Can 457 Plans Be Rolled Over To An IRA?
Thursday, January 16th 2025
Preparing for retirement involves understanding your options when it comes to various retirement plans, like 457 plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA). Each one can offer unique advantages when saving; one question often asked is if 457 plans can be converted to an IRA account – so in this article, we explore this complexity by investigating both vehicles thoroughly before providing clear answers that help provide clarity for retirement preparations.
Before discussing how to roll over a 457 plan into an IRA, it’s essential that we first define what a 457 plan is. Like its more well-known cousin 401(k), 457 plans provide employees of state or local public employers as well as some nonprofit employers with tax-advantaged deferred-compensation retirement plans that enable employees to make salary deferral contributions either pretax (457b) or post tax (457f), which then grow tax deferred until retirement time.
457 Plans Are Distinctive in Their Early Withdrawal Penalty Structure
What sets 457 plans apart from traditional IRAs or 401(k)s is its lack of an early withdrawal penalty – meaning employees who retire early, or switch jobs can access funds without incurring the 10% early withdrawal fee applied by other plans if accessing before age 59 1/2. This makes 457s especially appealing retirement savings options for early retirees looking for savings solutions.
What Is an Individual Retirement Account (IRA)?
At the other side of this equation lies the Individual Retirement Account (IRA). An IRA is a tax-advantaged account individuals can open with financial institutions such as banks and brokerage firms that allows for tax-free saving towards retirement independent from employer-sponsored plans. There are various kinds of IRAs including traditional, Roth, SEP and SIMPLE accounts – each type has specific rules regarding contributions, taxation and withdrawals.
Can 457 Plans Be Rolled Over to an IRA?
Once we understand both 457 plans and IRAs, the main question becomes clearer: Can a 457 plan be converted to an IRA? In theory yes – however there may be regulations and considerations related to such conversion.
How to Convert an Existing 457 Plan into an IRA
Rolling over your 457 plan into an IRA is generally straightforward. First, open an IRA if necessary and select one to best meet your retirement and tax situation goals and needs. Next, initiate the rollover process with your 457 plan administrator who will provide instructions and paperwork needed to transfer funds between plans to their new IRA account.
As part of any rollover, it’s vital that funds transfer directly from a 457 plan to an IRA trustee-to-trustee transfer in order to avoid withholding taxes or penalties. If funds are distributed first to you personally and not placed directly into an IRA within 60 days, a mandatory 20% withholding tax applies and could incur income taxes and potentially penalties on top of potential income tax exposure.
Considerations When Converting to an IRA from a 457 Plan
Although rolling over a 457 plan into an IRA provides flexibility, it might not always be the optimal decision for everyone. There are various considerations before opting to convert to this alternative investment vehicle:
- Loss of early withdrawal advantage: One key benefit of 457 plans is their lack of an early withdrawal penalty of 10% upon withdrawal before age 59 1/2; when converted to an IRA this advantage disappears and any withdrawal before this age will incur the 10% early withdrawal tax penalty in addition to income taxes due.
- Different investment opportunities: 457 plans and IRAs offer different investment choices; while 457 plans typically limited by plan providers are generally restricted to their choices for investing, an IRA often gives you access to individual stocks, bonds, and mutual funds as options that might lead to greater returns but could increase risk levels as well.
- Tax implications of rollover: The tax implications of rolling over will depend upon which IRA type you select for your rollover. With traditional IRAs, funds remain tax-deferred until withdrawal; for Roth IRAs however, taxes must first be paid, and future withdrawals tax-free provided all requirements have been fulfilled.
- Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs, 1): Both 457 plans and traditional IRAs require RMDs starting at the age of 72; however, some 457 plans offer flexibility to delay RMDs until you stop working – an advantage not available with traditional IRAs. Switching over to Roth IRA may allow you to avoid RMDs altogether.
- Protection from creditors: 457 plans tend to provide better protection from creditors than IRAs in bankruptcy proceedings, thanks to federal law providing unlimited protection. Whereas protection for IRAs may be limited and subject to change at certain intervals.
Conclusion
While it’s possible to transfer a 457 plan to an IRA However, any such transfer should be made only after careful consideration has been given to the individual’s particular circumstances and specific goals for retirement planning, including the age of an individual, their future income expectations, tax situation, capacity for risk and the necessity of creditor security.
Before making any major financial or tax decisions, it’s advisable to seek professional guidance. A knowledgeable financial adviser or tax professional will offer tailored guidance tailored to your circumstances and goals – the key to an enjoyable retirement is not simply saving but saving wisely! Understanding all your retirement plan options including any possible rollovers is essential to reaching that goal.
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2 Comments
Good to know!
I’m glad this is useful to you Elizabeth, and happy investing!