Retirement Flashcards
What are contributions?
Funds placed into an account to save for retirement
What type of contribution can be made in retirement account?
Only Cash
What do deductible contributions provide?
Immediate tax benefits
What are non-deductibel contributions?
contributions that do not make the equivalent amount of your income tax deductible
WHen are taxes due in retirement accounts vs. non-retirement accounts?
Non-retirement: taxes due when investors receive income or realize capital gain
Retirement: Tax-deferred
What does it mean that retirement accounts are tax-deferred?
Avoid tazxation until money is withdrawn
Which two retirement plans are not tax-deferred?
- Roth
- 401k
What 3 things cannot investors invest in in their retirement accounts?
- Short sales
- margin
- or Options
Why should investors avoid municipal bonds in retirement plans?
Because retirement accounts already provide the same low yield
What type of bonds should retimenet account holders invest in?
US government bonds
What 5 securities should retirement accounts invest in?
- Stocks
- Bonds
- Mutual FUnds
- UIT
- US Gov issue coins
What are distributions in retirmeent accounts?
Withdrawals
How are distributions taxed?
Like ordinary income
What penalty for early withdrawal from retirement account?
10% early withdrawal penalty
What are the 5 exceptions to early withdrawal penalties?
- disability
- death
- first time home purchases
- educational expenses
- certain medical expenses
What does the death exception apply to in 10% withdrawal penalty?
Those inheriting retirmeent assets
When are investors subject to Required Minimum Distributions?
When they turn 73
How long can you postpone your first RMD and under what conditions?
3 months if it is your first RMD
When must RMDs be fully distributed most of the time?
December 31st
What are two penalties of skipped RMDs?
- 25% penalty
- 10% if taken within two years
How much is the excess contribution penalty?
6%
What act must govern a plan to be considered qualified?
Employee Retirement Income Security Act
What do qualified retirment plans offer in taxes?
Tax reduction with pre-tax contributions
What is the ERISA minimum participation/non discrimation standard for qualified retirment plans?
- Must offer plan to all full-time employees
What two things make someone count as a full time employee for the ERISA?
- 21 or older
- Working 1000 hours anually
What are the 4 standards to be met by ERISA to have a qualified plan?
- minimum participation/non-discrimination
- Reporting and disclosure
- Funding
- Vesting
What are two requirements of disclosure necessary for ERISA qualified retirement plan?
- details of retirement plan available in writing
- employees provided annual updates
What is the funding requirement by ERISA for qualified retirement plans?
Dfined benefit plans must be funded appropriately
What are two vesting requirements for ERISA?
- Employees must earn employer-provided benefits in a reasonable amount of time
- Employee contributions are always 100% vested
What is a reasonable amount of time in which employees must earn employer-provided benefits to qualify for ERISA?
5 years or less
What document must all qualified plans be governed by?
The Plan Document
What 6 rules does the plan document identify?
- Who can contribute to the plan
- Employer-provided benefits
- Vesting schedules
- INvestment options
- Beneficiary designation rules
- Distribution guidelines
WHo administers the qualified plan?
Fiduciary
What defines a fiduciary?
A person who owes a duty of care and trust to another and must act primarily for the benefit of the other in a particular activity
What must the fiduciary submit to whom before qualified plan may be offered to employees?
The plan document in writing to the IRS for approval
What are three workplace plans?
- Qualified defined benefits plan
- qualified defined contribution plans
- non-qualified plans
What is the most common form of qualified defined benefit plan?
Pension
What does a qualified defined benefit plan involve?
Varying employer contributions and specific defined retirement benefit
Who (2 traits) is defined benefit plan most beneficial for?
- high salaries
- closest to retirement age
What does a qualified defined contribution plan involve?
Defined contributions and unknown benefit at retirement
What is the tax structure of all qualified defined contribution plans (3 things?
- pre tax deductible contributions
- tax-deferred growth
- distributions taxable as ordinary income
To whom is a 401k available to?
private for profit companies
What is the contribution limit for 401k plans?
22,500
What are solo 401k plans?
Plans established by self-employed individuals
Who uses the 403b plan?
Non-profit organizations
What three things can employees do with their money at retirement in 403b plans?
- roll it over to another retirement account
- turn it into an annuity that will pay them til death
- Take money from the account
For whom are Keogh HR10 plans created for?
Smaller professional business
What is the contribution limit for Keogh HR10 plans?
66,000 or 25% of income
What are profit sharing plans?
Business pledge percentage of profits to emplyees account
What are the two differences between money purchase plans and profit-sharing plans?
- Contributions to money purchase plans are not based on company’s profitability
- Contributions must be made every year by employee
What are SEP IRAs and SIMPLE IRAs
IRAs structured specifically for smaller companies
WHen is someone not subject to the RMD?
If they are still working at their place of employment
What type of plans does ERISA not govern?
Non-qualified plans
What is a benefit of not being goverened by ERISA?
Ability to discriminate
What is a deferred compensation plan?
Allows senior employees to defer compensation, invest it, and receive it in retirment
Which plan do early withdrawal penalties not apply to?
457
What is 457 plan?
Non-qualified plan that is available to government and certain non-profit employees.
What are two unique things about 457 plans?
- Allows tax-deductible contributions and
- tax deferred growth
What are 403b plans also known as?
Tax sheltered annuities
Which retirement plan has no early withdrawal penalty?
457
What is a defensive stock?
Helps you fend against market flucuations during economic downturns?
When a registered employee goes to active duty what happens?
Thei. license goes inactive but then after it’s two years and 90 days when they come back
Conditions under which registered can borrow from their customers or FINRA rule 3240.
- Written rules and procedures from firm register works at about borrowing money from customers
- Pre approve borrowing in writing before loan closes
- Relationship between rep and customer has to be ‘permissible if they are iclose contact, immediate contact
Rules for REIT
- must distribute at least 90 percent
- 75 of gross income must be real estate related
- 75 of total assets must be invested in real estate
- must be managed by board of directors,
- minimum of 100 shareholders
What kind (qualified, unqualified) is a deferred compensation plan?
Non-qualified
What are the two types of IRAs?
- traditional
- roth
Are traditional IRAs qualified or unqualified?
non-qualified
What is the maximum contrituion limit for 457 plans?
22,500