#retirementsavings

By:  Henry VanBuskirk, CFP®, Wealth Manager

Investing is a broad concept that has a wide array of definitions that differ depending on whom you ask.  If you ask a recent college graduate, parents in their early 40s with two young children, and an elderly retired couple to define what investing means to them, you will probably get three wildly different answers. They all have different goals, and their investment accounts need to match those goals. My goal with this article is to help define some of these different investment accounts and why they would be used. There are many different types of investment accounts, and it may be overwhelming to keep tabs on the goals and rules for each account type. While I’m not going to go through every single investment account type in existence, I am going to help define some of the more common and lesser-known investment account types and why they would be used in each stage of life. Let’s start with the recent college graduate.

College graduate:

Say you are a recent college graduate of 24 and you started working for ABC Company. You probably aren’t thinking much about your retirement (…that’s 40 years from now…). You probably are thinking about making sure you can pay rent on time and hoping your date on Friday night goes well. The recent college graduate would probably answer, “I have a 401(k) at work, social security when I’m older, and I’ll be fine. There are a few stocks I like, and I follow the market, but I don’t have enough money to set aside to focus on investing. I don’t need to focus on investing right now.” The sentiment towards investing is understandable, but there are a lot of things that this college graduate can do now. This could be the prime time in this person’s life to start thinking about investing. Assume that ABC Company offers a match of 4%, you make $50,000, your salary never increases, and you contribute 10% to the 401(k).  Below is how much you would have at your projected retirement at age 65 assuming a 7% rate of return.   

Now compare this to someone at ABC Company who is 40 years old, makes $100,000 per year, their salary increases by 5% per year, and contributes 10% to the 401(k) each year. We will use the same 7% rate of return assumption.

The college graduate (24-year-old), who makes half as much as the 40-year-old, would have more saved in retirement. This is due to what Einstein calls “The Eighth Wonder of the World”, compound interest. 

A Traditional 401(k) also would offer tax-deductible contributions that would lower your pre-tax income, would you lower your tax bill, and the investments would grow tax deferred. The catch is that you would be required to take distributions in retirement starting at age 72. This is called the required minimum distribution (RMD). The college graduate is probably not thinking about RMDs right now, but what they are thinking of is getting a break on their taxes and saving for their future retirement. There is also a Roth 401(k)that does not allow for tax-deductible contributions, the earnings would grow tax-deferred, but you would not be required to take any distributions ever (not all plans offer this option).

Now assume that ABC Company offers a High Deductible Health Plan. Since you are a 24-year-old, you probably are in good health and would be okay signing up for a high deductible health plan.  Doing so would give you access to a lesser-known account, a Health Savings Account (HSA). This account type offers the trifecta of tax savings:

• Tax-deductible contributions
• Tax-free growth
• Tax-free distributions when used for qualified health expenses

Think of this account as a Traditional 401(k) where you don’t have required distributions. If you don’t use it for qualified health expenses, then distributions are taxed at ordinary income tax rates. There is also a limit to how much you can contribute to an HSA in any given year (for 2022, $3,650 for individual coverage and $7,300 for family coverage). As we illustrated before, time is your friend when it comes to investing.

Parents in their early 40s with two young children:

Now assume that you are a 43-year-old parent with two young children, ages 5 and 6. You may be thinking about what’s best for your children. Fortunately, there are investment accounts that you can consider for their goals as well. Some investment account types that would fit this bill are Uniform Transfer to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts, Uniform Gift to Minors Act (UGMA) accounts, and Roth IRAs.

Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) accounts are accounts where you can set aside money each year to invest for a minor. The adult family member is the custodian (person in charge of the account) and when the child reaches the age of majority (normally 18 but can be as high as 25 in some states), the account legally changes ownership to the child. There are very few differences between a UTMA and a UGMA, which is why I lump them together and will refer to them as a custodial accounts. A custodial account is taxed with the following schedule:

• The first $1,100 of unearned income is free from tax
• The next $1,100 is taxed at the minor’s tax rate
• Earnings above $2,200 are taxed at the parent’s tax rate

It generally would require filing a tax return to report any gains or losses attributed to the investment account’s performance. The taxation in a custodial account is not dependent on whether or not the child or grandchild uses it for qualified education expenses. The UTMA or UGMA account after the child or grandchild reaches the age of majority becomes a non-qualified investment account. This means that it is taxed at the more favorable capital gains tax rates.

One account that can help pay for future college expenses is a 529 plan. 529 Plans (sometimes referred to as college savings plans) are a great investment vehicle if your child goes to college or a private school. This is because the earnings are tax-free, and distributions are tax-free as long as the funds are used for qualified education expenses. The downside is if the distribution is not for qualified education expenses, then the earnings are taxed at ordinary income tax rates and a 10% penalty is assessed. If your child has goals of wanting to be an astronaut, doctor, or another profession that requires post-secondary education, it may be a good opportunity to talk to them about what needs to happen to realize that goal. Maybe during Christmas, you have the child open a letter that has a $100 check made out to a 529 plan. The kid would naturally have questions. You could then give them the same gift every Christmas and show them the 529 plan statement on how you are working together to make that goal a reality.

Another way to save for a minor child would be a Roth IRA. Roth IRAs are available to anyone that has an earned income below $144k for single taxpayers or $214k for married filing jointly. This isn’t just for people 16 and older that work part-time after school. You can have even younger people than that contribute (with the parent’s help as custodian) to a Roth IRA provided that they have earned income.  Earnings on a Roth IRA are tax-free, as long as it has been longer than 5 years since you first contributed to a Roth IRA account, and you have reached age 59.5. There is a 10% early withdrawal penalty if funds are withdrawn before age 59.5 and it is possible that you would owe ordinary income taxes on the earnings received. Your basis in the Roth IRA is never subject to taxation.

For example, I worked with a client who owned an educational toy company, and her 2-year-old was a ‘toy tester’. She gave the 2-year-old a salary, and then matched that salary in the form of a Roth IRA. Think outside the box, but also make sure everything is well documented since you are reporting all of this to the IRS. We are all about tax saving strategies at BFSG, but we will never recommend illegal tax avoidance strategies.

An elderly retired couple:

The elderly couple isn’t thinking about accumulating and is instead thinking about maintaining their lifestyle and passing on their successes to future generations in their household. This is also the time when you are taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your Traditional 401(k) or Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

This elderly retired couple has a sizable estate and are concerned about making sure their grandchildren can attend college. They can put the RMD funds (net of taxes) into a 529 Plan that would grow tax-free and withdrawals can be tax-free if the funds withdrawn from a 529 Plan are used for qualified educational expenses. With a 529 plan, you can build an educational legacy for your grandchild while taking advantage of tax and estate planning benefits.  

What some of our clients do when they don’t need the money from their RMDs (not a bad problem to have) is that they journal the net distribution from their Traditional 401(k) or IRA to their brokerage investment account.  The brokerage investment account is non-qualified (no favorable tax treatment) that can be used for any purpose.

However, don’t let Lloyd Christmas have that chance at your estate. Make sure the brokerage investment account is titled properly – preferably in the name of your Living Trust.

Upon the elderly retired couples passing, the brokerage investment account would pass to their heirs (as dictated in the Trust), and they would receive a step-up in cost basis at death. For example, assume you put $100,000 into a brokerage investment account and it grows to $150,000 10 years later. If you close out the brokerage investment account, you would owe long-term capital gains taxes on the $50,000 gain and you would receive $150,000 minus what was paid in long-term capital gains taxes. If you instead leave the account open and pass away with the $150,000 brokerage investment account, your heirs would receive the account and can choose to take the $150,000 tax-free.

Conclusion:

Regardless of what demographic group you are a part of, there are investment accounts for you and a team of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS^TM at BFSG that can help you along your life journey.  Let us know what we can do to help. 

Sources:

1. https://www.bankrate.com/retirement/401-k-calculator/
2. https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/wealth-management/hsas-and-your-retirement
3. https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/utma-ugma
4. https://www.bankrate.com/loans/student-loans/roth-ira-for-college/
5. https://www.savingforcollege.com/article/can-i-pay-my-mortgage-with-529-plan-money
6. https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-announces-changes-to-retirement-plans-for-2022
7. https://www.courts.ca.gov/partners/documents/probguide-eng.pdf

Disclosure: BFSG does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party, whether linked to BFSG’s website or blog or incorporated herein and takes no responsibility for any such content. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly. Please remember that different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy (including those undertaken or recommended by Company), will be profitable or equal any historical performance level(s). Please see important disclosure information here.

Contributing to your 401(k) may help you build retirement savings over time – without impacting your take-home pay as much as you may think. Consider the hypothetical example below, which shows how a 2% increase in pre-tax contributions could potentially cost you only $30 per paycheck.

Want to learn more about saving for retirement? Visit BFSG University for on-demand webcasts on a wide range of financial wellness topics.

Disclosure: BFSG does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party, whether linked to BFSG’s website or blog or incorporated herein and takes no responsibility for any such content. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly. Please remember that different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy (including those undertaken or recommended by Company), will be profitable or equal any historical performance level(s). Please see important disclosure information here.

*Hypothetical data are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to represent past or future performance of any specific investment. The balances shown assume a $50,000 yearly salary, a biweekly pay period, a federal tax bracket of 22%, and no state or local taxes.

By:  Arash Navi, CFP®, CPA, Controller & Wealth Manager

Our goal is to help our clients build and grow their wealth and tax planning plays an important role in this process. We recommend that you mark your calendar to review your finances in the first week of October, annually. Take this time to review your income for the year from employment, businesses, investments, or any other sources. This will help you project your tax liability ahead of time and allow your financial advisor or tax accountant to find strategies to reduce your tax burden. Implementing this consistently and reducing your tax burden annually will have a compounding impact over the years and increase your retirement nest egg. Here are a few tax planning strategies to keep in mind:

IRAs and Retirement Plans

Take full advantage of tax-advantaged retirement accounts. By contributing to Traditional IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans such as 401(k) plans, you can reduce your taxable income and lower your taxes. For 2022, you can contribute up to $20,500 to a 401(k) plan ($27,000 if you’re age 50 or older) and up to $6,000 to a traditional IRA ($7,000 if you’re age 50 or older).

Roth Conversions

If you are in a lower tax bracket this year and expect your income tax rate to increase in the future, you may want to consider a Roth IRA conversion. You can convert all or part of your pre-tax retirement account into a Roth IRA and pay the taxes now at a lower rate. The funds in your Roth IRA will continue to grow tax free, and you will have more income flexibility in retirement.

Charitable Donation

If you are charitably inclined, you should plan your donations in advance to ensure you maximize the tax benefits. For those over age 70.5, you may want to consider Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), where you can transfer up to $100K from your IRA to a charity. This method not only reduces your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), but the distribution is also excluded from your taxable income.

Tax Bracket Management

The IRS uses a progressive tax system which means as your income grows, it is subject to a higher tax rate. Therefore, it is important to know in which of the seven federal tax brackets you will fall into. In your high-income years, you may want to reduce your tax liability by increasing your retirement contribution or utilize a tax-loss harvesting strategy. On the other hand, in low-income years, you may want to consider Roth IRA conversions, accelerate income recognition, or postpone deductible expenses.

Tax planning should be part of every individual investor’s financial and retirement plan. There are many strategies available for individuals and business owners, but it requires proper planning throughout the year. If you’d like to learn more about tax planning strategies unique to your personal circumstances, feel free to Talk With Us!

Disclosure: BFSG does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party, whether linked to BFSG’s website or blog or incorporated herein and takes no responsibility for any such content. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly. Please remember that different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy (including those undertaken or recommended by Company), will be profitable or equal any historical performance level(s). Please see important disclosure information here.

Learn how to prepare for retirement by learning the basics of your retirement plan. Why save in your retirement plan? How to invest in your retirement plan? What to do with your retirement plan after you retire? Get these questions answered and more.

Come join the conversation with Tina Schackman, CFA®, CFP® and Keith Johnson, CFP® of BFSG.

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If you’re a decade or so away from retirement, you’ve probably spent at least some time thinking about this major life change. How will you manage the transition? Will you travel, take up a new sport or hobby, or spend more time with friends and family? Should you consider relocating? Will you continue to work in some capacity? Will changes in your income sources affect your standard of living?

When you begin to ponder all the issues surrounding the transition to retirement, the process can seem downright daunting. However, thinking about a few key points now, while you still have years ahead, can help you focus your efforts and minimize the anxiety that often accompanies the shift.

Reassess your living expenses

A step you will probably take several times between now and retirement — and maybe several more times thereafter — is thinking about how your living expenses could or should change. For example, while commuting and other work-related costs may decrease, other budget items may rise. Health-care costs, in particular, may increase as you progress through retirement.

Try to estimate what your monthly expense budget will look like in the first few years after you stop working. And then continue to reassess this budget as your vision of retirement becomes reality.

According to a recent survey, 43% of retirees said they were “very confident” that they would be able to meet their basic expenses in retirement, while only 32% showed similar levels of confidence in meeting health-care costs.¹ Keeping a close eye on your spending in the years leading up to retirement can help you more accurately anticipate your budget during retirement.

Consider all your income sources

First, figure out how much you stand to receive from Social Security. The amount you receive will depend on your earnings history and other unique factors. You can elect to receive retirement benefits as early as age 62, however, doing so will result in a reduced benefit for life. If you wait until your full retirement age (66 or 67, depending on your birth date) or later (up to age 70), your benefit will be higher. The longer you wait, the larger it will be.²

You can get an estimate of your retirement benefit at the Social Security Administration website, ssa.gov. You can also sign up for a my Social Security account to view your online Social Security statement, which contains a detailed record of your earnings and estimates for retirement, survivor, and disability benefits. Your retirement benefit estimates include amounts at age 62, full retirement age, and age 70. Check your statement carefully and address any errors as soon as possible.

Next, review the accounts you’ve earmarked for retirement income, including any employer benefits. Start with your employer-sponsored plan, and then consider any IRAs and traditional investment accounts you may own. Try to estimate how much they could provide on a monthly basis. If you are married, be sure to include your spouse’s retirement accounts as well. If your employer provides a traditional pension plan, contact the plan administrator for an estimate of that monthly benefit amount.

Do you have rental income? Be sure to include that in your calculations. Might you continue to work? Some retirees find that they are able to consult, turn a hobby into an income source, or work part-time. Such income can provide a valuable cushion that helps retirees postpone tapping their investment accounts, giving the assets more time to potentially grow.

Some other ways to generate extra cash during retirement include selling gently used goods (such as furniture or designer accessories), pet sitting, and participating in the gig economy (i.e., Uber).

Pay off debt, power up your savings

Once you have an idea of what your possible expenses and income look like, it’s time to bring your attention back to the here and now. Draw up a plan to pay off debt and power up your retirement savings before you retire.

Why pay off debt? Entering retirement debt-free — including paying off your mortgage — will put you in a position to modify your monthly expenses in retirement if the need arises. On the other hand, entering retirement with a mortgage, loan, and credit-card balances will put you at the mercy of those monthly payments. You’ll have less of an opportunity to scale back your spending if necessary.

Why power up your savings? In these final few years before retirement, you’re likely to be earning the highest salary of your career. Why not save and invest as much as you can in your employer-sponsored retirement savings plan and/or IRAs? Aim for maximum allowable contributions. And remember, if you’re 50 or older, you can take advantage of catch-up contributions, which enable you to contribute an additional $6,500 to your 401(k) plan and an extra $1,000 to your IRA in 2022.

Manage taxes

As you think about when to tap your various resources for retirement income, remember to consider the tax impact of your strategy. For example, you may want to withdraw money from your taxable accounts first to allow your employer-sponsored plans and IRAs more time to potentially benefit from tax-deferred growth. Keep in mind, however, that generally you are required to begin taking minimum distributions from tax-deferred accounts once you reach age 72, whether or not you actually need the money (Roth IRAs are an exception to this rule).

If you decide to work in retirement while receiving Social Security, understand that income you earn may result in taxable benefits. IRS Publication 915 offers a worksheet to help you determine whether any portion of your Social Security benefit is taxable.

If leaving a financial legacy is a goal, you’ll also want to consider how estate taxes and income taxes for your heirs’ figure into your overall decisions.

Managing retirement income to result in the best possible tax scenario can be extremely complicated. Qualified tax and financial professionals can provide valuable insight and guidance.³

Account for health care

The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) reported that the average 65-year-old married couple retiring in 2020, with average prescription drug expenses, would need about $270,000 in savings to have a 90% chance of meeting their insurance premiums and out-of-pocket health-care costs in retirement.⁴ This figure illustrates why health care should get special attention as you plan the transition to retirement.

As you age, the portion of your budget consumed by health-related costs (including both medical and dental) will likely increase. Although Original Medicare (Parts A and B) will cover a portion of your costs, you’ll still have deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance. Unless you’re prepared to pay for these costs out of pocket, you may want to purchase a supplemental Medigap insurance policy. Medigap policies are sold by private health insurers and are standardized and regulated by both state and federal law. These plans offer different levels of coverage and may pay many of your out-of-pocket costs.

Another option is Medicare Advantage (also known as Medicare Part C), which is a bundled plan that includes Parts A and B, and usually Part D prescription coverage, and may offer additional benefits Original Medicare doesn’t cover. If you enroll in Medicare Advantage, you cannot also purchase a Medigap policy. For more information, visit medicare.gov.

Also think about what would happen if you or your spouse needed home care, nursing home care, or other forms of long-term assistance, which Medicare and Medigap will not cover. Long-term care costs vary substantially depending on where you live and can be extremely expensive. For this reason, people often consider buying long-term care insurance. Policy premiums may be tax deductible, based on a number of different factors. If you have a family history of debilitating illness such as Alzheimer’s, have substantial assets you’d like to protect, or want to leave assets to heirs, a long-term care policy may be worth considering.⁵

Ease the transition

These are just some of the factors to consider as you prepare to transition into retirement. Breaking the bigger picture into smaller categories and using the years ahead to plan accordingly may help make the process a little easier. We are here to assist you prepare for retirement. Feel free to contact us for a complimentary consultation at financialplanning@bfsg.com.

1. 2021 Retirement Confidence Survey, EBRI

2. Note that if you work while receiving Social Security benefits and are under full retirement age, your benefits may be reduced until you reach full retirement age.

3. Working with a tax or financial professional cannot guarantee financial success.

4. EBRI Issue Brief, May 28, 2020

5. A complete statement of coverage, including exclusions, exceptions, and limitations, is found only in the LTC policy. It should be noted that carriers have the discretion to raise their rates and remove their products from the marketplace.

Prepared by Broadridge Advisor Solutions. Edited by BFSG. Copyright 2022.

Disclosure: BFSG does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party, whether linked to BFSG’s website or blog or incorporated herein and takes no responsibility for any such content. All such information is provided solely for convenience purposes only and all users thereof should be guided accordingly. Please remember that different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy (including those undertaken or recommended by Company), will be profitable or equal any historical performance level(s). Please see important disclosure information here.