Retirement Planning 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
Age 62 through FRA: benefits reduced by $1 for every $2 earned over $19,560 (2022 threshold)
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 saving plans
- 403(b)
Defined Benefit - qualified plan
- Favors older employee/owner (50+)
- Certain retirement benefit; max $245K (2022). Meets a specific retirement objective.
- Company must have a 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 25% of salary or $61K (2022)
Target Benefit - qualified plan
- Up to 25% employer deduction
- Fixed contributions - need stable cash flow
- Maximum annual contribution: lesser of 25% of salary or $61K (2022)
- 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 $61K (2022)
- 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 defere salary into the plan
- Max $20,500 (2022) deferral for participants under 50 (subject to FICA)
- Additional $6,500 catch-up for age 50 and over (2022)
Section 415 annual additions limit
- Lesser of 100% of compensation or $61K (2022)
* 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 $61K (2022)
- 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 $20,000. Stock is distributed at retirement with a market value of $200,000. The NUA, $180,000 is not taxable until the employee sells the stock, but the $20,000 (the basis) is taxable NOW as ordinary income.
The $180,000 is always LTCG. If the client sells the stock for $230,000, the $30,000 of extra gain is either STCG or LTCG depending on the holding period after being 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 that 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