Prior to the United States government creating the 401k plan in 1978, people more often than not stayed in one job for their working life, and often received a pension from their company at retirement age. The landscape has changed in the ensuing age, with most Americans changing jobs 7-10 times in their working years. With these job changes, it has become vital to have a portable retirement plan that can move with the employee and grow during and after the transition. Thus we have the 401k rollover.
The rollover rules are simple and straightforward. The account can be rolled into another individual retirement account – a 401k, to a traditional IRA, to a Roth IRA, or it can simply stay put. You don’t have to do anything at all with the account, and the money stays where it is. To send it, rollover, to another account you will choose a steward company to administer the account, and it is an easy process to fill out the required paperwork and transfer to that new account. Your research will help you decide which type of IRA best suits your goal, and you will select the custodian company based on your needs and the fee structure and transfer fees that are offered by each.
An important rule to remember when doing your rollover is that any loans are due inside 60 days. If you have borrowed on the original plan, you must pay the loan back within the two month time frame or you will owe taxes on the entire amount of the loan. Paying it back straightaway will pay you back with interest.
There is always the option of redeeming your 401k, but that is a poor idea with serious tax penalties . You will incur a 10% fine , and owe taxes calculated at your current tax bracket . Cashing out your plan will leave you with about 60% of your retirement money at best, and a huge 40% in taxes and penalties. A simple rollover to a self directed IRA, whether a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA is the best choice that protects your retirement savings and keeps it thriving.
