Retirement Flashcards
Basic Concepts of Social Security
Coverage: Nearly every worker is covered under OASDI.
Employment categories not covered by Social Security include:
- Federal employees who have been continuously employed since before 1984.
- Some Americans working abroad
- Student nurses and students working for a college or college club
- Railroad Employees
- A child, under age 18, who is employed by a parent in an unincorporated business
- Ministers, members of religious orders and Christian Science practitioners if they claim an exemption
- Members of Tribal Councils
Social Security
(Reduction of Benefits)
Before FRA (Full Retirement Age): Benefits reduced $1 for every $2 earned over $19,560 (2022 threshhold)
Year in which you reach FRA (Full Retirement Age): Benefits reduced $1 for every $3 earned over $51;960 (2022 threshhold)
Social Security
(Taxation)
- Must include Muni Bond Income to calculate MAGI
- If income (MAGI) plus ½ of Social Security Benefits is:
- SINGLE TAXPAYER- Above $25K for a single taxpayer, then 50% of the total Social Security is included in Income.
- Above $44k for MFJ, then 85% of the total Social Security is included in Income.
Types of Qualified Plans / ERISA
- Defined Benefit
- Cash Balance Pension
- Defined Benefit Pension
- Defined Contribution
- Money Purchase Pension
- Target Benefit Pension
- Profit Sharing
- Profit Sharing 401(k)
- Stock Bonus ESOP (NOT integrated with Social Security or cross-tested)
Types of Retirement Plans
(No Vesting / Limited Admin Costs)
- SEP IRA
- SIMPLE IRA
- SAR-SEP
- Thrift or Savings Plans
- 403(b)
Defined Benefit PENSION plan- Qualified Plan
Road Map
- Favors older employee/owner (50+)
- Certain retirement benefit; Max $245K or 100% Compensation (415 limit) (2022)
- Meet a specific retirement objective
- Company must have very stable cash flow
- guaranteed retirement benefit amount
- Past service credits allowed
- Forfeitures MUST be applied to reduce employer contributions
- PBGC Insured required (along with Cash Balance Plan)
Cash Balance Pension Plan
Defined Benefit
PBGC Insurance required
EmployER controls the investments
low cost
simpler DB Plan
may allow for past service credits
Money Purchase - Qualified Plan
DEFINED CONTRIBUTION
- Up to 25% Employer Deduction
- Fixed Contributions
- Need stable cash flow
- Maximum Annual Contribution lesser of 100% or salary of $61K (2021)
- Only the first 305Kof income
- favors younger employees
- RETAIN employees
Target Benefit - Qualified Plan
DEFINED CONTRIBUTION
- Up to 25% Employer Deduction
- Fixed Contributions
- Need stable cash flow
- Maximum annual contribution less of 100% of salary or $61K (2022)
(415 Limit) - Favors older workers
- discriminates based on age
Profit Sharing - Qualified Plan
DEFINED CONTRIBTUION
- Up to 25% Employer Deduction
- Flexible contributions (must be recurring and substantial)
- Maximum Annual Contribution lesser of 100% of salary or $61K (2022)
- Can have 401(k) provisions]
- (FICA) (hardship withdrawals)
- SIMPLE 401(k) exempt from creditors
Section 401(k) Plan
DEFINED CONTRIBUTION
Qualified profit sharing or stock bonus plan that allows plan participants to defer salary into the plan.
- Max $20,500 (2021) deferral for participants under 50 (subject to FICA)
- Additional $6,500 catch-up for age 50 and over (2021)
Stock Bonus / ESOP - Qualified Plan
- Up to 25% employer deduction
- Flexible contributions
- Maximum Annual Contribution lesser of 100% of salary or $61K (2022)
- 100% of contribution can be invested in company stock ESOP cannot be integrated with Social Security or cross-tested
Section 415 Annual Additions Limit
- Lesser of 100% of compensation or $61K (2022)
- Includes employer contributions, employee salary reductions and plan forfeitures
Safe Harbor Non-Discrimination
A Safe Harbor 401(k) plan automatically satisfies the non-discrimination tests involving highly compensated employees (HCEs) with either an employer matching contribution or a non-elective contribution.
Safe Harbor Match / Vesting
The statutory contribution using a match is $1/$1 on the first 3% employee deferral and $0.50/$1 on the next 2% employee deferral.
- If the employer chooses to use the non-elective deferral method, the employer must contribute 3% of all eligible employees’ compensation regardless of whether the employee is deferring or not.
- Employer contributions must be immediately vested.
Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA)
NUA Example:
Stock is contributed to the retirement plan with a basis of $20k. The stock is distributed at retirement with a market value of $200k. The NUA, $180k, is not taxable until the employee sells the stock, but the $20k is taxable NOW as ordinary income.
The $180k is always LTCG. If the client sells the stock for $230k, the $30k of extra gain is either STCG or LTCG depending on the holding period after distributed at retirement.
Keogh Contribution
- Only for sole proprietor and partnerships
- Self-Employment Tax must be computed and a deduction of one-half of the Self-Employment Tax must be taken before determining the Keogh deduction.
Shortcut below takes into account Self-Employment Taxes:
- If contribution 15%: multiply by 12.12% of net earnings
- If contribution 25%: multiply by 18.59% of net earnings
expect one ? on the exam!
SIMPLE IRA Plan
- Fewer than 100 employees
- Employer cannot maintain any other plan
- Participants fully vested
- Easy to administer and funded by employee salary reductions and an employer match
- No loans on ANY IRA plans
- $14,000 plus $3,000 catch up
SEP (Simplified Employee Pension)
- NO Salary Deferrals - Employer contributions only
- Up to 25% contribution for owner (W-2) / treated like Keogh contributions for self-employed
- Maximum of $58K (2021)
- Account immediately vested
- Can be integrated with social security
- Special Eligibility: 21+ years old, paid at least $650 (2021) and worked 3 of the 5 prior years
Tax-Deferred Annuity (TDA)
Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA)
403(b)
- For 501(c)(3) organizations and public schools
- Subject to ERISA only if employer contributes
- Salary reduction limit up to $20,500 (2022) plus $6,500 catch-up if 50 or over
Age and Service Rules - Qualified Plans
- Max age and service are age 21 and one year of service (21-and-one-rule)
- Special provision allows up to 2-year service requirement, BUT then employee is immediately vested (2-year/100%)
- Year of service is 1,000 hours (includes vacations, holidays and illness time) or 500 hours if worked 3 consecutive years
Highly Compensated Employee (HCE)
- A greater than 5% owner, OR
- An employee earning in excess of $135,000 during the preceding year (2021)
Key Employee
An individual is a Key Employee if at any time during the current year he/she has been one of the following:
- A greater than 5% owner, or An officer and compensation > $200,000 (2022), or
- Greater than 1% ownership and compensation > $150,000 (2022)
Ratio % test for NHCE vs. HCE
Average Benefit Test
The plan must cover a % of NHCE that is at least 70% of the % of HCE who are covered
avgerage benefits for all NHCE must be at least 70% of thos for HCE
Vesting - Fast / Slow
Fast:
- DB Top-heavy Plans / All DC Plans- ALL the time!
- 3-year cliff or 2-6 year graded or 100% vested after 2 years
Slow:
- Non-top-heavy DB Plans only
- 5-year cliff or 3-7 year graded or 100% vested after 2 years