Changing jobs? What to do with your 401(k) plan

(ARA) - Changing jobs may represent an exciting time in your career by providing new challenges and an opportunity to enhance your skills and abilities.

On the other hand, if you're leaving a job due to a lay off, termination or move, it can be a stressful process. And the decision of what to do with your 401(k) plan can add to the stress.

With the economic downturn, a startling 45 percent of individuals are cashing out their 401(k) plans when leaving their companies. It's important to understand all of the choices you have and the impact of the decision you make.

* If your vested account balance is $5,000 or more, you can leave your money where it is, and taxes won't be due until you withdraw money from the plan. If your vested account balance is under $5,000, you may be forced by your employer to take a distribution. One option is to roll your 401(k) account into an Individual Retirement Account. If you request a direct rollover -- meaning you have the money transferred directly into the IRA -- you won't owe taxes until you withdraw money from the account. You can also receive the money first and then roll it to an IRA. This is called an indirect rollover. You will have 60 days to deposit the funds in an IRA. Because the money was not rolled directly to the IRA, 20 percent will automatically be withheld. You will need to make that up when you send the money to the IRA administrator.

* If you are going to work for a new company and will have a 401(k) plan there, you can roll your former company's 401(k) money into your new employer's plan. As with a rollover to an IRA, if you request a direct rollover, you won't have to pay taxes until you withdraw money from the account.

* You can take a cash distribution for the full amount of your balance, but, of course, you'll pay income tax on the money you receive. In addition, if you are under age 59 1/2, you may be subject to a 10 percent federal income tax penalty. And because you are receiving the money, 20 percent of your balance will be automatically withheld.

* You can leave some of the money in the plan and take the rest in cash or roll it to an IRA or new plan. Again, remember that any money taken in cash and not rolled over directly will be subject to the 20 percent withholding.

While taking some or all of the money in cash may seem appealing, it can result in taxes and penalties. It can also have a long-term effect on your retirement savings.

To see how taxes and penalties may impact your personal situation, check out a distribution impact calculator.

So which option is best? There's no one right answer to this question. Leaving the assets in your former company's plan or rolling the funds to an IRA both enable the money to remain tax-deferred. And if you elect the IRA option, you can access your assets at any time, plus you'll likely have a wider array of investment choices.

Rolling funds to an IRA can enable you to choose funding vehicles that offer downside protection for income purposes and guaranteed lifetime income. For instance, IRA assets may be invested in a variable annuity, which offers optional living benefits that, at an additional cost, provide a guarantee of lifetime retirement income with potential for income increases (but not decreases) based on market performance.

If your job change occurs close to when you planned to retire, you may be concerned about maximizing future income. If this is within five years of retirement, you are entering the most critical time of your investment life, a time Prudential calls "The Retirement Red Zone," which encompasses the five year period before and after retirement.

The decisions you make during this 10-year span may have a fundamental impact on how you spend the 20-plus years of life that follow.

Courtesy of ARAcontent