Contribution Planning Benefits

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t is a benefit offered by some employers to their employees to help them save for retirement. These defined contribution plans have limits on the amount that can be invested and money is deducted directly from your salary before taxes. Depending on the plan, the employer is required to contribute a certain amount or have the option to do so. And in case you make the contribution, the employee is entitled to take possession of the contribution automatically or in a specific period as defined by the plan ..

This plan is one of the most used and is only offered by employers in order to encourage savings and promote financial security for retirement of workers.

The employee chooses how much money you want to invest - up to a limit established …show more content…

Some employers allow their workers to enroll in the plan immediately, while others apply a waiting period; this means that employees can start making contributions after completing a certain period of time at work.

The Internal Revenue Service or IRS determines the maximum amount you can contribute in the year 2015 the limit is $ 18,000; and if your age exceeds 50 years, you can make compensatory contributions above the maximum amount, or up to $ 6,000 for 2015 ..

One of the most attractive benefits of the plan is that most employers make matching contributions to the employee's account, they can be less than or equal to the contributions of the worker, causing the balance in the account grow faster.

This selection may include mutual funds, individual securities, annuities or bonds. Both the choice of investment instruments as the investment risk borne by the employee and not the employer.

These plans are intended as a way of saving for old age, so the IRS restricts access to these funds before retirement. Maybe your plan allows withdrawals for financial …show more content…

• Certain natural disasters.

• Funeral expenses.


It is important to note that when funds from 401 (k) before the age of retirement are removed, you have to pay taxes that were not collected by the government to deposit the money. It is also quite possible that the investment firm charged a 10% penalty for early withdrawals.

If you change jobs generally have options regarding your money:


• You can leave your money in the current plan

• You can roll over your money directly to an approved retirement plan sponsored by another employer.

• You can transfer your money into an individual retirement account (IRA) by a company that are not sponsored.

• You can make a full or partial withdrawal in cash. In this case you will pay the taxes not collected on this money and possibly some penalties.

The best way to make these transactions is to contact your former employer and the new company to explain how to perform these transactions.

Before you choose the latter option, however tempting it may be, you should consider the associated costs like taxes and the 10% penalty for early withdrawal.

An employee who has a 401 (k) can decide who will get his money if he dies. When a person dies, the person you choose as your beneficiary will receive the money in your 401

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