401ks & IRAs

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are savings accounts that are given special tax benefits by the IRS. All IRAs are tax-sheltered accounts, which means that the money in the account...

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are used to save for retirement. You can invest your IRA in a variety of financial vehicles, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds and real estate.

Today, with the disappearance of the traditional company pension plan, most people are responsible for funding their own retirement. In addition to saving money for retirement, employees also...

Inheriting a traditional or Roth IRA can be a substantial financial opportunity. You do need to learn the beneficiary withdrawal rules. The general rules are fairly straightforward, but the...

Individual 401K plans are provided by most companies and government facilities. This is a very reliable form of retirement money because it is entirely build up by your money. No one can take...

Rollover your 401K plan from an old employer to a new one is beneficial because having many 401K accounts can have lots of maintenance fees per year. It will eat into your final retirement funds....

Americans are living longer than ever, and planning for a financially secure retirement has never been more important. Companies today may offer a range of retirement plans, such as pensions, 401k...

Retirement savings are one of the most important parts of a person's nest egg. In most cases, they should be treated as sacred, not to be touched until retirement. However, in the case of...

Stretch IRA is a name given to an individual retirement account when a strategy is employed to extend or "stretch" the withdrawal of account assets over a longer than ordinarily scheduled period....

A money market IRA is a retirement account with special tax benefits that invests the money in a money market account. You can open it at a bank, credit union or other financial institution.

If you reach age 70-1/2 with money in a traditional IRA, you will be required to take a minimum taxable distribution from your IRA regardless of whether you need the money. Since this money has...

Required minimum distributions are annual amounts that you are required to withdraw from your traditional individual retirement account, or IRA, after you turn 70-1/2. Any amounts that you...

One of the key benefits of an IRA (Individual Retirement Account) is that the owner is able to name a beneficiary on the account. In fact, he can name several, as well as contingent beneficiaries...

At some point in our lives, most of us need to consider who will inherit our assets. If you are looking to plan your estate, naming your beneficiary is part of the plan. There are certain legal...

An IRA is an important vehicle used in retirement savings. It allows you to put money aside and let it grow tax-deferred. In most marriages, one spouse has a higher income than the other. A...

A 401(k) and an IRA are both investment plans to help prepare you for retirement. There are several benefits for each of these. Whether you decide to invest your money in a 401(k) or roll it over...

An Individual Retirement Arrangement (IRA) provides a tax-advantaged way to save for retirement. Contributions to IRAs may be tax-deductible, grow tax-deferred and can be used to provide...

IRAs are a great way for Americans to save for retirement. There are many investment vehicles available within an IRA, but shares of stocks, bonds or mutual funds are popular choices. If you...

Everyone must decide what to do with their retirement plan assets when they leave a company. Therefore, it is important to understand the distribution options available to you and how your...

Traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs are two retirement accounts that encourage saving by giving you tax breaks. Both accounts are tax-sheltered, which means the money grows tax-free while it is in the...

If someone dies and leaves you the contents of an IRA, the IRA is called a beneficiary IRA or inherited IRA. It does not matter whether the original IRA was a traditional, simple or Roth. Once it...

Getting a loan on your retirement plan should always be a last resort. However, if this is your only choice, you can always borrow from your 401k plan. It's a retirement plan provided by some...

There are a ton of resources online when it comes to retirement and long term planning. But with all of these resources, where do you start? What websites are really useful, and what websites...

Both the Roth IRA and the variable annuity are widely used retirement account types, each with its own pros and cons. There are some important differences between the two, and understanding these...

Converting money from a traditional IRA or other pretax retirement plan to a Roth IRA puts your dollars out of the reach of future tax collectors. There is no age restriction for a conversion, and...

With questions about the viability of social security being raised every day, planning for retirement by understanding a roth vs traditional IRA is important. Learn to compare the differences...

The decision to withdraw money early from a retirement plan, especially a tax-qualified plan, such as a 401k or a traditional IRA, should not be made lightly. Not only might it compromise your...

Your money grows tax-free inside a Roth IRA (Individual Retirement Account) or a regular IRA. However, IRS rules treat the contributions and withdrawals differently. Knowing the differences can...

401K investment is the most common investment vehicle used for retirement savings. The 401K investment is a tax deferred investment offered by your employer. Employer matches your 401K investment...

Roth IRAs are a special tax-advantaged retirement savings account authorized by the federal government. You can convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA through the standard rollover procedures.

IRAs are retirement savings accounts that are maintained by individuals and function as tax-sheltered accounts. They were given tax advantages to encourage people to put aside money for...

Like traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs provide a tax-advantaged way to save for retirement. However, unlike traditional IRAs, they sacrifice current income in exchange for tax-free withdrawals in the...

The recession and bear market have left millions of workers wondering what happened to all of the money they socked away in their company 401(k) plans. Here's a repair kit that can help you to...

Investments in Individual Retirement Accounts or IRAs are not limited to paper assets such as stock, bonds and mutual funds. The US laws allow for IRA investments in physical precious metals such...

IRAs, or individual retirement accounts, are tax-advantaged savings accounts. Earnings in IRAs grow tax deferred until retirement, and early withdrawals are subject to additional tax penalties....

Roth IRAs and 401k plans are retirement accounts given special status by the federal government. You can only contribute to a 401k plan if your employer sponsors it. You do not need to have an...

When finances get tight, raiding the retirement account may seem like a healthy option. Regulated accounts like 401Ks ---or 403Bs for non-profit employees --- can grow quickly and sound like a...

A Roth IRA is an individual retirement account that allows you to save money that can be withdrawn tax free at retirement. You can open a Roth IRA at most banks, credit unions and brokerage firms.

A 401k is a retirement plan that is created and maintained by your employer. Your contribution is taken out of your paycheck and the your company may offer a special program wherein the company...

A rollover is an option for someone who has to leave an employer where he has an employer-sponsored retirement plan such as a 401(k). The rollover allows him to transfer the assets from his old...

401(k) plans are employer-sponsored retirement plans that allow employees to save for their retirement and receive matching contributions from the company. Once an employee leaves a company, he...

Earn high yields by contributing to your employer sponsored 401k.

Any time that you leave an employer, you must decide what to do with the money that is in your 401k plan. Although many people get confused at what to do with this money, there are actually...

Withdrawing funds from a SEP IRA retirement account is a straightforward process. There are several specified allowances for withdrawing IRA funds besides the mandatory withdrawals required near...

The rollover of a 401k plan may occur when you change employers or when you retire. A 401k rollover is the process of changing a 401k into a new IRA when you leave an employer. This is also known...

Roth IRAs were introduced in 1997 as a new kind of retirement savings account. The Roth IRA offers investors the opportunity to withdraw money tax-free at retirement. Contributions are made with...

IRA's are a very dicey subject and require the help of a professional financial adviser. Making things even more complicated is the addition of gold and silver into an IRA. It is possible to add...

A Roth IRA is a type of individual retirement account that the federal government introduced in 1997 under the Taxpayer Relief Act. You can open a Roth IRA as long as your adjusted gross income is...

In some cases, it is prudent to take out a loan from your 401k plan. It is better to do this than to liquidate your plan altogether. But there are some situations that may require this drastic...

IRAs are retirement accounts that are created and funded entirely by individuals, rather than employers like 401k plans. You can contribute up to the annual limit, which for 2009 is $5,000 per...