at what age can I start withdrawing from a regular 401(k) without penalty?
99863
You can withdraw money from your 401k without penalty at age 59.5. HOWEVER, you can take 72T distributions (named after the IRS Rule 72T) prior to age 59.5 and avoid the 10% penalty. Rule 72T stipulates that as long as the distributions are substantially equal and based on your life exepctancy they will not incur the penalty. The payments must continue for 5 years or you reach age 65.
1176821
I think...your question...is kinda confusing.  There is the Tradional IRA, Roth IRA and 401(k).  I am not sure there is anything such as Tradional 401(K).\n\nif you're talking about 401(k) - you can move your 401(k) from previous employer to your current employer's 401(k) , OR if you want more options, besides 10 or so mutual funds your current employer offers ( or similar number of funds offered by your previous employer ), you will be better off, rolling your 401(k), into a ROLLOVER IRA. Of course, everytime you trade you're going to pay commissions, which may not be the case in 401(K)\n\nif you're talking about Traditional IRA to ROTH IRA : if you meet certain IRS criteria ( such as be Single, or file jointly if you're married and above all have a Adjusted Gross Income of less than 100K. )  If you think you're going to be in the same Tax Bracket as you are today or above that, when you're 50s ( i think 57 or something like that ),  you will be better off, paying taxes on your earnings in your traditional IRA, TODAY,  at your current lower federal income tax  bracket, so you don't have to pay ANYTHING in your ROTH IRA - even if grows to be Billions of $$$$.  As usual, there are the inherent benefits of ROTH IRA - you will not be required to withdraw monies from it ( with Traditional IRA you will be forced to take out money in 50s and pay taxes on it - if you don't you pay penalty ). You can pass on the ROTH IRA to your kids, etc.\n\nAs usual, consult a financial advisor, as each case varies.  \n\nOne more thing....If your considering converting traditional IRA to ROTH, be prepared to shell out taxes on your earnings/income - from out of your own pocket - DON'T CONSIDER PAYING IT OFF WITH YOUR EARNINGS/INCOMES FROM TRADITIONAL IRA - YOU WILL PAY EARLY WITHDRAWL PENALTY AT 10%
81277
If your company offers a 401K plan, take advantage of it.  They'll take out a fraction of you paycheck (as lo as 1%) and invest it in a mutual fund.  Many companies match your contribution, so that's like free money.  \n\nIf you just forget about it and just let it grow, you'll soon build up quite a bit of dough.\n\nIt's tax deferred, so that means you won't pay taxes on it until you cash it out.\n\nThe only drawback is you can't cash it out until you're 59 and a half without paying a penalty.
57714
This is just my opinion :)...\n\n401K reasonable. Couple of things may happen...where the company contribution goes and where your contribution goes. Also, generally takes 3 to 5 years to be fully vested so you "get" the entire company contribution. If you go this way, take advantage of the maximum employer contribution. It's free money!\n\nROTH IRA  Taxed before you put it in so you aren't taxed when you take it out (Traditional IRA's are the exact opposite). Suggest you contact a broker, start a monthly contribution to a ROTH in a solid mutual fund. A good broker will sit with you and discuss your risk tolerance.\n\nIf you can afford to do a 401 and an IRA, do both.\n\nRegardless of what plan you choose, get started now and make monthly contributions.
453503
It is true...you can use a self directed IRA to defer your tax obligations until your retirement age. Any money that you place into the IRA and any profit that you make can be kept into the IRA account and your not required to pay taxes until you make with drawls at your retirement age. Of course you always want to consult a CPA professional on the specific requirements of this program. But I believe you have it correct in a generalized format. A lot of hard money lenders use that vehicle or a trust to minimize their tax obligations.
1147141
At 23, time is your best friend (hooray compound interest).  Your best bet is to (if you haven't already,) open up and max out your Roth IRA.  This allows you to allow that compounding to work in a tax-free manner after you deposit. See what a difference that can make here: http://www.dinkytown.net/java/RothIRA.html\n\nIf you work for a company that provides matching funds for your 401(k) or similar retirement account, be sure to get the maximum match - it's free money! (that has to come from your income, but you can use your $10K to buffer your cost of living while you max your contributions).\n\nNote, it'll depend both on your capital gains, and the tax efficiency of your investments, but when I ran the numbers for myself, I found that I was much better off using my 401(k) for investment even though I plan on early withdrawal: http://randomfoo.net/blog/id/4087\n\n(Over a longer time-horizon, the tax efficiency is going to make a huge difference, plus you can also drastically rebalance with near impunity, tax free)\n\nRegardless of the type of account you put your money in, you still have to decide what you're going to invest in.  There aren't guaranteed returns, but for your goals (growth until eventual financial independence, yes?) you're best bet is probably a good index mutual fund. (You'll want to do your own research on this - although index funds are by definition 'average' they tend to provide total returns (after expenses) that beat the vast majority of mutual funds.  Here's one article to help you get started on why that's the case: http://www.fool.com/mutualfunds/indexfunds/indexfunds01.htm\n\nYour best course of action as you save towards financial independence is to continue investing (dollar cost averaging) and to diversify as your capital grows (bonds, international, REITs, metals) and to try to keep an eye towards what your goals are.  A good book on the subject matter is "You Money Or Your Life" by Domniguez and Robin, which talks less about investing (they suggest an extremely conservative approach), but more about a good basic mindset/framework for thinking about money.\n\nIf your goal is early retirement (reaching the point where you can live off your investments) you may also want to take a look at FIRECalc, an interesting early retirement calculator: http://fireseeker.com/ and the related Early Retirement forums (lurking and reading the archives is a good way to dip a toe in the water, so to speak): http://early-retirement.org/forums/
545529
You will be greatly penalized if you tap into that 401K now. If you can make it without tapping into it you will be much better off. You can roll it into an IRA and not be penalized. In the process of rolling it into an IRA you can arrange to have some of the money for living expenses but it will cost you.
315452
If is a voluntary 401k plan, find out your company rules on taking it with you.  If it's allowed then do not withdraw the money to yourself. First find another organization that will take the tranfer - like TIAA_CREF - and transfer the money directly to them.   If the money is sent to your name you will have to pay a 10% penalty and 10 % Federal tax on it.\n\nIf its a company funded pension plan, you will have to wait until retirement age to collect.
71891
The question is would you need to start withdrawing from the 403b when you retire in a few years? While contributing to the 403b would allow you to defer taxes on the income now, you wouldn't have very long to let those savings compound and you wouldn't want to allocate your assets within the 403b very aggresively unless you are able to let the funds sit for several years after retirement.\n\nRemember, also, that you would incur penalties on any withdrawals prior to age 59 1/2 from your 403b. Additionally, many 403b programs use  Tax Sheltered Annuities as the investment chassis. These annuities may have surrender charges assessed on withdrawals during the first several years after investing. \n\nIf you do decide to go ahead with the 403b, make sure you read the prospectus and all related info, especially in regards to withdrawal charges.
755986
An early withdrawal of an IRA will mean severe tax consequences. You may can borrow other money from somewhere to pay your bills but there is no such thing as a Retirement Loan. If you withdraw it before age 59 1/2, you will have to claim it as ordinary income plus there is a 10% penalty tacked on for the withdrawing of it that the custodian (fund co., broker, etc.) must collect for the gov't. For your future's sake, don't do it.  Good Luck!
59496
You should be able to surrender the contract or take out cash value without any problems depending on how long ago you purchased it. Most annuities will have a surrender charge for 1 to 10 years after you buy them. The age to take withdrawals without the 10% government penalty is NOT 65. It is 59 1/2.
406918
It will depend on your age and retirement status when you withdraw. Generally speaking, you will be assessed a penalty equal to 10 percent of the taxable amount of your withdrawal if you withdraw money before you reach age 59 1/2. There are some instances when you may not have to pay a penalty. Keep in mind that you must pay income taxes on all withdrawals of taxable money, \n\nDepending on your plan, you may be eligible for a "hardship withdrawal," for those unexpected circumstances when you may need your money before retirement. According to IRS safe harbor regulations, your "hardship" must represent an "immediate and heavy financial need" and is necessary to satisfy the financial need. Also, there must not be "any other resources that are reasonably available," to you to handle that financial need. The IRS has deemed the following four distribution reasons as representing an immediate and heavy financial need:\n\nCertain medical expenses for you, your spouse or your dependents \nPurchase of a primary residence (excluding mortgage payment) \nPayments of certain post-secondary education expenses for the next year for you, your spouse or your dependents \nTo prevent eviction from or foreclosure on your primary home \n \nPlease be advised that if you take a hardship withdrawal from the plan following "safe harbor" rules, you may be suspended from making contributions to the plan for a minimum of six months.  \n \nSome plans also allow hardship withdrawals for other reasons. Check with your benefits department. You will need to show your employer proof of how you intend to use the money, and proof that the amount you requested isn't more than enough to satisfy your need.  \n \nAs a result of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, hardship withdrawals are not eligible to be rolled over, and are not subject to a federal income tax withholding. You may still owe income taxes and a possible 10% early withdrawal penalty if you are under 59 1/2 when you file your annual income tax return. State and local taxes may also apply. Please note: You should consult your financial/tax adviser with specific questions about your personal situation if you are considering a withdrawal from your plan account.
988055
Boy, I would really avoid that if you can. The withholding isn't really up to you. They are going to keep 30 percent if the principal is before-tax money (in a Roth) and 30 percent of the profit if it is after tax money (in a traditional). But the penalty is so severe that you ought to consider doing other things (second job or whatever) to avoid the hit and the loss of your compounding if you possibly can. $1,000 left alone for 40 years will grow to more than $100,000 in a growth stock fund.
393236
It depends.  Do you have a Roth IRA?  You can use that money without a tax penalty.  A regular 401K through an employer will have some penalties usually.
1041559
It depends upon your age. If you are what is to be considered "full retirement age" (for example, if you are 70 years old) you can earn as much as you want without paying taxes on your social security income.\n\nYou are allowed to retire as young as age 62 and collect partial social security benefits, but your social security will be reduced by $1 for every $2 that you earn above a certain limit.\n\nFor more information, contact your local Social Security office or go to their website at http://www.ssa.gov\n\nGood luck!
46984
Yes. Its true that you don't have to make withdrawals until you are 70 ½, but most people are looking to start withdrawals earlier than this. Chances are if you are young now you are in a lower tax bracket than you will be in when you retire. \n\nFacts:\n\nYou will be taxed based on the bracket you fall under when you make withdrawals. \n\nSolution:\n\nConsider making contribution to a ROTH IRA if you believe you are in a lower tax bracket now than you will be in when you retire. This is also save because you are getting taxed NOW, so when you go to take the money later it is tax free. It is always a good idea to diversify your money to various funds. In this case you are protected in case the Tax rate increases greatly for some variant reason.
675447
Each company has their own policy.  Some may allow withdrawls starting at age 55 (reduced benefits).  Generally, the only way you'll receive a lump sum is if the company had a policy such that if the net value was below some threshold (depends on the company), they would pay it out as a retirement distribution.  You would then have to put it in an IRA of some sort and cash it out early paying the appropriate penalty.  You'll need to contact the benefits dept of your former company and ask their policy.