Emily Bandon for US NewsWorld Report writes: Contributing to retirement accounts will allow you to take advantage
of tax breaks for retirement savers and employer contributions, as
well as capture valuable investment returns on your savings. To take
full advantage of all the available retirement account perks, you will
need to be able to save a considerable amount of money and invest it in
a way that minimizes taxes and fees. Here's how to make the most of
your retirement accounts in 2014:
Max out your 401(k). Most workers can contribute up
to $17,500 to a 401(k), 403(b) or the federal government's Thrift
Savings Plan in 2014. To max out this type of retirement account, you
would need to contribute $1,458 per month or $729 per paycheck if you
are paid twice per month. For someone in the 25 percent tax bracket,
contributing the maximum will save you $4,375 in federal income taxes.
Income tax won't be due on your 401(k) contributions until you withdraw
the money from the account. The contribution limits are adjusted
annually to keep pace with inflation. "Adjust your contributions each
year on the 401(k) site, and work with your [human resources]
department to make sure that you are maximizing it," says Clarissa
Hobson, a certified financial planner for Carnick and Kubik in Colorado
Springs, Colo.
Take advantage of 401(k) catch-up contributions.
Workers age 50 and older can contribute an additional $5,500 to their
401(k) in 2014, or a total of $23,000. To save this much, you'll need to
set your twice-a-month 401(k) contributions to $958 or contribute
$1,917 per month. An older worker in the 25 percent tax bracket who
contributes the maximum amount can reduce his or her 2014 tax bill by
$5,750. Workers in higher tax brackets can save even more. "If you are a
high wage earner, every tax deduction you can get is a good thing,"
says Debbie Price, a certified financial planner and president of Price
Planning in Powell, Ohio.
Get employer contributions. In addition to tax
breaks, many employers will match the amount workers contribute to the
company 401(k) plan. "If you have a company match, I think it's always a
good idea to start there," Hobson says. The most common 401(k) match
is 50 cents per dollar contributed up to 6 percent of pay. Using this
formula, a worker earning $75,000 per year who saves at least $4,500 in
a 401(k) plan could get another $2,250 from his or her employer in
matching contributions.
Max out your IRA. You can contribute up to $5,500
to an IRA in 2014, which jumps to $6,500 if you are age 50 or older. To
max out this type of account over the course of the year, you would
need to contribute $458 per month, or $542 monthly if you are age 50 or
older. However, if you have a workplace retirement plan, the tax
deduction for traditional IRA contributions is phased out for
individuals with modified adjusted gross incomes between $60,000 and
$70,000 in 2014 ($96,000 and $116,000 for couples). If only one spouse
has a retirement plan at work, the deduction is phased out if the
couple's income is between $181,000 and $191,000. Unlike 401(k)
contributions, which generally need to be made by the end of the year,
IRA contributions can be made up until the tax filing deadline,
resulting in nearly immediate tax savings on your current return.
Consider Roth accounts. Roth 401(k)s and Roth IRAs
have the same contribution limits as traditional retirement accounts,
but the tax treatment is different. Instead of getting a tax break when
you make the contributions, Roth accounts allow you to pay the income
tax at your current rate, which can be especially beneficial for people
who are young or in a low tax bracket. Withdrawals in retirement will
then be tax-free. "Having that pot of money that has already been taxed
and will never be taxed again gives you so much more flexibility in
your retirement years," Price says.
Eligibility to make Roth IRA contributions is phased out once an
individual's income is between $114,000 and $129,000 in 2014 ($181,000
to $191,000 for couples). But investors who earn more than the income
cutoff may still be eligible to convert traditional IRA assets to a
Roth. "For those people who don't qualify to contribute to a Roth IRA
because of income level, you can contribute to a traditional IRA and
turn right around and convert that traditional IRA to a Roth IRA and
pay the tax in the current year," says Gregory Zandlo, a certified
financial planner and founding principal of North East Asset Management
in Minneapolis. "Yes, they forgo a little bit of the tax benefit now,
but they give themselves greater financial flexibility by putting money
into a Roth 401(k) option."
Get the saver's credit. There's an extra retirement
saving tax perk for low- and moderate-income workers who save for
retirement. Couples with an adjusted gross income of less than $60,000
($30,000 for individuals) who save for retirement in a 401(k) or IRA
are eligible to claim the saver's credit on their tax return, which can
be worth as much as $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for couples.
Choose low-cost investments. One of the ways money
leaks out of your 401(k) or IRA is when you pay high fees on your
investments. Choosing low-cost investments will help your money grow
faster. "Become really astute in terms of the fees that are being
charged in the investments in your plan," Zandlo says. "Even if you are
able to save half a percent, over 10 years, that is 5 percent of your
money."
Hold high-tax investments in retirement accounts.
When you withdraw money from a traditional retirement account, it will
be taxed at regular income tax rates, regardless of what the money was
invested in. If you are saving in both retirement and taxable accounts,
it makes sense to hold investments that are taxed at a low rate outside
your retirement account and investments that are taxed at a higher
rate within the retirement account.
Don't take the money out too early or too late.
Traditional 401(k)s and IRAs have a variety of rules about when money
can and should be withdrawn from the account. Withdrawals from
traditional retirement accounts before age 59 1/2 typically result in a
10 percent early withdrawal penalty in addition to regular income tax
on the amount withdrawn. However, there are some exceptions to the
early withdrawal penalty if an IRA distribution is used for higher
education costs, a first home purchase (up to $10,000), high medicals
costs or health insurance expenses after a period of unemployment.
After you turn age 70 1/2, withdrawals from traditional retirement
accounts become required. The penalty for missing a withdrawal is 50
percent of the amount that should have been withdrawn.
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