator can open an IRA in your name and roll your balance over into it.
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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:
How Do 401 Contributions Work
You decide how much of your income to contribute to a 401 account every year, subject to IRS limits. Generally you elect to save a percentage of your annual salary in your employers 401 when you start a new job, and you can adjust your contribution level up or down as often as the rules of the plan allow. You may halt contributions entirely at any time, for any reason.
Lets say your bi-monthly paycheck is $2,000, and you chose to contribute 5 percent of your annual salary in the companys traditional 401 plan. In this case, $100 would be subtracted from each paycheck and deposited in your 401 account. Your taxable income would be $1,900 . If you opted for a Roth 401, the $100 would be taken out of each paycheck after taxes.
Depending on your employers plan, you may be automatically enrolled in a 401 plan at a set contribution rate when you start a job, unless you choose to opt-out of the plan. Alternatively, you may need to affirmatively choose whether to enroll in your employers 401 plan or opt-out.
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How To Open A 401 Without An Employer
How do you open a 401 account without an employer plan? Many companies donât offer a 401. But there are many alternatives to save for retirement.
The 401 retirement plan is the most common way in which Americans save for retirement. However, according to a study by the US Census Bureau, only 14% of US employers offer a 401 through their company. That still results in over 70% of Americans contributing to a 401 plan. But if you find yourself working for a company that doesn’t offer a 401 plan, you might not know how to open a 401 without an employer plan.
If your company doesnât offer a 401 plan or you are self-employed, youâll need to join a separate financial institution. There youâll be able to open a 401, IRA, or any other retirement plan you choose.
In addition to these alternatives to 401s, you’ll want to rollover your old 401s to these accounts. Consolidating your 401s will help keep your retirement properly managed and accounted for.
What Are The Potential Tax Benefits Of A Solo 401
One of the potential benefits of a Solo 401 is the flexibility to choose when you want to deal with your tax obligation. In a Solo 401 plan all contributions you make as the “employer” will be tax-deductible to your business with any earnings growing tax-deferred until withdrawn. But for contributions you make as an “employee” you have more flexibility. Typically, your employee “deferral” contributions reduce your personal taxable income for the year and can grow tax-deferred, with distributions in retirement taxed as ordinary income. Or you can make some or all of your employee deferral contributions as a Roth Solo 401 plan contribution. These Roth Solo 401 employee contributions do not reduce your current taxable income, but your distributions in retirement are usually tax-free. Generally speaking, there are tax penalties for withdrawals from a Solo 401 before 59 1/2 so be sure to know the specifics of your plan.
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Choosing Investments In Your 401
You will usually have several investment options in your 401 plan. The plan administrator provides participants with a selection of different mutual funds, index funds and sometimes even exchange traded funds to choose from.
You get to decide how much of your 401 balance to invest in different funds. You could opt to invest 70 percent of your contributions in an equity index fund, 20 percent in a bond index fund and 10 percent in a money market mutual fund, for example.
Plans that automatically enroll workers almost always invest their contributions in what is known as a target-date fund. Thats a fund that holds a mix of stocks and bonds, with the mix determined by your current age and your target date for retirement. Generally, the younger you are, the higher the percentage of stocks. Even if you are automatically enrolled in a target-date fund, you are always free to change your investments.
Investing options available in 401 plans vary widely. You should consider consulting with a financial adviser to help you figure out the best investing strategy for you, based on your risk tolerance and long-term goals.
How To Save For Retirement Without An Employer
About 34% of the workforce today is made up of freelancers, constituting what is now known as the Gig Economy. These individuals have forgone the traditional 9-5 office jobs for temporary contract work with one or many organizations.
And, Intuit predicts that number will continue to grow. For so many, working from home or having the flexibility that comes with Americas Gig Economy sounds like a dream come true.
But with a growing number of freelancers in the workforce, a bigger problem is being realized nearly half of these freelancers do not have a formal retirement plan.
Though retirement is a goal for many Americans , it has become significantly more difficult to attain. Those who are self-employed, working gigs, part-time jobs, or contract work dont have access to employer-sponsored plans like a 401K. So, they have to design their own.
Here are some practical ways to build a retirement savings fund if youre self-employed or run your own small business. If youre looking for more tips on how to save for retirement, check out this blog.
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Diversify Your 401 Portfolio
Your portfolio is the collection of assets you have. You have nine investments in your portfolio if you have three mutual funds, three stocks, and three bonds. This mix is also diversified. It’s made up of different assets. This reduces the risk.
You have many options for planning your diversification. One is the “100 minus age” rule. The percentage of stocks in your portfolio should be the number you arrive at when you subtract your age from 100. The rest should be made up of mutual funds, bonds, or other investments. Your portfolio should be 60% stocks, with the remaining 40% in mutual funds and bonds, if you’re 40 years old and setting up your 401.
Saving For The Future Requires Sacrifices Today
Disciplined consistency is key to success. Retirement savings grow because of compound interest, which means the earlier you start saving , the more money youll have later. It would be more beneficial for you to consistently save a small amount of money starting at age 25 than to periodically save large amounts of money starting at age 45.
Budgeting is the secret sauce to this disciplined consistency. It will help you save, control your spending, and reach your long-term goals.
Living on a budget = living beneath your means = living with financial margin = saving for the future = happy retirement.
In Proverbs, Solomon tells us to learn the principles of saving and discipline from an ant . Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, O sluggard consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.
In other words, prepare for the future today.
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Retirement Contributions And Income Limits
You will need to pay attention to the 401 contribution limits and Roth and Traditional IRA contribution limits. Be sure to note the associated income limitations of each. For example, if you are eligible for an employer-sponsored retirement plan, deductible IRA contributions begin to phase out for single filers at an AGI of $55,000, and at $89,000 for married filers. If those income limits affect you, then you may wish to invest in a Roth IRA or a non-deductible Traditional IRA.
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How Is An Ira Different From 401k
401K accounts are associated with your employment, as contributions are taken out of your wages before taxes. A traditional IRA is similar to a 401k in that contributions aren’t taxed , but the key difference is that they are independent of your employer. A Roth IRA is also independent, but contributions are made after taxes. Withdrawals from your Roth IRA are tax-free, which makes them a smart choice if you think taxes will be higher in the future.
While You Can’t Invest In A 401 That Isn’t Sponsored By Your Employer There Are A Couple Of Exceptions To The Rule
Photo: 401kcalculator.org via Flickr.
A 401 is the most common type of retirement plan private-sector employers offer. However, many employers don’t offer a 401, or any type of retirement plan at all. If you are in this group, can you still take advantage of the many benefits of a 401?
The short answer: not really By definition, a 401 is an employer-sponsored retirement plan designed to encourage employees to save money for retirement and employers to help them do it. So to take advantage of this type of an account, you need to have an employer, and the employer needs to be the sponsor of the plan.
Some specific rules:
- You can’t invest in a 401 if you’re unemployed.
- You can’t invest in a 401 if your employer doesn’t offer one, or you don’t meet the qualifications for your employer’s plan .
- You can’t invest in an employer’s 401 if you aren’t that employer’s employee.
But just as with many other topics in finance, there are exceptions. Here are two major exceptions to the 401 rules.
Exception 1: You are the employerIf your income comes from self-employment, you can start a retirement savings account known as a Solo 401 or Individual 401.
Essentially, this gives you all the benefits of an employer-sponsored 401, as well as the ability to invest in any stocks, bonds, or mutual funds you want — not just in a small, specific basket of funds such as those that most employer-sponsored 401 plans offer.
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