Home
Blog
Online Education
Career Planning
Resume Writing
Cover Letters
Resume Blast
Job Search
Job Interviews
Salary Negotiation
Resignation
Self Employment
For Recruiters

Subscribe To This Site
XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines
 

IRA vs 401k

Are you having trouble deciding whether you want an IRA vs 401k? This is a difficult decision, but one that can make a huge different in your retirement. Each plan offers a unique set of positive and negative aspects that can have a profound effect on your future.

A 401k is basically a trust fund set aside for your retirement. This is the easiest and cheapest way to set aside money for the future. Your contribution will be taken before taxes, so the amount of money taken from your budget will be offset by paying less overall taxes. Many employers will match their employees’ contributions up to a fixed percentage of their income, so investors can double the amount of money available for their retirement without making sacrifices today. IRA vs 401k? 401k retirement accounts are a good deal that no one should refuse.

There are other tax advantages to having a 401k retirement investment account. First, there is the tax advantage of having a lower income due to the investment principal being taken out of pre-tax income. Second, all money grows in the 401k account without being subject to taxes. This means that the sizeable chunk of profit that would have been claimed by the IRS in most other accounts can instead continue to grow and to produce its own dividends. These earnings will not be taxed until they are withdrawn from the account, which may be after several decades of earning money.

IRA’s are another type of tax deferred savings. They have lower limits, usually around a third of that allowed for 401k investment. Money put in a traditional IRA is usually tax deductible. IRA’s allow you to actively manage your account, moving from investment to investment and diversifying the way you can with any kind of brokerage account. IRA’s may have lower limits, but the package of freedom and choice they offer is difficult to resist. IRA vs 401k? IRA’s also have definite advantages, so it can be difficult to choose.

Instead of choosing between IRA vs 401k, many wise investors opt for both. They invest in their employer sponsored 401k up to the maximum amount their employer will match. After all, to not do this would be turning down free money. Then, they invest the remaining amount of their planned investment and savings funds in an IRA. In this way, people can get the maximum benefit from both types of plans.

There was a time when people simply didn’t plan for retirement. Between their company pension and their Social Security benefits, most people had enough for a modest retirement. Times, however, have changed. Most people want to have not just a modest retirement, but a busy and fulfilling one. Life spans have lengthened enough to almost double the amount people need for retirement, while Social Security and company pensions will soon be a thing of the past. Smart investors have taken matters into their own hands and are investing money in a variety of funds for maximum gains. When choosing IRA vs 401k, the right answer is all of the above.


IRA vs 401k
Go Back To Salary Info Page

footer for IRA vs 401k page