You’re probably familiar with what a required minimum distribution (RMD) is, but do you know what a required beginning date (RBD) is? If you guessed that it’s the date that you begin taking your RMDs, then you are spot on. Knowing your RBD–and any associated options–can be almost as important as knowing how much you…
Category: Employer Plans
What Does “Still Working” Mean?
You’re probably aware of the “still working” exception found in certain employer-sponsored retirement plans. These exceptions allow people to delay taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your retirement account if you are still working at age 70 1/2. Taking advantage of still working exceptions can extend your retirement savings by allowing you to delay tapping…
Organize Your Retirement Accounts Through Consolidation
Yesterday, I wrote about diversifying your retirement savings by having more than one type of retirement account. While such a concept is a good idea, it also needs to be done reasonably. While it’s okay to have more than one retirement account, it’s not a good idea to have multiple types of the same account…
Will Policymakers Hurt or Help Your Retirement Plans in 2019?
Over the next 365 days, policymakers–at both the state and federal levels–have the potential to shape retirement for many for decades to come. Some such policy opportunities may be straightforward in impact while others may be more subtle and long-term. For example, how politicians and regulators go about handling any current economic issues could have…
Don’t Even Think About Stopping Retirement Plan Contributions
Could you weather a financial emergency given your current savings? Where would the money come from to cover something such as unexpected medical bills or a necessary home improvement expense? In such situations it can be tempting to divert money ear-marked for your retirement savings towards those unexpected bills. Yes, such a move will provide…
Changing Jobs? Don’t Forget About Your Retirement Money
There’s a good chance that you either have or will change jobs multiple times throughout your career. Those job changes may be in the form of promotions within a corporation or jumping to a new company to take a higher position with increased pay and responsibility. Your job change may even involve a career change!…
Would You Delay Your RMD If You Could?
Did you know that some employer 401(k) retirement plans allow you to delay taking your required minimum distribution (RMD) if you are still working at 70½ and own less than 5% of the company? Doesn’t that sound enticing? If you have a 401(k) with your current employer, you should check to see if delaying your…
Could Congress Soon Expand Your Retirement Options?
Regardless of the outcomes of yesterday’s elections, it appears that Congress could be poised to expand retirement options in the near future. The Retirement Enhancement and Savings Act (RESA), which appears to have bipartisan support, could expand retirement plan access for many workers as well as allow more employers to offer such plans. The biggest…
401(k)s Get a Contribution Boost in 2019 Too!
Yesterday, I talked about how the IRS has increased contribution limits for Roth IRA by $500 for 2019. Well, it’s not just Roth IRAs that are getting a contribution limit bump, so too are 401(k)s and similar employer retirement plans. The increase is, again, $500, but it’s still better than nothing. This means that you…
Taxes and Your Employer Retirement Plan(s)
No, this post is not going to mathematically break down how taxes will affect your retirement savings when you are contributing to a employer retirement plan and your contribution is being matched by your employer. That’s too confusing and will vary from person to person as not everyone makes the same amount of money. What…