401K

Choices for Your 401(k) Retirement Plan When You Leave or Change Your Job Including an IRA Rollover

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For those who have money stashed away in an employer sponsored 401(k) retirement account, there are a number of options they can take with those funds when they move on from their current place of employment. However, before initiating any of these choices, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of each because what [...]

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How You Can Get a 14% Effective Tax Rate Like Mitt Romney and Other Super-Rich Americans

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GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his wife paid a 14% effective income tax rate in 2010 on nearly $22 million of income. Given the marginal federal income tax rate for anyone making over $35,350 (single) or $70,700 (married) is higher than 15%, it is pretty clear that the Romney’s are paying way below what [...]

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2011 Average 401K and IRA Returns And 2012 Performance Outlook

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I recently received my 2011 401(k) performance statement and was disappointed to see a -3.2% performance for the year. This is especially the case after my 2010 return of 13.5%. Because my 401k is pretty diversified, the S&P 500 is a good proxy for the level of returns I should be getting. In 2011, the [...]

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2012 vs 2011 Savers Tax Credit To Offset IRA and 401(k) Retirement Plan Contributions

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Despite tough economic times, you should not lose sight of your longer term retirement savings. This is where the savers credit can help you to keep contributing towards a retirement plans without undue financial stress. The saver’s credit, also known as the retirement savings contributions credit, helps offset part of the first $2,000 workers voluntarily [...]

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2012 Maximum Employee and Employer 401K Contribution Limits and Catch-up Amounts

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I recently received a few questions regarding 401k retirement plans and contribution limits. The first thing to understand is that there are two main types of contributions that go into these plans. One is your contribution, or elective deferral, and the other is your employers, or matching, contribution. Secondly there are four annual contribution limits [...]

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2012 401K, IRA and Roth IRA Contribution and Income Deduction Limits

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[Updated with 2012 details] 2012 tax advantaged retirement plan contribution limits have officially been released by the IRS, with slight increases over 2011 limits; due mainly to cost of living adjustments (COLA). Further with increases in income phase-out thresholds, more people can benefit from employer and self-managed retirement plans.  The table below summarizes key changes [...]

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Small Business Retirement Plans – 401k, SEP IRA, Simple IRA and ESOP plans

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Although many large organizations offer retirement savings plans, it is not necessary to be a part of corporate America in order to take advantage of tax-deductible retirement plans for investing in your future. In fact, as a self-employed small business owner or an employee of a small business, you have several options with regard to tax-advantaged saving for [...]

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Contributing to an IRA and Roth IRA if You Already Have a 401K

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This is the kind of question I get fairly often and one that I actually had to recently sort out for myself. To determine if and how much you can contribute to multiple tax advantaged accounts you need to meet differing modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) limits and qualifications as discussed below. IRS tables and links to [...]

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Retirement Ages and Eligibility Rules For Receiving 401K, IRA and Social Security Benefits

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Many people are confused when it comes to what the official retirement age(s) are. Which is unfortunate, because this is key for figuring when you can access your retirement savings without penalty, and to figure out how much you need to save for retirement. Here then is a quick recap of the key age milestones [...]

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How Does Your 401K Compare with Plans Hitting 10 Year Highs

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With stock markets back up, it is little surprise that 401K retirement plans have recovered most of their losses since the crash of 2008.  In a recent study covering 11 million participants across nearly 17,000 corporate plans, the nations largest retirement plan administrator Fidelity Investments, found that the average 401(k) account balance was $71,500 last [...]

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6 Things You Should Be Doing With Your 401K and Individual Retirement Accounts

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When the economy and stock markets tanked many people stopped contributing to their employer sponsored 401K or self managed IRA plans. However, with markets back up strongly and the economy improving, folks must not forget to restart or continue saving for their financial futures. This includes taking the following actions: 1. Start saving —Now! Why? [...]

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2011 Updates – Tax Brackets and Rates, Government (GS) and Military Pay Scales, 401K and IRA Limits and Stimulus Payments

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I have made a number of updates to popular topics on this site and in case you missed them, here is a quick recap with a link to the detailed information. 2011 Tax Rates and Brackets Following Bush-era Tax Cut Extensions With approval of a two-year extension to all the Bush-era tax cuts, the 2011 [...]

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