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401(k)
In-Service 401(k) Rollovers
Written by Mary Ann Ferreira, CFP®, CDFA™, AIF® Does it make sense for you to do an “In-Service” (while still working) rollover of your 401(k) assets? Some 401(k) plans have high fees and expenses. In addition, the investment choices available in these retirement plans are sometimes limited. As a result of TIPRA (Tax Increase Prevention Reconciliation…
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Marriage: Entering a New Investment Life
There are a lot of issues that couples need to think about when tying the knot — wedding preparations, family, and, of course, finances. Addressing personal finance and investment issues before the big day may help improve your odds of being together years later. Here are some financial issues that you should consider when embarking…
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Five Strategies for Tax-Efficient Investing
You may be able to use losses within your investment portfolio to help offset realized gains. If your losses exceed your gains, you can offset up to $3,000 per year of the difference against ordinary income. After factoring in federal income and capital gains taxes, the alternative minimum tax, and potential state and local taxes,…
Read MoreUnderstanding Defined Benefit Plans
You may be counting on funds from a defined benefit plan to help you achieve a comfortable retirement. Often referred to as traditional pension plans, defined benefit plans promise to pay you a specified amount at retirement. To help you understand the role a defined benefit plan might play in your retirement savings strategy, here’s…
Read MoreRetirement Plans for Small Businesses
As a business owner, you should carefully consider the advantages of establishing an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Generally, you’re allowed a deduction for contributions you make to an employer-sponsored retirement plan. In return, however, you’re required to include certain employees in the plan, and to give a portion of the contributions you make to those participating…
Read MoreDeciding What to Do with Your 401(k) Plan When You Change Jobs Approved
When you change jobs, you need to decide what to do with the money in your 401(k) plan. Should you leave it where it is, or take it with you? Should you roll the money over into an IRA or into your new employer’s retirement plan? As you consider your options, keep in mind that…
Read MoreUsing 'brokerage window' to expand 401(k) options
Do you trust your investment prowess enough to put your 401(k) plan on the line? Don Uphouse, chief finance officer of Active Minerals International in Sparks, Md., does. The 59-year-old uses his company’s brokerage window as a way to save and invest for retirement. “I’m a seasoned investor, and I enjoy picking my own stocks,”…
Read MoreChanging Jobs? Take Your 401(k) and Roll It
If you’ve lost your job, or are changing jobs, you may be wondering what to do with your 401(k) plan account. It’s important to understand your options. What will I be entitled to? If you leave your job (voluntarily or involuntarily), you’ll be entitled to a distribution of your vested balance. Your vested balance always…
Read MoreU.S. Supreme Court Clarifies How ERISA's Duty to Monitor Plan Investments Interacts with the Six-Year Statute of Limitations
On May 18, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the case of Tibble v. Edison International. Tibble was an employee of Edison and participated in its 401(k) plan. He and other employees sued Edison under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) for breach of fiduciary duty for offering six higher-priced retail-class mutual funds as…
Read More401 (k) Plans
Qualified cash or deferred arrangements (CODAs) permitted under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code, commonly referred to as “401(k) plans,” have become one of the most popular types of employer-sponsored retirement plans. How does a 401(k) plan work? With a 401(k) plan, you elect either to receive cash payments (wages) from your employer immediately,…
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