Retirement Flashcards
What is the maximum amount of ISOs that can vest in any 1 year and still receive favorable tax treatment?
$100,000
When does a spouse of a retired or disabled worker get benefits from Social Security?
- Age 62 or over
- Has a child in care < age 16
- Has a child >= age 16 and disabled before age 22
Benefits for surviving spouse of a deceased insured worker qualifies for SocSec benefits when?
- Age 60 or over
- Caring for an entitled child of the deceased who is either <16 or became disabled before age 22
Surviving dependent, unmarried child of a deceased, disabled or retired insured worker, qualifies for SocSec payments when?
- < age 19 and a full-time elementary or secondare school student
- Age 18+ but has a disability which began before age 22
When is a divorced spouse eligible for spousal benefits?
At least age 62, and married to the worker for at least 10 years and divorced for at least 2 years.
Calculate reduced SocSec benefit
PIA - [(# months before FRA/180) x PIA]
Deduction for turning on SocSec before SSNRA and continue to work
Gov’t will deduct $1 from benefits for each $2 earned above $19,560
Deduction in the year worker reaches SSNRA for turning on SocSec before SSNRA and continuing to work
Gov’t will deduct $1 for each $3 of earned income above $51,960 until the month full retirement age is reached
Provisional Income
AGI + tax exempt interest + 1/2 SocSec income
Taxation of Social Security Benefits
50% taxable when provisional income is $25,000 for single taxpayer and $32,000 for married filing jointly
85% taxable when provisional income is $34,000 for single taxpayer and $44,000 for married filing jointly
Salary Cap for retirement plans
$305,000, EXCEPT SIMPLE, which is $466,667
Why choose Money Purchase Plan?
- ER wants stable work force (retain key EEs)
- Simple to administer and explain (pension stated % contributed)
- EEs relatively young and well paid
Requirement for Money Purchase Plan
Stable cash flow and profit to make annual fixed contributions - Contributions are MANDATORY
Describe Target Benefit Pension Plan
Form of Defined Contribution plan that generally benefits older EEs. Has a fixed mandatory contribution that is actuarily determined at plan opening - does not change from year to year.
Profit Sharing Plan
Qualified DC plan that features FLEXIBLE ER contributions up to 25% of compensation.
When:
1. ER profits or fin’l stability varies year to year
2. ER wants to adopt a qualified plan w/ incentive feature to motivate EEs to make company profitable
3. EEs are young, well-paid, and have substantial time to accumulate retirement savings
**Contributions must be substantial and recurring
Types of profit sharing plans
- Cash contribution
- Stock Bonus Plan
- EE Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
When would ER choose Stock Bonus Plan or ESOP?
- Company wants to broaden ownership of stock, to create a market for its stock, to provide liquidity for shareholders’ estates, or to provide for business continuity
- Company wants to provide its EEs w/ tax-advantaged means to acquire company stock
- ER wants its workers to feel sense of ownership
How do Stock Bonus Plans and ESOPs differ from traditional profit sharing plans?
-Stock Bonus plan MAY invest plan assets in ER stock, however, ESOP MUST invest plan assets primarily in ER stock
-Participants’ accounts are stated in shares of ER stock
-Benefits are generally distributable in ER stock (certificates)
-ERs may deduct dividends with respect to stock held in an ESOP
When can ER deduct dividends in ESOP?
-When paid in cash directly to participants or beneficiaries
-When paid to the plan and subsequently distributed in cash to participants or beneficiaries no later than 90 days after the close of the plan year
-When used to make payments (of principal and interest) on loans used to acquire ER securities
-When paid to the plan and reinvested in qualifying ER securities
What participants are eligible to diversify ESOP holdings?
Participants age 55 or older having 10 years of participation in ESOP - can diversify up to 50% of account balance
–ER must offer at least 3 investment alternatives or distribute cash or certificates to participants
Who can establish an ESOP?
Any business established as a corporation including S corps and Closely Held C Corps
When would an ER choose a DB plan?
–ER wants to maximize plan contrib to older EEs
–Older controlling EEwants to maximize tax-deferred retirement savings for his/her own benefit
Section 415 limits in DB plan
Maximum Annual Benefit (NOT contribution) is the lesser of 1) $245,000 or 2) 100% of participants’ compensation over three highest consecutive years
What is most frequently used DB formula?
Unit Benefit formula, AKA percentage-of-earnings-per-year-of-service formula
= % of earnings (given) x # yrs of service x Avg annual comp
Final Average method for DB plan
Earnings are averaged over a number of years - usually 3 to 5 years prior to retirement
**Only first $305,000 of comp can be taken into consideration
What effects do the following have on ER contrib to DB plans:
1. Company hires older workers
2. Investment earnings are up significantly
3. New EEs rarely stay a year
4. Inflation is lower than expected
- Older EEs means Increased company contrib
- Investment earnings up means Decreased company contrib
- New EEs don’t stay long means No effect on copmpany contrib
- Lower than expected inflation means Decreased company contrib
Cash Balance Pension Plan
A type of DB plan that provides for annual ER contributions at a specified rate for each plan participant - ER GUARANTEES the contrib level and the return on ea participant’s acct
–Min interest to each EE’s hypothetical account is guaranteed by ER - if trust assets earn higher return, future ER contrib are reduced; if trust assets earn lower return, future ER contrib are increased
412(i) plan
A DB plan funded entirely with insurance products such as life insurance and annuities
–Appeals to ERs that have some need for life insurance
Which type of pension plan would ER install if wanting to make a reasonable contribution of eligible compensation, investment risk to fall on participants, and be fairly easy to explain to EEs?
Money Purchase Plans - received fixed ER contrib and EEs choose investments
NOT Target Benefit b/c plan contrib based on age, compensation and other factors
How can forfeitures be used in a Money Purchase Plan?
Only options are:
1. Reallocated to remaining participants
2. Used to reduce company contributions
On what is the maximum deductible contribution in a target benefit plan based?
A maximum of 25% of the aggregate eligible compensation of all covered participants
What are Age and Service requirements for a qualified plan?
- 21 and 1 = age 21 and 1 year of service
- 2/100% = if 2 yr service requirement, then EE is immediately vested (n/a in most 401(k) plans
Define year of service
1,000 hours worked during initial 12 month period after being employed, or EEs working 500 hours for at least 3 yrs consecutively
What are the 2 coverage tests for qualified plans?
- Ratio Percentage Test: The plan must cover a percent of the NHCEs that is at least 70% of the percent of HCEs who are covered. Ex. 90% of HCEs covered means 90% x 70% = 63% of NHCEs must be covered, and 37% can be excluded.
- Average Benefit Test: The average benefits for all NHCEs must be at least 70% of those for HCEs.