401K, IRA and Roth IRA Limits (2008 & 2009) and Basics Guide

Are you contributing to a 401K, IRA or Roth IRA? You should be! This guide explains everything you need to know about these wonderful tax-free wealth building tools.

Article Index
Definition and History of the 401K
What you need to know about 401Ks
    1. Benefits of a 401K
    2. How it all works
    3. Contribution Limits
    4. Retirement Distributions and Hardship Withdrawals
Conclusion
IRAs and Roth IRAs
IRA and Roth IRA Similarities
    Contribution Limits: IRA and Roth IRA
IRA and Roth IRA Differences
Decision Time
Roth 401K
Our Other Guides
401K, IRA and Roth IRA Summary Table

Definition and History of the 401K

Let’s cover the 401k first because that’s the one we receive the most questions about.  One of the first things we want to stress to you is that employers have handed over the responsibility of retirement planning to you, pension plans are pretty scarce today unless you work for the government and even those are starting to disappear.  The sad truth is that most Americans are terrible at long term planning, and many that aren’t contributing to a 401K plan will have to work until at least social security age and probably after if they want to have anywhere near the standard of living during retirement that they are accustomed to while working. 

When our parents were working in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, employers were expected to provide for employees in retirement.  If you paid your dues by working for a single employer for an entire career, most would in turn provide you income in your retirement.  While pension income might be less than you made when you were working, you could at least count on continued paychecks.  This gave people the means to retire even if they never saved a penny.   

In the late 70’s, congress added a section to the Internal Revenue Code - Section 401(k) in which employees could avoid taxes on dollars contributed to deferred compensation plans.  This program was intended for executives but companies were quick to interpret the legislation for their own benefit.  The major reason for the explosion of 401K plans is that they allow employers to spend so much less on employee retirement planning.  Rather than paying a pension until the retired employee passes away, a 401K plan only requires that employers cover the administration and support costs plus any company match programs during employment, there is no additional expense after the employee retires.

This concept is much easier to grasp with an example.  Let’s say that Joe worked for 30 years and earned $60,000 per year at retirement and that his employer’s policy is to provide a pension equal to 70% ($42,000 per year) of his highest income.  If Joe retires and then lives another 30 years, the employer will have to pay him 30 X $42,000 = $1,260,000. 

If, on the other hand, Joe’s company provides a 401K plan that matches 5% of his income the picture is quite different.  For simplicity, let’s assume Joe earned $60,000 every year that he worked.  Let’s say that the company pays $2,000 per year for various 401K plan administration expenses related to Joe’s account.  In addition, they match 5% of his income, $3,000, in the plan for 30 years.  The employer’s total liability for Joe’s retirement benefits is ($2,000 admin & support X 30 years ) + ($3,000 company match X 30 years) = $150,000. 

Time for us to climb up on our soap box!  By switching from a pension to a 401K the company saved $1,110,000.  From an employer’s perspective, this huge expense save represents a tangible long term benefit for the company and for shareholders.  Oh wait, what about those pesky ethical implications?  Don’t forget that the average American is terrible at saving money and even worse at investing it and that most people are not long-term thinkers.  Not to mention the fact that when you dump retirement planning responsibilities on people that weren’t prepared or properly educated, you have just added a huge burden to taxpayers in the future and subtracted value from American society in general… nah, we won’t worry about any of that.  Okay, time to step down off our soap box before someone pushes us, what’s done is done and we have a lot to cover. 

We’ll at least end the history section on a bright note.  You can definitely retire wealthy using a 401K if you’re properly educated and, luckily, you have a great teacher, Money-and-Investing.com. 

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What you need to know about 401Ks
Let’s break down what you need to learn into easily digestible chunks:

1. Benefits of a 401K
2. How it all works (tax deferral, payroll deduction)
3. Contribution limits & recommendations
4. Retirement Distributions and Hardship Withdrawals

1. Benefits of a 401K
The two greatest benefits of a 401K are that they reduce the taxable income you have to report to the IRS and once money is in a deferred account you can invest tax free until you withdraw the money at retirement.  Rather hear that in English than in accounting-speak?  Alright, for example, when we say you reduce your taxable income, that means that if you earn $50,000 per year and contribute $5,000 to a 401K you only have to report $45,000 to the IRS when you file your taxes.  If you are in a 24% tax bracket, this saves you $1,200 ($5,000 X 24%) in taxes.  When we say money in a deferred account is invested tax free it means that you will never pay taxes on capital gains, dividends, coupons payments or any other form of profit.  The only time you will ever pay taxes is when you withdraw the money.

We’re going to flash back to the Stock Market Basics Guide because we could never emphasize the importance of compound interest enough when we talk about investing.  

What makes stock market investing the greatest wealth-building tool the world has ever seen?  Compound interest.  While this might sound very “mathy” and boring, we want you to get excited when we talk about compound interest because it’s the closest thing to magic you’re ever going to see in real life.  Albert Einstein once declared that compound interest is “the most powerful force in the universe” and we agree because it certainly has made a lot of people rich.   It’s a simple concept and is best demonstrated through examples so let’s compare a 401K portfolio to a taxable portfolio. 

In this example, you’re going to contribute $10,000 per year.  In addition, you decide to put all your money in index funds so that you can get the average market return which has been about 10% historically.  In the 401K plan you will pay zero taxes, in the taxable account we’ll assume 24% of your profit is lost in taxes.  After 30 years, the 401K will have grown to $1,644,940 (and this doesn’t include any company match) and the taxable account will have grown to $1,052,974.  The 401K grew 56% more than the taxable account.  Albert was right, he must have been a pretty smart guy. 

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2. How it all works
While we did blast companies for taking away pensions and rolling people into 401Ks in the history section, 401Ks are actually a pretty strong investment vehicle if you take full advantage and work for a company that provides a wide variety of investment options. 

Most companies will offer to automatically deduct 401k contributions from your paycheck, you should definitely choose this option if it’s available.  This saves you the headache of figuring out your taxable income when you file taxes because your W2 will adjust your taxable income by the amount you invested into your 401K.  This also means that you don’t have to worry about whether or not you have the will power to set aside savings from your earnings.  Since it is automatically deducted you’ll never see this money in your check, the contributions will go straight to your 401K.  About 80% of Americans don’t save a penny from their regular pay, so for most of us, automatic contributions into a 401K allow us to avoid the instant gratification spending urge and will-power issues. 

Another benefit is that 401K contributions are not a straight line reduction to your income.  Huh?  This means that if you choose to automatically contribute 15% to your 401K, your paycheck will not decrease by the full 15% because of the tax benefits associated with tax deferred accounts.  For example, let’s say you earn $50,000 per year and you are taxed at 24%.  You will bring home $38,000, right?  Now let’s say you decide to contribute 15% of your salary ($7,500) to your 401K.  Many people assume this means a 15% reduction to take home pay but your take home pay actually only goes down by 11% as a result of the $1,800 tax break you received on the $7,500 you contributed to your 401K plan ($7,500 X 24% tax bracket = $1,800 tax break).    

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3. Contribution Limits & Recommendations
Our next topic is Maximum 401K contributions.  In 2008 you will be allowed to contribute is $15,500.  This is the amount that YOU are allowed to contribute.  Any company match is not counted against you so technically the maximum contribution is $15,500 + your company’s match amount. 

How much should you contribute?  In our opinion, the old rule of 10% to savings no longer applies, the new minimum is at least 15%.  Why?  Because the good old US of A ain’t what it used to be.  You’re not as likely to have a pension, the dollar isn’t the strongest currency in the world any more, and social security may face reductions in the future since it is the largest expense in the federal budget and will eventually face major solvency problems.  Save 10% or less and your lifestyle will be seriously cramped when you try to retire, you may even have to postpone.  If, on the other hand, you form the habit of saving at least 15% and invest wisely you should be able to live comfortably when you retire without having to fret over running out of money or every dollar spent. (If you'd like to learn more about debt management, budgeting, saving and many other personal finance concepts that are critical to building wealth, please read our Follow the Money Path. Steps to financial freedom Guide)

Typically, companies offer some kind of employee match and you should always take full advantage of this free money.  For example, if your company offers a 100% match up to 5% of your salary and you make $50,000 per year, they are basically giving you $2,500 as long as you put at least that much of your own money into the 401K plan.  Just like your contributions, the company match goes straight into your tax deferred account.  In this example, if you contribute $2,500, they will match and now you have a total of $5000 which means an instant 100% return on your investment.  Strangely, many people don’t contribute to their 401K and therefore don’t take advantage of the company match… Are you kidding???  Don’t pass up free money.  

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4. Retirement Distributions and Hardship Withdrawals
Let’s skip forward to the finish line, retirement.  When you reach the age of 59 ½ you can take a lump sum distribution minus a 20% withholding tax, a small price to pay considering all those years of tax free investing.  If you don’t want the lump sum, you can also choose to either start receiving retirement distributions, which will also be taxed at 20%, or you can leave the money alone.  However, at age 70, you will be forced to start taking minimum distributions.  Luckily, if you’re forced to withdraw, some of these dollars can be rolled into another tax deferred account called an IRA which we will discuss next. 

The question we dread the most is “can I withdraw money early?”  Unfortunately for many people who have made this costly mistake the answer is yes.  It is possible to withdraw money and even borrow against your 401K, especially if you meet a hardship qualification, but this is a very bad idea.  Every penny you take out or borrow delays your retirement. 

However, we want to provide a complete guide so we will tell you that avoidance of foreclosure, medical expenses not covered by insurance, and permanent disability are examples of common hardship qualifications.  Even if you meet these qualifications your withdrawal will be subject to a 10% withdrawal tax penalty in addition to your normal tax rate.  This means that if you’re in the 24% tax bracket and you take money out for any reason Uncle Sam is going to add a 10% penalty and take 34% of your withdrawal in taxes.  The Roth 401k will allow you to withdraw funds without paying taxes or penalties, and we will discuss this type of 401K below, but taking money out of your retirement fund is still a BAD idea.  

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Conclusion
The tax free investing offered in a 401K account is your best opportunity to build wealth and save for retirement.  Take full advantage and contribute every penny that you can afford.  Also make sure you manage your portfolio diligently, don’t leave it up to your planner or your company.  We have a large library of free investing information on this site.  Please help yourself to as much as your brain can hold and keep coming back until you’re comfortable managing your own portfolio.  You’re always better off when you manage your own money, who else will care as much as you do about your nest egg?  That definitely doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek expert advice, we recommend that you do, but learn enough to be able to validate any advice that you’re getting.  

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IRAs & ROTH IRAs
There are two other outstanding tax deferred accounts, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and Roth Individual Retirement Accounts (Roth IRAs).  These are especially important if your company doesn’t offer a 401K or if you have reached the maximum contribution for the year in your 401K but still have money to invest.  Many people choose to contribute to both, just make sure you max out your company’s 401K match before any dollars go into an IRA account.

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IRA & ROTH IRA SIMILARITIES
Let’s talk about the similarities of these two types of accounts first.  Since 401Ks are an employer’s retirement benefits program, they will usually provide information about the program, encourage you to contribute, assist you in setting up automatic paycheck withdrawals, and even give you limited guidance on investing.  IRAs and Roth IRAs are quite different in this respect.  Like their names suggest, they are individually directed accounts so you’ll have to sign up for them on your own. 

Fortunately, some brokerages make signing up for IRAs and Roth IRAs very easy to do.  For example, our favorite tax deferred account provider is Schwab.com.  They don’t charge any type of maintenance fees, they have low minimum investment requirements, and they make it very easy to open either type of account online in half an hour or less.  (To compare the strengths and weaknesses of all major online investing brokerages, click here to go to our Online Investing Directory or Compare Major Brokerages pages). 

IRA Contribution Limits and Roth IRA Limits are the same and these often change year to year, but to keep things simple we’ll only discuss the current year in this intro.  In 2008 you can contribute $5,000 to either type of account (not both) if you are less than 50 years old and $6,000 if you are 50 or over.  However, you certainly don’t have to contribute the maximum.  If you only have a small amount of money, it should still go into an IRA or Roth IRA rather than a taxable account.  Remember our compound interest example above and ALWAYS choose the tax deferred account when you have the option. 

IRAs and Roth IRAs share similar hardship withdrawal exceptions as well.  In certain circumstances, you will be able to withdraw money from your tax free accounts without paying any penalty over your normal tax rate.   For example, you can take out up to $10,000 for a primary home purchase.  Both IRA types will also allow you to withdraw qualified education expenses of the IRA owner, children, or grandchildren.  And finally, you can withdraw for qualified unreimbursed medical expenses or for medical insurance during periods of unemployment.  

The last similarity worth mentioning is that regular distributions can begin from your IRA or Roth IRA account at age 59 ½.  In addition to this age requirement, the Roth IRA requires that any money withdrawn must be “seasoned” which just means it has to have been in the account for at least 5 years. 

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IRA & ROTH IRA DIFFERENCES
The similarities are pretty generic, now we can talk about the advantages and disadvantages of IRAs Vs Roth IRAs.  After we’ve explained what makes each of these tax deferred accounts unique, you can decide which one is best suited to you. 

There are two major differences between IRAs and Roth IRAs, and the first one we are going to talk about is how they handle taxes.  When you contribute to an IRA, you are allowed to reduce your taxable income.  This is a very popular feature of the IRA because it increases your tax return.  The Roth IRA doesn’t allow you to deduct contributions from your taxes.  In other words, you can put money in, but unlike the IRA, it will not reduce your tax liability.  Once money is in either type of account however, they behave the same, you can invest tax free without having to worry about taxes on dividends or gains until you withdraw. 

You’re probably wondering why you would invest in a Roth IRA if the IRA provides a better tax shelter, right?  That’s easy, and the answer is the second major difference between the two types of accounts.  IRAs penalize you substantially for withdrawing money, you will pay taxes on both your gains and the amount you invested plus a 10% penalty.  When you make the decision to put money into an IRA, make sure that it’s not part of your emergency fund or money you will need soon.  The Roth IRA has a huge advantage in this category.  It allows you to withdraw every penny you invest at any time without paying a taxes or penalties.  This means that you can reap the benefits of tax free investing without losing access to your hard earned cash.  

There is another benefit that is exclusive to the Roth IRA and which is quickly making it the more popular of the two.  Let’s say you decide to leave your money in your Roth IRA until you can begin taking out regular distributions at age 59 ½.  When you start taking regular distributions they won’t be taxed!  Since you didn’t get the tax deduction when you put the money into the IRA, you will not have to pay taxes when you start taking regular distributions at retirement. 

Another benefit of the Roth IRA is that you are never forced to start withdrawing funds.  You can keep your tax free money protected in a Roth IRA account until you decide you need it or until death, whichever comes first.  IRAs on the other hand force you to start withdrawing funds at when you turn 70 ½ unless you are still employed. 

Finally, the Roth IRA is the only tax deferred account that has income limitations.  You can contribute the full $5,000 in 2008 ($6,000 if you’re 50+) as long as you make less than $101,000 per year as a single filer or less than $159,000 as a joint filer.  There are no income limitations on the IRA, it allows anyone to invest the full amount regardless of income.

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Decision Time
Still having trouble deciding?  Here are a few critical questions that sum up the advantages and disadvantages of each. 

1. Will you be in a lower or higher tax bracket in the future?  If lower, the IRA is better, take the tax advantage now and then withdraw at a lower tax rate.  If higher, a Roth IRA is better, pay the taxes now and enjoy tax free earnings when you withdraw later at a higher tax bracket.



2. Is this money that you will need before retirement?  If you know you won’t need this money and won’t have to worry about withdrawal penalties, then it doesn’t matter which option you choose.  If you may need this money for something, choose the Roth IRA since it lets you withdraw all the money you contributed at any time without penalty.  Self employed people or people that have a very tight budget are likely to enjoy this option because you can still access your money in the event of an emergency.  



3. Will you need this money later?  If this is an important part of your retirement income, then it doesn’t matter as much which type of account you choose.  If, however, you aren’t sure if you’ll need these funds during retirement and would like to have the option of not cashing out, choose the Roth IRA.  A regular IRA will start mandatory distributions at age 70 ½ and they will be taxed.   

What is our personal opinion?  IRAs and Roth IRAs are both wonderful wealth building tools because they allow you to invest tax free.  There are advantages and disadvantages to each one, but if we had to choose one for you, we would recommend the Roth IRA because of all the flexibility it offers.  You can withdraw your money in the event of an emergency, you won’t be taxed when you start taking distributions, and you can leave the money in this wonderful tax shelter for as long as you want. 

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Roth 401K
We wanted to throw in a short blurb about the Roth 401k.  While they’re a new animal (only around since 2006), we believe they’ll become popular quickly.  The differences between a 401K and a Roth 401K are nearly the same as the differences between an IRA and a Roth IRA.  If your employer offers one, remember that the Roth 401K will give you much more flexibility around withdrawing money and will also allow you to withdraw tax free distributions at retirement.  For the record… don’t withdraw money until retirement!  But it’s nice to have the option in case of emergencies.  Obviously you also lose the tax deduction advantage up front, but most people finish their careers in a higher tax bracket than they started anyway.  This is a particularly strong option for career minded people that are likely climb the corporate ladder getting raises all along the way, you’ll definitely finish in a higher tax bracket so this should be a no brainer for you. 

Now that you’ve learned where to invest, let’s talk more about how to invest.  Our next guide is the Introduction to Investing Strategies, enjoy!  If you prefer, feel free to skip around to the other guides in the series, there’s no reason that you have to read them in the order that they were written.

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The following chart comes from Wikipedia.  We included it because it’s such a great summary of the four tax free investing vehicles we talked about in this guide.

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