Are There Really Tax-Free Retirement Plan Distributions?

A look at some popular & obscure options for receiving money with little or no tax.

Provided by Magnate Wealth Management

Will you receive tax-free money in retirement? Some retirees do. You should know about some of your options for tax-free retirement distributions, some of which are less publicized than others.

Qualified distributions from Roth accounts are tax-free. If you own a Roth IRA or have a Roth retirement account at work, you can take a tax-free distribution from that IRA or workplace retirement plan once you are older than 59½ and have held the account for at least five tax years. One other nice perk: original owners of Roth IRAs never have to take Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) during their lifetimes. (Owners of employer-sponsored Roth retirement accounts are required to take RMDs.)1,2

Trustee-to-trustee transfers of retirement plan money occur without being taxed. In a rollover of this kind, the custodian financial firm that hosts your workplace retirement plan account makes a payment directly out of the account to an IRA you have waiting, with not a penny in taxes levied or withheld. Trustee-to-trustee transfers of IRAs work the same way.3

If you are older than 80, you might get a tax break on a lump-sum withdrawal. If you were born prior to January 2, 1936, you could be entitled to a tax reduction on a lump-sum distribution out of a qualified retirement plan in certain cases. Unfortunately, this is never the case with an IRA RMD.4

Your heirs could receive tax-free dollars resulting from life insurance. Payouts on permanent life insurance policies are normally exempt from federal income tax. (The payout may be included in the value of your taxable estate, though.) A life insurance death benefit paid out from a qualified retirement plan is also tax-exempt provided the death benefit is greater than the policy’s pre-death cash surrender value. Even if an employee takes a distribution from a corporate-owned life insurance policy on his or her life while still alive, that distribution may not be fully taxable as it may constitute a return of the principal invested in the life insurance contract.4,5

Sometimes the basis in a workplace retirement account can be withdrawn tax-free. If you have made non-deductible contributions through the years to an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement plan account, these contributions are not taxable when they are distributed to the original account owner, accountholder, or an account beneficiary – it is considered return of principal, a recovery of the original account owner or accountholder’s cost of investment.4

IRA contributions can optionally be withdrawn tax-free before their due date. As an example, your 2016 IRA contribution can be withdrawn tax-free by the due date of your federal tax return – April 15 or thereabouts. If you file Form 4868, you have until October 15 (or thereabouts) to do this.6

Withdrawals such as these can only happen, however, if you meet two tests set forth by the IRS. First, you must not have taken a deduction for your contribution. Second, you must, additionally, withdraw any interest or income those invested dollars earned. You can also take investment losses into account. (There is a worksheet in IRS Publication 590 you can use to calculate applicable gains or losses.)6

These common and obscure paths toward tax-free retirement income may be worth exploring. Who knows? Perhaps, this year, your retirement will be less taxing than you think.

Magnate Wealth Management may be reached at 502-855-3160 or bgorter@magnatewealth.com.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Registered Investment Advisory services offered through Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and advisory services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., Capital Wealth Management, LLC. and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are separate entities.

Citations.
1 – irs.gov/retirement-plans/retirement-plans-faqs-on-designated-roth-accounts [1/26/16]
2 – irs.gov/retirement-plans/retirement-plans-faqs-regarding-required-minimum-distributions [7/28/16]
3 – irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/rollovers-of-retirement-plan-and-ira-distributions [2/19/16]
4 – news.morningstar.com/articlenet/article.aspx?id=764726 [8/13/16]
5 – doughroller.net/personal-finance/life-insurance-proceeds-tax/ [8/18/16]
6 – tinyurl.com/gwoxed8 [8/18/16]

Should You Pay Off Your Home Before You Retire?

Before you make any extra mortgage payments, consider some factors.

Provided by Magnate Wealth Management

Should you own your home free and clear before you retire? At first glance, the answer would seem to be “absolutely, if at all possible.” Retiring with less debt … isn’t that a good thing? Why not make a few extra mortgage payments to get the job done?

In reality, things are not so cut and dried. There is a fundamental opportunity cost to consider. If you decide to put more money toward your mortgage, what could that money potentially do for you if you were to direct it elsewhere?

In a nutshell, the question is: should you pay down low-interest debt, or should you invest the money into a tax-advantaged account that could potentially bring you a strong return?

Relatively speaking, home loans are cheap debt. Compare the interest rate on your mortgage to the one on your credit card. Should you focus your attention on a debt with 6% interest or a debt with 15% interest?

You can usually deduct mortgage interest, so if your home loan carries a 6% interest rate, your after-tax borrowing rate could end up being 5% or lower.

If history is any barometer, your home’s value may increase over time and inflation will effectively reduce the real amount of your mortgage over time.
Making mortgage prepayments may not be the right choice. It’s important to look at the math and examine the tradeoff between prepaying your mortgage and tax-deferred retirement savings. In her MSN Money article Should I Save More for Retirement or Pay Down My Mortgage?, Stacy Johnson noted “For most people, mortgage interest is tax-deductible, retirement plan contributions are deductible and their earnings are tax deferred. This tax arbitrage makes retirement contributions a better choice, at least for some.”1
You save taxes on each dollar you direct into IRAs, 401(k)s, and other tax-deferred investment vehicles. Those invested dollars have the chance for tax-free growth. If you are like a lot of people, you may enter a lower tax bracket in retirement, so your taxable income and federal tax rate could be lower when you withdraw the money out of that account.

Another potential benefit of directing more funds toward your 401(k): If the company you work for provides an employer match, then you may be able to collect more of what is often dubbed “free money”.

Let’s turn from tax-deferred retirement investing altogether and consider insurance and college planning. Many families are underinsured and the money for extra mortgage payments could optionally be directed toward long term care insurance or disability coverage. If you’ve only recently started to build a college fund, putting the assets into that fund may be preferable.

Let’s also remember that money you keep outside the mortgage is money that is generally easier to access.

What if you owe more than your house is worth? Prepaying an underwater mortgage may seem like folly to you – or maybe you really love the house and are in it for the long run. Even so, you could reallocate money that could be used for the home loan toward an emergency fund, or insurance, or some account with the potential for tax-deferred growth – when all the factors are weighed, it might look like the better move.

Think it over. It really comes down to what you believe. If you are bearish, then you may lean toward paying off your mortgage before you retire. There is no doubt about it – when you pay off debt you owe, you effectively get an instant return on your money for every dollar. If you are tantalizingly close to paying off your house, then you may just want to go ahead and do it because you love being free and clear.

On the other hand, model scenarios may tell you another story. After the numbers are run, you may want to direct the money to other financial priorities and opportunities, especially if you tend to be bullish and think the market will perform along the lines of its long-term historical averages.

No one path is right for everyone. If you’re unsure which direction may be most beneficial to you, speak with a qualified Financial Professional.

Magnate Wealth Management may be reached at 502-855-3160 or bgorter@magnatewealth.com.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Registered Investment Advisory services offered through Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and advisory services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., Capital Wealth Management, LLC. and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are separate entities.

Citations.
1 – msn.com/en-us/money/retirement/should-i-save-more-for-retirement-or-pay-down-my-mortgage/ar-AAgYTpT?li=BBnb7Kz [6/13/16]

Should You Pay Off Your Home Before You Retire?

Before you make any extra mortgage payments, consider some factors.

Provided by Magnate Wealth Management

Should you own your home free and clear before you retire? At first glance, the answer would seem to be “absolutely, if at all possible.” Retiring with less debt … isn’t that a good thing? Why not make a few extra mortgage payments to get the job done?

In reality, things are not so cut and dried. There is a fundamental opportunity cost to consider. If you decide to put more money toward your mortgage, what could that money potentially do for you if you were to direct it elsewhere?

In a nutshell, the question is: should you pay down low-interest debt, or should you invest the money into a tax-advantaged account that could potentially bring you a strong return?

Relatively speaking, home loans are cheap debt. Compare the interest rate on your mortgage to the one on your credit card. Should you focus your attention on a debt with 6% interest or a debt with 15% interest?

You can usually deduct mortgage interest, so if your home loan carries a 6% interest rate, your after-tax borrowing rate could end up being 5% or lower.

If history is any barometer, your home’s value may increase over time and inflation will effectively reduce the real amount of your mortgage over time.
Making mortgage prepayments may not be the right choice. It’s important to look at the math and examine the tradeoff between prepaying your mortgage and tax-deferred retirement savings. In her MSN Money article Should I Save More for Retirement or Pay Down My Mortgage?, Stacy Johnson noted “For most people, mortgage interest is tax-deductible, retirement plan contributions are deductible and their earnings are tax deferred. This tax arbitrage makes retirement contributions a better choice, at least for some.”1
You save taxes on each dollar you direct into IRAs, 401(k)s, and other tax-deferred investment vehicles. Those invested dollars have the chance for tax-free growth. If you are like a lot of people, you may enter a lower tax bracket in retirement, so your taxable income and federal tax rate could be lower when you withdraw the money out of that account.

Another potential benefit of directing more funds toward your 401(k): If the company you work for provides an employer match, then you may be able to collect more of what is often dubbed “free money”.

Let’s turn from tax-deferred retirement investing altogether and consider insurance and college planning. Many families are underinsured and the money for extra mortgage payments could optionally be directed toward long term care insurance or disability coverage. If you’ve only recently started to build a college fund, putting the assets into that fund may be preferable.

Let’s also remember that money you keep outside the mortgage is money that is generally easier to access.

What if you owe more than your house is worth? Prepaying an underwater mortgage may seem like folly to you – or maybe you really love the house and are in it for the long run. Even so, you could reallocate money that could be used for the home loan toward an emergency fund, or insurance, or some account with the potential for tax-deferred growth – when all the factors are weighed, it might look like the better move.

Think it over. It really comes down to what you believe. If you are bearish, then you may lean toward paying off your mortgage before you retire. There is no doubt about it – when you pay off debt you owe, you effectively get an instant return on your money for every dollar. If you are tantalizingly close to paying off your house, then you may just want to go ahead and do it because you love being free and clear.

On the other hand, model scenarios may tell you another story. After the numbers are run, you may want to direct the money to other financial priorities and opportunities, especially if you tend to be bullish and think the market will perform along the lines of its long-term historical averages.

No one path is right for everyone. If you’re unsure which direction may be most beneficial to you, speak with a qualified Financial Professional.

Magnate Wealth Management may be reached at 502-855-3160 or bgorter@magnatewealth.com.

This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note – investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.

Registered Investment Advisory services offered through Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., a Registered Investment Adviser. Securities and advisory services offered through Silver Oak Securities, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Magnate Wealth Management, LLC., Capital Wealth Management, LLC. and Silver Oak Securities, Inc. are separate entities.

Citations.
1 – msn.com/en-us/money/retirement/should-i-save-more-for-retirement-or-pay-down-my-mortgage/ar-AAgYTpT?li=BBnb7Kz [6/13/16]

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