As hard as it is to believe, today's tax-advantaged plans -- including individual retirement accounts IRAs, 401(k)s, and rollover IRAs -- have the potential to make many employees millionaires. A 401(k) contribution of $433 per month, at 8% compounded monthly, would be worth more than $1 million after 35 years.1 These plans are also highly vulnerable to tax losses, if they are not bequeathed properly. For instance, a $1 million IRA inheritance could be whittled to almost noth
Americans are on the move, not only in their leisure pursuits, but in their jobs as well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 38% of U.S. workers change jobs every year. If your employment situation changes, do you know what your choices are for managing the money in your 401(k) account? Generally, workers have four options available to them: leave the money in their former employer's plan, transfer the money into their new employer's 401(k) (if allowed), roll
A custodial IRA is an IRA managed by a parent or guardian for the benefit of a minor child, as long as that child works and has earned income. As with other types of IRAs, the maximum annual contribution for 2015 is $5,500 (indexed annually for inflation) and the underlying investments can be determined by the person managing the account, in this case the parent or guardian, prior to the child reaching majority age. A custodial IRA can be either a traditional IRA or a Roth IR
Americans' confidence in the ability to afford a comfortable retirement continues to rebound from the lows reported between 2009 and 2013. The increasing optimism is coming largely from workers who indicate they and/or their spouse have a retirement plan, such as a defined contribution (401(k)-type) plan, defined benefit (pension) plan, or individual retirement account (IRA). This is one of the key takeaways from the 25th annual Retirement Confidence Survey (RCS) -- the longe