The Basics Of A 401K Account
401k plans have become very popular with employers. These plans are being used in place of pension plans to offer a retirement option for employees. Since the plans are handled by third party investment firms, they are safer for employees because the fund doesn't disappear if the employer goes bankrupt. As long as the employee doesn't invest his entire 401k fund into company stock, his 401k will continue to grow even if the company goes under. Here are the basics of a 401k account.
A 401k plan is a retirement plan that is set up as a special type of account to take advantage of tax benefits. With a 401k plan, you can deposit money into the account tax-free. That means it comes out of your check before taxes are taken out of it. Instead of paying taxes on the money you put into your 401k at the current rate, you will be taxed when you withdraw the money from the account.
There are limits on how much you can contribute to a 401k. For people who make under $110, 000 annually, the contribution limit is $16, 500 for an individual and $49, 000 including the employer match. If you are 50 years old or older, the limits are increased to $22, 000 and $54, 500. For employees who make over $110, 000 per year, there are special rules that may result in your employer lowering your limit.
Employer matching is offered by many companies that have 401k plans for their employees. If your employer offers matching, they will put extra money in your 401k account based on the amount you contribute. They may match contributions 100% up to a certain amount, or they may do partial matching. Some companies require the matched contributions to be put into a fund that only purchases company stock.
The funds in your 401k plan might not be fully vested immediately. This means that there might be a waiting period before the money is really considered yours. You can choose how the money in your 401k is invested, but you are limited to the options that your company makes available to you.
If you need money for something, you might be able to take a loan out against your 401k to pay for it. This benefit is available with many 401k plans, but not all of them. If you do borrow against your 401k plan, you have to pay the loan back, along with interest. In most cases, if you stop working for the company the loan will be due in full immediately. There are tax penalties for not paying it back when this happens.
Since many companies now opt for 401k plans instead of traditional pensions, it's a good idea to get an idea of how they work. That way you can make an informed decision about whether to invest in your company's plan. - 23199
A 401k plan is a retirement plan that is set up as a special type of account to take advantage of tax benefits. With a 401k plan, you can deposit money into the account tax-free. That means it comes out of your check before taxes are taken out of it. Instead of paying taxes on the money you put into your 401k at the current rate, you will be taxed when you withdraw the money from the account.
There are limits on how much you can contribute to a 401k. For people who make under $110, 000 annually, the contribution limit is $16, 500 for an individual and $49, 000 including the employer match. If you are 50 years old or older, the limits are increased to $22, 000 and $54, 500. For employees who make over $110, 000 per year, there are special rules that may result in your employer lowering your limit.
Employer matching is offered by many companies that have 401k plans for their employees. If your employer offers matching, they will put extra money in your 401k account based on the amount you contribute. They may match contributions 100% up to a certain amount, or they may do partial matching. Some companies require the matched contributions to be put into a fund that only purchases company stock.
The funds in your 401k plan might not be fully vested immediately. This means that there might be a waiting period before the money is really considered yours. You can choose how the money in your 401k is invested, but you are limited to the options that your company makes available to you.
If you need money for something, you might be able to take a loan out against your 401k to pay for it. This benefit is available with many 401k plans, but not all of them. If you do borrow against your 401k plan, you have to pay the loan back, along with interest. In most cases, if you stop working for the company the loan will be due in full immediately. There are tax penalties for not paying it back when this happens.
Since many companies now opt for 401k plans instead of traditional pensions, it's a good idea to get an idea of how they work. That way you can make an informed decision about whether to invest in your company's plan. - 23199
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posted by X - Men @ 2:01 AM
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