Workplace retirement plans – like a 401(k) – can hold different types of dollars. Typically, a 401(k) will have a pre-tax bucket and a Roth bucket. Occasionally, a plan will have a third bucket to hold after-tax (non-Roth) money. When it comes time to roll all these plan dollars to an IRA, where should (and where can) the different dollars go?
If you are making student loan repayments, you should ask your employer if it will match those payments in the company’s retirement plan. The SECURE 2.0 Act allows for matching contributions on “qualified student loan payments” (or “QSLPs”) beginning with plan fiscal years starting after December 31, 2023. (This is January 1, 2024 for most plans.) Matches on QSLPs are optional; plans are not required to offer them.
Question:Can I roll over a Roth 401(k) to an existing Roth IRA or does it need to be in its own separate account? When does the 5-year holding period begin for the Roth 401K rollover?
If you have both pre-tax and Roth accounts in a 401(k) (or a 403(b) or governmental 457(b)) and are subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs), be aware of new rule changes made in the 2022 SECURE 2.0 law. The rules were clarified in the IRS RMD final regulations, which came out on July 18.
QUESTION:I inherited both a traditional and a Roth IRA from my significant other (non-spouse) who passed away in 2021. He had started taking required minimum distributions (RMDs). I am less than 10 years younger than he was. Question is: do I or do I not have to empty both accounts within 10 years of his death? No one is giving me an answer one way or another.
Question:Can a Roth IRA be rolled into a Roth 401k?Answer:While a Roth 401(k) can be rolled into a Roth IRA, the reverse is not true. You cannot roll a Roth IRA into a Roth 401(k). The only place where funds from a Roth IRA can be rolled over to is another Roth IRA.
A recent survey found that over 80% of 401(k) plans now offer employees the option of making Roth 401(k) employee contributions. More and more employees are now taking advantage of that opportunity. (In this article, I use the term “Roth 401(k) contributions” to also include Roth employees made to 403(b) and municipal 457(b) plans.)
It is perfectly acceptable for a person to participate in multiple work plans in the same year (even at the same time). For example, a 401(k) and a SEP. Or maybe a 401(k) and another 401(k). However, care must be taken to follow IRS contribution limits and other guidelines. Unfortunately, people try to circumvent these rules all the time.
As retirement account questions go, this is the shortest inquiry with the longest answer. When asked what factors to consider...
By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF®IRA AnalystFollow Us on X: @theslottreport We have written about this subject in the past (December 2023), but...
