What Happens To My 401k If I Switch Jobs

Roll Your Funds Into Your New Employers Plan

If your new employer offers a 401 plan with low fees and acceptable investment options, you can move your funds directly into the new account. Doing so is simple, and usually requires you to fill out forms with your previous plans administrator. In most cases, the administrator will deposit the funds into your new account. You also have the option to request a check for the lump sum. In this case, you must deposit the money into the new account within 60 days, or risk incurring income tax and penalty fees.

A direct rollover can be a good option if you are happy with your new employers plan and you want to consolidate your funds for easier management. If you think you might forget about the old account or youre worried about your previous employers financial future, moving the funds can give you peace of mind. Be sure to ask about all of the services that come with your new plan to determine which option is best for you.

After You Start A New Job:

• Review and sign up for benefits at your new job. Sign up for benefits as soon as possible to make sure you and your family are covered by insurance. Remember that small benefits, like commuter savings, flexible spending accounts , and health savings accounts add up, too.

• Set up your 401. If your new employer offers a 401 plan, sign up as soon as you are eligible. A 401 is one of the best ways to save for retirement. 401 contributions can be pre-tax or post tax . If theres an employer match, be sure you contribute at least enough to take full advantage of itthats essentially free money. If your employer does not offer a retirement plan, consider opening an IRA and allocate a portion of your pay every pay period to ensure you stay on track for retirement. Use our retirement calculator if you need help figuring out how much to set aside in your 401 or IRA for retirement.

• Estimate your tax liabilities. A change in salary can potentially affect your tax bracket, so be sure you understand what your new tax liabilities may be. Use the IRS Withholding Calculator to determine how much you should set aside for taxes then, change your tax withholding amounts on your W-4 form if necessary.

Transfer Your 401 To Your New Employer

If you’re changing jobs and your new employer offers a 401, you don’t have to worry about what happens to 401 if you leave your job â you can create a new account and transfer your funds to it.

Your new employer 401 plan might be flexible and work well with your investment options and financial goals. Also, since it is easier to track your investment accounts when they are in one place, moving your money to your new 401 account can be a good option. 401-to-401 transfers are seamless and don’t include taxes or penalties.

Learn how to transfer your old 401 to your new one before you leave your job. If you receive your proceeds from your old employer via check or cash, a mandatory 20% tax is applied to the savings. If you fail to deposit the money to your new retirement account within 60 days, you are subject to penalties and taxes.

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What Are The Alternatives

If your new job offers a retirement plan, then the easiest course of action is to roll your account into the new plan before the 60-day period ends. This is known as a rollover and is relatively painless to do. Contact The 401 plan administrator at your previous job should have all of the forms you need.

The best way to roll funds over from an old 401 plan to a new one is to use a direct transfer. With the direct transfer, you never receive a check, and you avoid all of the taxes and penalties mentioned above, and your savings will continue to grow tax-deferred until you retire.

One word of caution: Many employers require that you work a minimum period of time before you can participate in a 401. If that is the case, one solution is to keep your money in your former employers 401 plan until the new one is available. Then you can roll it over into the new plan. Most plans let former employees leave their assets several months in the old plan.

Roll It Over To Your New Employer

If youve switched jobs, see if your new employer offers a 401 and when you are eligible to participate. Many employers require new employees to put in a certain number of days of service before they can enroll in a retirement savings plan.

Once you are enrolled in a plan with your new employer, its simple to roll over your old 401. You can elect to have the administrator of the old plan deposit the contents of your account directly into the new plan by simply filling out some paperwork. This is called a direct transfer, made from custodian to custodian, and it saves you any risk of owing taxes or missing a deadline.

Alternatively, you can elect to have the balance of your old account distributed to you in the form of a check. However, you must deposit the funds into your new 401 within 60 days to avoid paying income tax on the entire balance. Make sure your new 401 account is active and ready to receive contributions before you liquidate your old account.

Consolidating old 401 accounts into a current employers 401 program makes sense if your current employers 401 is well structured and cost-effective, and it gives you one less thing to keep track of, says Stephen J. Taddie, managing partner, Stellar Capital Management LLC, Phoenix, Arizona. Keeping things simple for you now also makes things simple for your heirs should they need to step in to take care of your affairs later.

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What To Do With Your Old 401

Many 401k plans offer the ability to move money from a former employers 401 into a new plan. If you like your new employers plan, it makes sense to combine accounts and reduce your total amount of investments and fees.

Moving Your Old 401 to the New PlanThe information on how to move the former 401 should be included in your new plans sign-up package, or you can ask the plan sponsor directly. Once you cash out of one plan, you only have 90 days or less to get it the assets into the new plan, otherwise it will be considered a taxable distribution.

The funds should ideally be transferred directly from one company to the next. If you get a check mailed to you personally, do not cash it. Contact the new plan manager to find out how to transfer the assets correctly.

If you dont particularly like the new employers plan, its still worth saving there to get the opportunity to invest pre-tax dollars and take advantage of the employer matching funds.

Move Your Old 401 to a Rollover IRABut your old 401 doesnt have to be part of the new plan. Instead, you can move the money into a rollover individual retirement account . Think of a rollover IRA as a catch-all account that combines all the assets from the 401s you leave behind. With a rollover IRA, you can choose from a huge selection of investments, and the money continues to grow tax-deferred until retirement.

That takes care of the 401. Now to find the good lunch places in your new office neighborhood.

Leave The Money With Your Previous Employer

If your account balance is over a certain dollar amount, you may have the ability to leave your money in your previous employers 401 plan. Many plans have a minimum balance that you must maintain to qualify for this benefit, generally $5,000. Once you reach the retirement age of your former employers plan, you may be required to withdraw the funds.

Leaving your funds with your old employer can be a good idea for several reasons, including:

• Your previous employers plan may have low fees
• Your new employer offers a 401 plan, but may not allow you to contribute right away
• You want to take your time in deciding how best to proceed with your retirement funds

There can be downsides to leaving your money with your previous employer. For example, if you enroll in another 401 at a new company, youll have to manage two accounts. If your previous employer makes significant changes to their plansuch as switching plan providers, updating fund selections, assessing participant fees, etc.youll have to re-learn how to find and access your money.

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Will You Owe Taxes Probably Yes

You will pay income taxes at your current tax rate on distributions from your 401. Plus, if you are under the age of 59½, your distribution will be considered premature, and youll lose 10% of it to an early withdrawal penalty.

If you have an outstanding loan from your 401, you will have to repay it within a certain time frame, or the amount will be treated as a distribution for tax purposes.

Changing Jobs Options For Your 401 Plan

Make the smartest decisions for your retirement plan as your career evolves.

• Employees who leave their companies have several options when it comes to their 401 plans, and each option has advantages and disadvantages.
• Options include keeping your existing plan where it is and starting a separate one at your new company, rolling it over to an IRA, or transferring it to your new companys plan.
• While its tempting to take a 401 distribution in cash to fund a dream vacation or other treat, it carries serious consequences and is not a good option for most people.

If you have a 401 plan, you are familiar with the benefits afforded by these popular retirement accounts. They are a great way to set aside pre-tax earnings and enjoy tax-deferred investments that can grow handsomely over the years, especially if your employer matches your contributions.

But what will happen to that nest egg if you leave your company to take another job? Maybe little or nothing at all, if you transfer the money to another qualified plan. Or, you might face a big tax bill and a government penalty if you prematurely withdraw funds. It depends on what you decide.

Employees who leave their companies have several options when it comes to their 401 plans, and each option has advantages and disadvantages.

Keep your old 401 where it is and start another one at your new job

Roll over existing 401 assets to an IRA and start another 401 at your new job

Take some or allof the money and run

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Things You Can Do With 401 After Leaving Your Job

Many employers offer 401s as a way to help employees save for retirement. When you leave your job, youll need to decide what to do with your 401. Depending on what you do once you leave your job, you have several options. In this article, we describe four options you have when deciding what to do with 401 when you leave a job.

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Roll Over Into Your New Employers Plan

Moving your funds into your new employers retirement plan is a good idea if the new plan has lower fees and more investment options. The primary benefit is having all of your money in one place, which would be much easier for you to keep track of. But, you may not be eligible to join the 401 plan on your first day at a new job. Many employers have waiting periods before new employees can participate in their retirement plan and most other benefits. Be sure and check with their human resources department for the information you need to make the change.

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Youve Got Options But Some May Be Better Than Others

• The Bottom Line

After you leave your job, there are several options for your 401. You may be able to leave your account where it is. Alternatively, you may roll over the money from the old 401 into a new account with your new employer, or roll it into an individual retirement account , but you must first see when you are eligible to participate in the new plan. You can also take some or all of the money out, but there are serious tax consequences to that.

Make sure to understand the particulars of the options available to you before deciding which route to take.

Roll Your Money Into Your New Employers 401 Plan

Almost all 401 plans now accept rollovers from other retirement plans. You should certainly contribute to your new plan. But should you transfer your old account into it?

Advantages

• Consolidating your retirement money makes it easier to manage. When youve left a retirement account at a company you no longer work for, you may pay less attention to its performance or downplay its importance in your overall asset allocation.
• The new plan may offer more attractive investment options than the old one, as well as additional services, such as financial-planning advice.

Disadvantages

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Roll Your Money Into Your New Employer’s 401 Plan

Almost all 401 plans now accept rollovers from other retirement plans. You should certainly contribute to your new plan. But should you transfer your old account into it?

Advantages

• Consolidating your retirement money makes it easier to manage. When you’ve left a retirement account at a company you no longer work for, you may pay less attention to its performance or downplay its importance in your overall asset allocation.
• The new plan may offer more attractive investment options than the old one, as well as additional services, such as financial-planning advice.

Disadvantages

• The new plan may offer fewer investment options or investments that dont meet your needs.

Your Raise Or Bonus Pushed Your Contributions Over The Limit

Setting up automatic contributions to your employer-sponsored 401 is a great way to make sure youll max out your 401 without putting in a lot of effort. But you could go over if you get a pay bump or bonus.

When you get a bonus, any traditional deductions such as taxes are withdrawn like normal, and so are any contributions to your 401. If youre maxing out your salary contributions, a bonus might put you over the limit.

A salary increase can put you over the limit as well. You may have set up your auto-contributions to max out throughout the year. If you get a pay bump, your contribution will go up as well. You may miss this increase and forget to adjust your auto-contributions.

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The Right Decision Depends On Your Situation

In the flurry of starting a new job, it’s easy to forget about your 401, but neglecting this investment account can have lasting effects on your finances. To make the most of your retirement savings, carefully consider the pros and cons of each option for handling your 401. And don’t make a move until you fully understand all the alternatives and how your decision might affect your tax liability and your financial future.

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Make Sure Your Retirement Plan Follows Your Career Trajectory

Lets face it. Things were a little simpler for your grandad. He probably stayed with the same company, contributing to the same retirement plan for years building a nice nest egg over the course of a career. Things are a little different today and staying with one employer is a luxury we dont often have. Whether youre changing jobs because you want to or you have to, youll need to make a decision about what to do with your employer savings plan.

Roll It Over Into Your New 401

If you start a new job and the employer offers a 401, look at the investment options and the fees in the new plan. Some fees are really low in 401 plans, so you may want to roll your old 401 into your new one.

Having everything in one account, instead of having multiple 401 plans from different jobs, helps keep your retirement savings streamlined, Berra said.

To start the process, speak to your new human resources department to make sure your new plan accepts rollovers. Then, you’ll have to fill out paperwork form your new plan, as well as a transfer form from your old employer.

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