Retirement Flashcards
Basic Concepts of Social Security
Coverage - Nearly every worker is covered under OASDI. Employment categories not covered by Social Security include:
A Federal employees who have been continuously employed since before 1984.
**B **Some Americans working abroad
C Student nurses and students working for a college or college club
D Railroad Employees
E A child, under age 18, who is employed by a parent in an unincorporated business
**F **Ministers, members of religious orders and Christian Science practitioners if they claim an exemption
G Members of tribal councils
Social Security
(reduction of benefits)
- Age 62 - FRA (full retirement age): benefits reduced $1 for every $2 earned over $15,480 (2014 threshhold)
Social Security
(taxation)
- Must include muni bond income to calculate MAGI
- If income (MAGI) plus 1/2 of social security benefits is:
- 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 (vesting/admin costs/exempt from creditors/integrate with Social Security)
- Defined Benefit
- Cash Balance
- Money Purchase
- Target Benefit
- 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
- SIMPLE
- SAR-SEP
- Thrift or Savings Plans
- 403(b)
Defined Benefit - qualified plan
- Favors older employee/owner (50+)
- Certain retirement benefit; Max $210k (2014)
- Meet a specific retirement objective
- only the first $260k of comp is considered
- max life annuity benefit is the lesser of 210k or 100% of participant’s comp over three highest consecutive earning years
- Company must have very stable cash flow
- Past service credits allowed
- Forfeitures MUST be applied to reduce employer contributions
- PBGC insured (along with Cash Balance Plan)
Money Purchase - qualified plan
- Up to 25% employer deduction
- Fixed contributions - need stable cash flow
- Maximum annual contribution lesser of 100% of salary of $52k (2014)
Target Benefit - qualified plan
- Up to 25% employer deduction
- Fixed contributions - need stable cash flow
- Maximum annual contribution less of 100% of salary or $52k (2014)
- Favors older workers
Profit sharing - qualified plan
- Up to 25% employer deduction
- Flexible contributions (must be recurring and substantial)
- Maximum annual contribution **lesser **of 100% of salary or $52k (2014)
- Can have 401(k) provisions
- SIMPLE 401(k) exempt from creditors
Section 401(k) Plan
- Qualified profit sharing or stock bonus plan that allows plan participants to defer salary into the plan
- Max $17,500 (2014) deferral for participants under 50 (subject to FICA)
- Additional $5,500 catch-up for age 50 and over (2014)
Section 415 annual additions limit
- Lesser of 100% of compensation or $52,000 (2014)
- Includes employer contributions, employee salary reductions and plan forfeitures
Safe Harbor
Nondiscrimination
A safe harbor 401(k) plan automatically satisfies the nondiscrimination tests involving highly compensated employees (HCEs) with either an employer matching contribution or a nonelective 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 nonelective 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.
Stock Bonus/ESOP - qualified plan
- Up to 25% employer deduction
- Flexible contributions
- Maximum annual contribution lesser of 100% of salary or $52k (2014)
- 100% of contribution can be invested in company stock
- ESOP cannot be integrated with Social Security or cross-tested
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 holder period after distributed at retirement.