401ks & IRAs

A Roth IRA account allows you to take advantage of special tax breaks for money you are putting aside for retirement. The safety of the Roth IRA depends on what you invest the money in.

IRAs and life insurance policies are both important tools for financial planning. While each has a beneficiary appointment, they are completely different assets with different rules and limitations.

Withdrawing money from a 401(k) plan involves numerous restrictions and potential consequences. Still, there are several ways to withdraw 401(k) money to invest in or start a business. The most...

A 401(k) rollover is a distribution from a 401(k) plan that is transferred (rolled over) to an IRA or to another 401(k) plan. In some cases rollovers can be made to other retirement plans such as...

An annuity is a payment type which takes the form of monthly installments for a specific period of time, or for the life of the recipient. A pension is a retirement plan in which the benefits are...

An employer-sponsored traditional 401(k) plan is a savings account where employees can place a portion of their pre-taxed salary. This not only keeps them from having to pay taxes on the money in...

An IRA is a retirement savings account given special tax breaks by the IRS. The FDIC insures the first $250,000 of certain accounts held in an IRA in case of a bank failure.

A Roth individual retirement account (IRA) is a highly recommended first investment when people are beginning their careers and are generally younger than 30. A 25-year-old contributing about $400...

Roth 401(k) plans were instituted in 2006 as an alternative to traditional 401(k) plans. You must meet age requirements and, over time, account requirements or have an early withdrawal exception...

Roth individual retirement accounts (IRAs) provide a number of tax benefits that non-qualified accounts do not. However, Roth IRAs also have specific requirements that must be met.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sets strict rules regarding the early withdrawal of Roth individual retirement account (IRA) funds to prevent people from abusing the tax benefits of the...

An IRA is an excellent way to save toward retirement, offering many investment options, including equities, investment real estate and private placement investments. While you can purchase real...

Custodial 401(k) plans held at Fidelity offer the wide range of investment opportunities that Fidelity Mutual Funds maintain. Depending on the guidelines set forth by your employer and the...

Once many individuals initially set up a 401k plan, besides making their periodic contributions, they never deal with the plan again, unless they are making some type of change to it. Some plan...

When you leave a company for whatever reason, you have the right to roll your 401(k) assets into a self-directed IRA. When you do this properly, meaning it goes into a properly designated Rollover...

Situations arise where the conversion to a Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) from a traditional IRA isn't timed correctly. Maybe the market took a downturn and affected your monies the...

Most contributions to traditional IRAs result in a tax deduction. Non-deductible IRAs refer to IRA contributions for which you are not allowed to take a tax deduction.

With the financial crisis that hit much of the world in the late 2000s, investments such as 401k retirement accounts took a major hit. Some investors saw the value of their 401k funds shrink by 40...

When you leave a company, you can transfer your 401(k) into some form of a self-directed IRA; you can use an annuity account as your self-directed IRA if you choose. This transfer of assets is...

In rollovers, money is moved from one qualified retirement plan into another or to a traditional IRA. This typically occurs when changing jobs, retiring or quitting a job. Rollovers are not...

Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are specially designated investment accounts that use after-tax dollars, meaning that interest and earnings accrue and may be withdrawn...

Taking money from a qualified plan such as an IRA or 401(k) that invests in mutual funds and rolling it into a qualified annuity is easy to do once you have determined the annuity you want to...

Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and traditional 401k accounts are two tax-advantaged ways of saving for retirement. However, the contribution methods and limits are different.

Retirement plans such as IRAs, 401(k) and 403(b) enable the individual to invest in a plan on his own or through his employer. Further, individuals who pay social security taxes may qualify for...

Contributions to a Roth IRA are not tax-deductible like contributions to a traditional IRA, because you are allowed to withdraw the contributions and earnings tax-free at retirement. However, you...

An IRA or Individual Retirement Account is a tax-deferred financial product generally used by employed workers who deposit a certain amount per month from their income. The deposits may be...

As long as you continue to meet the requirements to contribute to a Roth IRA, you may continue to add money to your existing Roth IRA. However, if you no longer meet the requirements, you do not...

In the U.S. financial sector, "rollover" usually describes moving funds from one retirement account to another, legally avoiding otherwise associated taxes.

IRAs were first available in 1974 to self-employed people and those without a pension. Since that date, changes occurred and now IRAs include almost everyone. The amount you can contribute to an...

Understanding the key differences between traditional Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and rollover IRAs can help you decide which type of account best meets your needs.

Historically, many retirees depended on Social Security, a company pension or a combination of both for income in their golden years. Since Social Security's viability is questionable and many...

Rollover IRAs are a separate kind of Individual Retirement Account (IRA) from traditional IRAs. Knowing the difference can help you make an informed decision about which is best for your short-...

A Roth IRA is a great retirement tool that has been around since 1998. You contribute after-tax income to a Roth individual retirement account. It not only grows tax-free, but when you finally...

In most cases, you are not allowed to withdraw money from your 401k plan before you turn 59 1/2 years old without paying a 10 percent tax penalty. However, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)...

Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and 401(k)s are two different retirement account options. IRAs are individually maintained while 401(k) plans are maintained through your employer.

You can cash in your SIMPLE IRA at any time you want by simply filling out a withdrawal form. However, most withdrawals before age 59 1/2 will be subject to a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty....

In limited circumstances you are allowed to deduct investment losses in your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) as an itemized deduction on your tax return.

Although it is not common, you can purchase a house or other piece of real estate inside an IRA and do so without incurring any tax liability. The process is relatively simple and essentially...

There are many different types of investment retirement (IRA) accounts. A rollover IRA and a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE) IRA serve very different purposes.

A Roth individual retirement account (IRA) is a type of retirement savings account. It doesn't offer a tax deduction for the contributions, but it allows you to withdraw the money, including any...

You cannot deduct stock losses within your IRA account. However, you may be able to take a deduction if you close all of your IRA accounts of the same type, such as all Roth IRAs or all...

You can take a withdrawal from your IRA at any time. However, if you withdraw it before age 59 1/2, you will have to fill out additional tax paperwork and likely pay early withdrawal penalties.

Mutual funds are a specific type of investment in which you pool your money with other investors' funds to invest in a variety of stocks. 401k plans are retirement accounts that can be put toward...

Annuity funds grow tax-sheltered, similar to money in an IRA. Some financial planners think this is reason enough not to put an annuity into an IRA, but there are situations in which it's appropriate

A 401(k) is an employer-sponsored retirement plan. When an employee leaves a company, he has the option of rolling the money in his 401(k) over into an individual retirement account.