January 7, 2010

Get a Roth 401K plan...or else.

If you're going to work for someone - then make sure you're getting the best deal possible when it comes to your retirement options.  Most employers already offer some type of traditional 401k plan for their employees as required by the government (some of these basic 401k plans have limited investment options).  But not enough employers offer a Roth 401K - maybe because their lazy or just don't know about the benefits offered by a Roth 401K - and they will not offer it unless their employees get together and demand it.

The Roth 401K offers tax free growth and can be withdrawn tax free because it is funded with your after-tax dollars.  This is an awesome opportunity for you to take advantage of a legal tax shelter for your hard-earned retirement money.  Given our federal debt levels are rising to never before seen amounts due to corporate bailouts, war, excessive government spending, and a potential universal healthcare policy...Congress will be forced to eventually raise taxes to get control of these debts.  If your money is in a traditional 401K plan, or traditional IRA plan, then your retirement savings will be subject to this inevitable increase in taxes.

However, if your money is in a Roth 401K plan - you do not have to worry about any future increase in taxes.  Unlike the traditional 401K plan in which you must take minimum distributions at 70 1/2 yrs (IRS forces you to eventually take distributions with a traditional 401k so that they can get a tax bill out of you), however, the Roth 401K allows you to keep the money forever or pass it on to your kids or other family members...and your heirs can take the distributions tax free.

As if this information wasn't enough reason to convert to a Roth 401K - the Roth 401k allows one to save even more money at their retirement age than a traditional 401k will allow.  It is estimated that a Roth 401k gives you an additional $4,312 in retirement savings versus a traditional 401k according to CBS MoneyWatch.

BE FREE

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