Track My 401K

If you're searching around for Track My 401K information, you're at the correct place for answers! This page is loaded down with explanations on how 401k's work plus there are all kinds of tips, tricks and FAQ's you can go over and hopefully learn from. We hope you find this page to be helpful and informative for you! Finding and choosing the right retirement program can be overwhelming if you don't know what to look for, so we've set this page up with as much 401 k information as we could get for you and made sure it's easy and painless for you. Here you go...

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Reasons why 401ks are a smart idea:

You can increase your take home pay, really!

Investing money through your 401(k) plan gives you the benefit of tax-deferred saving. This lets you increase your take home pay and decrease your current taxable income. Remember though, your pre-tax contributions are not tax-free, they're tax-deferred, which means that you don't pay income tax on this money until you withdraw it from the plan (which should be at retirement, when you may be in a lower tax bracket). Take a look at a hypothetical chart to see how contributing to the plan compares with saving outside the plan (in an ordinary savings, or other taxable account). Contributing to your 401(k) on a pre-tax basis can help you increase your take-home pay

Track My 401K Tips:

Anyone who has separated from service from a company with a 401(k), and is entitled to withdraw funds without penalty, may take a lump sum withdrawal of the 401(k) into a taxable account. Until 1999, the tax laws allowed people to use an income averaging method to spread that lump sum over five years for tax purposes. However, that option is no longer available; the entire withdrawal must be reported to the IRS as income in the year of the withdrawal. Alternately, an entire account can be transferred directly from the 401(k) custodian to an IRA custodian, and the account will continue to grow tax deferred.

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Important 401(k) Rules:

401k Rules Regarding Contribution:

* In 2005, the cap for individual contribution was $14,000.This number increased to $15,000 in 2006, and after 2006, the cap adjusts annually in $500 increments.
* The maximum total amount contributed to your 401k plan is the lesser of 100% compensation or $42,000.
* If you’ll be age 50 or older by the end of the year, you may make an additional “catch-up”contribution each year. The maximum “catch-up”contribution was $4,000 in 2005 and $5,000 in 2006 and goes up each year.
* For highly compensated employees (those with income in excess of $95,000 in 2005), they may not be allowed to contribute at the maximum rate in the company.
* You can only contribute money to your 401k plan by automatic payroll deduction.
* You may not get your employer’s match if you leave your employer in less than three years. However, more and more companies have began offering immediate vesting to their employees

401k Rules Regarding Loans:
Not all 401k plans allow you to borrow from your 401k plan. And if it is allowed, the most you can borrow is the lesser of 50% of your vested balance or $50,000.

* You have to repay your loan in 5 years, unless the loan isused to purchase your primary residence.
* The interest you pay on your loan is subject to double taxation---you pay the interest with after-tax money and it is subjected to taxes when you eventually withdraw it.
* When you leave your company, you may have to pay back the outstanding balance in full. Otherwise, the outstanding amount will be subject to a possible 10% early withdrawal penalty.
* If you default on your loan, the outstanding balance is also subject to a possible 10% early withdrawal penalty.

401 k explained:

A 401(k) plan is a retirement savings plan that is funded by employee contributions and (often) matching contributions from the employer. The major attraction of these plans is that the contributions are taken from pre-tax salary, and the funds grow tax-free until withdrawn. Also, the plans are (to some extent) self-directed, and they are portable; more about both topics later. Both for-profit and many types of tax-exempt organizations can establish these plans for their employees.

**Disclaimer** The information on this page is as accurate as we could get it but is meant for information purpose only. It's not meant to be legal advice in which you use to make financial decisions. For any legal or financial matters, you should seek out a certified 401k or investment company or individual.

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