IF YOU THINK 401K IS ENOUGH THINK AGAIN

One of the most common retirement savings plan is the 401(k) which enables employees to make contributions from salary deductions on either a post or pre tax basis. Employers that offer this can make nonelective or matching additions to the plan or add a profit-sharing feature to it. All earnings here are tax-deferred as well.

There are caps imposed in this kind of program, as the IRS placed a limit in the percentage of wage input and set restrictions in terms of asset withdrawal which may sometimes incur penalties.

Below are some reasons why a 401(k) is not a sufficient source of settlement funds even if you maximize your savings.

Taxes and inflation Over the years, the costs of daily living have remarkably increased. Many retirees tend to underestimate the effects of inflation and are lulled into the idea that they have plenty of allocated money in case they decided to retire only to be surprised by the reality of still struggling to make the ends meet.

Tax can also be a conflict at times. Despite your savings being able to grow safe from these, it will be different once you opt for a withdrawal. This is because the distributions will add to an individual’s annual income and will be taxed at his present income rate which may usually be higher than anticipated.

Payments and compounding costs Administrative fees can drain more than half of your pooled funds, especially a 401(k), which often has a dozen of fees for trustees, bookkeeping, and so on. For mutual funds, this type of plan typically scraps 2% fee right of the top. So if your fund increased by 7% for the year, the individual is left with only 5%. Although this may sound good because it’s the greater amount, the deducted percentage may still reduce returns exponentially.

Liquidity shortage The money you place inside this plan is normally locked up and can only be opened at a certain age. An early withdrawal may result to financial penalty hence a person cannot invest or spend cash in case of an emergency without undergoing a complex negotiation and huge financial consequences.

However, there are also exceptions to this, which is an allowance to borrow a definite sum of money. However, you are obligated to pay this for a certain period of time. In case of a job loss, the results can be worse because it will require a full compensation of balance within 60 days.