Your Guide To Navigating Employee Benefits: Retirement Plans

May 6th, 2024 by Blake Pinyan

When it comes to employee benefits, Retirement Plans rank right alongside Health Insurance in importance. The term “Retirement Plan” encompasses various types of accounts, all aimed at helping employees save and grow funds for their post-work life. During their working years, employees rely on a steady paycheck from their employer. However, upon retirement, this income source ceases, leaving individuals dependent on Social Security and potentially their Retirement Plan to sustain their desired lifestyle. Given the diverse financial situations of individuals, the significance of a retirement plan in securing a comfortable retirement varies. Nevertheless, saving into a Retirement Plan should be a primary focus for employees, providing a safety net and a reliable resource for their future needs.

It’s important to understand whether your retirement benefit falls under a Defined Benefit or Defined Contribution Plan.

Defined Benefit Plans

Defined Benefit Plans operate essentially as pensions, wherein the employer commits to providing a fixed retirement benefit based on factors like the employee’s years of service, salary during employment, and age for the rest of their lives.

Several types of pension plans exist, including Traditional Defined Benefit, Cash Balance Plan, and Money Purchase Pension Plan. However, they have become less prevalent in modern employment landscapes, with many employers shifting towards Defined Contribution plans. Notably, certain government-run entities such as those for teachers, firefighters, and police officers still offer Defined Benefit Plans due to their historical significance. Nonetheless, these plans are relatively rare in the private sector owing to their higher costs for employers in terms of administration and contributions.

Defined Contribution Plans

Defined Contribution Plans constitute the other major category of retirement plans. Unlike Defined Benefit Plans, Defined Contribution plans involve employees making the bulk of contributions. Conversely, in Defined Benefit Plans, employers typically contribute more.

Various forms of Defined Contribution Plans exist, with the 401(k) plan being the most common among private sector employees, while government employees typically encounter equivalents like the 403(b) and/or 457 plans. Although their nuances differ slightly, they share fundamental characteristics regarding account structure, features, and considerations for employees.

For these retirement accounts, three primary aspects stand out:

1. Contributions
2. Tax Features
3. Investment Selection

Contributions

Contributions to Defined Contribution plans involve employees allocating a portion of their paychecks to these accounts. Referred to as salary deferrals, this entails employees diverting a set percentage or dollar amount from their salary into the account, often via automatic deductions. For instance, an employee might opt to contribute 10% of their salary to a 401(k).

The level of contribution directly impacts the amount deducted from the employee’s paycheck, affecting their take-home pay. This highlights the need for careful consideration regarding contribution levels to align with individual cash flow requirements. While prioritizing retirement savings is important, ensuring sufficient funds for monthly expenses is equally vital. Contributions to retirement accounts are typically inaccessible until retirement age, with early withdrawals incurring penalties, emphasizing the long-term commitment involved.

Initiating contributions at a conservative level allows employees to gauge their financial comfort and adjust accordingly. While the ultimate objective is to maximize contributions, starting gradually and incrementally increasing the percentage is advisable. The aim is to reach the maximum contribution limit, set at $23,000 for 2024, with an additional catch-up contribution of $7,500 for those aged 50 or older, totaling $30,500.

Employers often incentivize retirement contributions through employer matches, which can vary in structure. Understanding these details is crucial to maximizing employer contributions. Matches may occur on a dollar-for-dollar or 50 cents on the dollar basis, with variations in minimum contribution requirements to qualify for the match. Additionally, some plans, such as Safe Harbor plans, entail employer contributions regardless of employee contributions. It’s essential to note that employer matches may be subject to vesting schedules, potentially affecting departing employees’ entitlements. The key takeaway is for employees to contribute at least the minimum required to unlock the full employer match, maximizing retirement savings opportunities.

Tax Features

Retirement accounts offer significant tax advantages, with key considerations regarding contributions, growth, and withdrawals.

Tax Treatment for Contributions

Contributions to retirement accounts typically fall into two categories: Pre-tax and Roth. Pre-tax contributions reduce taxable income for the year of contribution, directly deducted from the employee’s wages as reflected on the W-2 form. While Pre-tax contributions offer immediate tax benefits, Roth contributions are made after-tax, providing tax advantages upon withdrawal. Choosing between Pre-tax and Roth contributions should involve thoughtful consideration of current and anticipated future tax rates. A balanced approach, allocating contributions between Pre-tax and Roth buckets, is also feasible, with the 2024 maximum contribution limits remaining constant at $23,000 for those under 50 and $30,500 for those 50 or older.

Less common but available to some employees is the After-Tax (Non-Roth) contribution option. This unique contribution type allows funding beyond the limits of Pre-tax and Roth buckets. Calculating After-Tax contributions involves deducting the Pre-tax/Roth limit and employer contributions from the maximum defined contribution limit of $69,000, with an additional $7,500 catch-up contribution for those aged 50 or older. Notably, After-Tax contributions can be leveraged for Mega Back-Door Roth Contributions, facilitating tax-efficient conversions to Roth 401(k) accounts.

Tax Treatment for Growth

One of the significant tax benefits of retirement accounts is tax-deferred growth and income from investments. Unlike traditional brokerage accounts, where annual taxes apply to investment activities, retirement plans allow tax-deferred accumulation of growth and income until withdrawal.

Tax Treatment for Withdrawals

Withdrawals from retirement plans entail distinct tax implications based on whether the funds are Pre-tax, Roth, or After-Tax (Non-Roth).

Pre-Tax Withdrawals

Withdrawals from Pre-tax Retirement Funds are taxed as ordinary income. Since the employee received upfront tax benefits at the time of contribution, the IRS levies taxes on withdrawals during retirement. Additionally, Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) apply to Pre-tax funds, compelling individuals to withdraw a specified amount annually upon reaching a certain age, typically between 73 and 75.

Roth Withdrawals

Withdrawals from Roth funds are tax-free for employees aged 59.5 or older, provided the account has been held for more than five years. Roth funds also offer the advantage of exemption from RMDs during the account holder’s lifetime, allowing for continued tax-free growth and potential tax-free inheritance for heirs.

After-Tax (Non-Roth) Withdrawals

Withdrawals from After-Tax (Non-Roth) funds comprise a blend of taxable and non-taxable amounts. Contributions to the After-Tax bucket are non-taxable upon withdrawal, akin to Roth contributions. However, earnings associated with After-Tax funds are taxable upon withdrawal. The attractiveness of the Mega-Back Door Roth Strategy lies in minimizing or negating taxes on After-Tax contribution earnings, maximizing tax efficiency for retirement savings.

Investment Selection

The final pillar of Retirement Plans’ main characteristics is investment selection, which involves two key considerations: asset allocation and risk tolerance.

Asset Allocation

Before allocating your retirement funds to specific investments, it’s particularly important to determine an appropriate asset allocation based on your time horizon and financial goals. Asset allocation refers to the mix of stocks, bonds, and cash in your portfolio. Stocks offer growth potential but come with higher risk, while bonds and cash are more conservative, offering stability. Generally, younger individuals with longer time horizons are advised to have a higher allocation to stocks to capitalize on long-term growth. Since their time horizon is long, they can withstand short-term market volatility. Conversely, older individuals nearing retirement are encouraged to reduce portfolio risk by increasing bond and cash allocations. Since they’ll soon need to access their retirement funds for income, the risk of market volatility outweighs the potential reward of growth. Aligning your asset mix with your investment horizon and risk tolerance is essential. For example, someone with a 30-year horizon can afford a more aggressive stance toward stocks compared to someone just a couple of years from retirement.

Risk Tolerance

Your comfort level with risk is another crucial factor to consider. Those averse to steep market declines may prefer a more conservative approach with fewer investments in stocks. Feeling secure in your allocation to stocks ensures peace of mind, allowing you to sleep soundly even during market fluctuations.

Retirement plans typically offer a selection of funds chosen by the employer, usually mutual funds with professional management and associated management fees (expense ratios). While historical performance is often provided, it’s important to remember that past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.

You have the choice between actively managing your portfolio or opting for a passive approach.

Active Management

Actively managing your retirement plan involves selecting individual funds to build a customized portfolio. This strategy requires investment knowledge and entails decisions made on fund diversification, selection, and allocation percentages. It’s a hands-on approach best suited for those with investment experience.

Passive Management

Passive management involves investing in funds for the long term without frequent changes. Target Date Retirement Funds are a prime example, with a year appended to the fund name indicating the expected retirement year. These funds automatically adjust asset allocation over time, starting with a higher equity allocation and gradually shifting to more conservative investments as retirement approaches. Target Date Funds are suitable for many due to their simplicity and professional management, requiring minimal investment knowledge.

Choosing between a passive Target Date Fund and actively managing your portfolio is a significant decision. Target Date Funds simplify investing, adjusting asset allocation without your involvement. In contrast, actively managing your portfolio entails determining suitable asset allocation, selecting funds, and managing investments yourself. Target Date Retirement Funds serve as the default option for their simplicity and reduced investment burden on employees.

Conclusion

Retirement plans represent vital benefits for employees and merit careful consideration. Understanding the nuances of contributions, tax features, and investment selection is paramount. Beyond Social Security, retirement plans serve as the primary financial safety net once regular paychecks cease.

At Anchor Bay, we prioritize empowering our clients to make informed decisions regarding their retirement plans. With retirement being a one-time event, it’s essential to invest effort now to secure a prosperous future.