Retirement Accounts

Can I Cash Out My 401k While I Am Still Employed?

If you've fallen on hard times and need extra money, cashing out your 401k account may seem like an attractive idea. It's neither a wise nor an easy thing to do, especially if you are still employed by the company managing your 401k plan. Keep in mind that you may not be entitled to all of the money in the account if your employer has contributed matching funds.

All About Retirement Accounts

IRA Beneficiary Trust Regulations

A myriad of IRS regulations exist regarding the distribution of an Individual Retirement Account to the beneficiary designated to receive the funds after the account owner's death. If the beneficiary is a trust, the regulations...

How to Use Retirement Accounts to Clear Debt

Retirement accounts, such as 401(k) plans and IRAs, are long-term, tax-advantaged savings accounts designed to help you amass enough money to stop working someday. Unfortunately, if you have incurred a lot of debt in your perso...

Non-Deductible IRA Contribution Limits

An Individual Retirement Account, IRA, is an investment account bestowed with certain tax advantages by the Internal Revenue Service, IRS. A nondeductible IRA is one that contains contributions made on an after-tax basis, rathe...

Divorce & Retirement Accounts

Divorce law is a complicated subject that varies from state to state. In most community property states, property in a marriage is split more or less equally in the event of a divorce, including retirement assets. However, the ...

The Advantages of Designating Beneficiaries on an IRA

The Internal Revenue Service, IRS, has created a list of regulations regarding IRA accounts that are outlined in IRS Publication 590. One of the many advantages the IRS grants IRA owners is the ability to designate your own ben...

Roll Over IRA Vs. IRA

Rollover and traditional IRAs are Individual Retirement Accounts, or long-term savings accounts on which the Internal Revenue Service, IRS, bestows various tax advantages. Since 2002, the differences between the two types of ac...

About a Self-Directed IRA

An IRA is an Individual Retirement Account, which is an investment account offering long-term tax-advantaged savings. With a self-directed IRA, you manage your own investments, rather than having a bank or mutual fund company d...

How to Decrease Contributions to Your IRA

An individual retirement account (IRA) is a way for you to save for retirement while enjoying various tax advantages. Most IRAs allow you to take a tax deduction for contributions and provide tax-deferred growth of contribution...

Definition of a Self Directed IRA

Not everyone is content to open an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) retirement account and then hand it over to a retirement or financial planner to manage. While this can be a reasonable option if you have limited knowledge...

How to Take Funds From an Education IRA

The education individual retirement account (IRA) was one of the first tax-advantaged, government-approved savings accounts for higher education. In 2002, the education IRA was renamed the Coverdell Education Savings Account (E...

Federal Guidelines for Simple IRA Deductions

A SIMPLE IRA, formally known as a Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees Individual Retirement Account, is a long-term investment account that allows employers and employees to contribute to their retirement savings. A SIMP...

IRA Deduction Vs. 401(k) Contribution

Individual Retirement Accounts and 401(k) plans are both tax-advantaged retirement savings plans. While both provide tax-deferred growth of earnings and contributions, the provisions of these plans are very different. 401(k) pl...

The History of Retirement Accounts

Retirement plans now come in many shapes and sizes, but prior to 1875, no retirement plans existed in America. As the country moved to a more urban, industrial demographic, workers needed a way to preserve, protect and enhance ...

Pros & Cons of Retirement Accounts for Wealthy Individuals

Retirement accounts are tax-advantaged savings accounts designed to encourage investors to invest for the long term. Some of the most popular retirement accounts are Traditional and Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), 4...

How to Sell Your Mutual Funds in an IRA

Individual Retirement Accounts are tax-advantaged, long-term savings accounts designed to encourage Americans to save for retirement. Mutual funds are often a good choice of investment for IRA accounts because mutual funds are ...

Define IRA Distribution

An IRA distribution occurs when you take money out of your Individual Retirement Account. You must report all IRA distributions on your annual income taxes. If you take a distribution at too early an age, you may face a tax pen...

Individual Retirement Account Penalties

Individual retirement account (IRA) penalties are put in place to minimize account abuse and fraud. It is important to understand the tax laws regarding these accounts since penalties can offset any tax advantages that an IRA ...

About Health Retirement Accounts

Health retirement accounts (HRAs), also known as health savings accounts (HSAs), are a great way to save some money--tax deferred like an IRA--for future medical expenses or other retirement expenses. You can withdraw money wi...

Benefits of Rolling Over Your IRA

Rollovers, the act of withdrawing funds from one retirement account and depositing them into another, can occur between any type of account. Rolling over a 401(k) to an Individual Retirement Account may be common, but it is als...

About Health Retirement Accounts

Health Retirement Accounts are also known as Retirement Medical Benefit Accounts. They allow individuals to establish a tax-advantaged account within a traditional IRA or 401K plan. The money in the account accumulates tax-free...

Rules & Penalties for Individual Retirement Accounts

Rules and penalties for individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are all set forth by the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). There are a variety of IRA accounts to choose from, with the traditional version setting the standard. Other...

IRA Pros & Negatives

An individual retirement account (IRA) is an account you can create to set aside investment funds for your retirement. You can open these accounts at a variety of brokerage firms and banks where you choose the combination of in...

IRA Distribution Regulations

IRAs (Individual Retirement Arrangements) are intended to help prepare you for your financial future and your upcoming retirement. According to the IRS, an IRA is a personal savings account that offers you possible tax credits ...

The Pros & Negatives of an IRA

The IRA, or Individual Retirement Account, is one of the most common and easiest retirement accounts to set up and allows you to receive a number of tax benefits not enjoyed by other types of retirement accounts. Both self-empl...

What Does IRA Mean?

IRA stands for Individual Retirement Account, which is a method of saving money for retirement that is aided by receiving tax breaks from the federal government. The type of tax break an individual receives is determined by the...

IRA Advantages

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) have become an important part of the retirement plans for millions of Americans. IRAs allow you to build a nest egg for retirement while receiving tax incentives at the same time. The tax i...

The Advantages of a 401(k) Over an IRA

Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and 401k plans are two of the most popular retirement investment vehicles, and unless you've got loads of residual income or a truckload of money tucked away for your later years, it's impo...

IRS Regulations for a 403B Retirement Account

A 403(B) retirement account is also known as a tax-sheltered annuity plan (TSA), cites the IRS. This plan provides a retirement account for those eligible employees working for qualified tax-exempt organization, approved minist...

Types of IRA Plans

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recognizes four different types of individual retirement accounts (IRAs). An IRA is an investment vehicle created to help people save for retirement. The various types of accounts range in tax...

How to Open IRAs

Many investment experts consider a Roth IRA one of the first investments you should ever make. Investment retirement accounts (IRA) are popular because they offer tax-deferred and sometimes tax-free capital gains that compound ...

IRA Information

An individual retirement account (IRA) is a personal savings plan that offers income-tax benefits to individuals who set money aside for retirement. Anyone can open and contribute to a traditional IRA as long as you received ta...

How to Get Started With IRAs

No matter what age you are, most financial experts recommend having an investment retirement account (IRA) as part of your financial portfolio. IRA's are a common recommendation for the first kind of investment you should make,...

How to Combine IRAs

This can cause you to accumulate money in several different financial settings, including your bank, with your broker, insurance agent or accountant. There are many benefits associated with combining IRAs. These include r

IRA Uses

Investment retirement accounts (IRAs) are traditionally designed to serve an obvious purpose--income during retirement. And while they are most often used in that way, they are also used for other large purchases and investment...

Cons of Retirement Accounts

Individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are a common investment option that help you build toward financial stability in your retirement years. They are strongly recommended by financial planners, many of whom suggest opening an ...

Pros & Cons of Retirement Accounts

Planning for the future is not something that all of us take the time to do, especially when we're in our 20s or 30s, but saving for retirement is something that everyone should think about, starting when you get your first job...

3 Ways to Start a 401k

The easiest way for you to start a 401k is by participating in 401k plans offered by employers. Many companies offer a matching plan for funds invested in retirement accounts. Depending on your position in the company, you may ...

3 Ways to Create an IRA

The first IRA, Individual Retirement Account, is now referred to as a "Traditional IRA." Twenty-five percent of the money invested in a traditional IRA is tax deductible for the year the funds are put into the account. For exa...