Retirement Planning Flashcards
Basic Concepts of Social Security
Coverage - Nearly every worker is covered under OASDI. Employment categories not covered by SS include:
- Federal employees who have been continuously employed since before 1984
- Some Americans working abroad
- Student nurses and students working for a college club
- Railroad employees
- A child, under age 18 who is employed by a parent in an unincorporated business
- Ministers, members of religious organizations
- Members of tribal councils
Social Security (Reduction of Benefits)
Age 62 through FRA: benefits reduced 1$ for every 2$ earned over $18,960
Social Security (Taxation)
- Must include muni bond incomee to calculate MAGI
- If income (MAGI) plus 1/2 of SS benefits is;
1. Above 25k for a single taxpayer, then 50% of the total social security is included in income
2. Above 44k for married filing jointly, then 85% of the total social security is included in income
Types of Qualified Plans/ERISA (Vesting/ admin costs/exempt from creditors/ integrate with ss)
- Defined Benefit
- Cash Balance
- Money Purchase
- Target Benefit
- Profit sharing
- Profit sharing 401k
- Stock bonus
- ESOP (doesn’t integrate with ss)
Types of Retirement plans (no vesting/limited admin costs)
- SEP
- SIMPLE
- SAR-SEP
- Thrift or savings plan
- 403 (b)
Defined Benefit- Qualified plan
- Favors older Employee/owner (50+)
- Certain retirement benefit ; Max $230k
- Meet a specific objective
- Company must have very stable cash flow
- Past service credits allowed
- Forfeitures MUST be applied to reduce employer contributions
- PBGC insured (along with Cash balance plan)
Money Purchase - Qualified plan
- Up to 25% employer deduction
- fixed contributions
- Maximum annual contributions lesser of 100% of salary or 58k
Target Benefit - Qualified plan
- Up to 25% employer reduction
- Fixed contributions - need stable cash flow
- Maximum annual contribution lesser of 100% of salary or 58k
- Favors older workers
Profit Sharing - qualified plan
- Up to 25% employer deduction
- Flexible contributions (must be recurring and substantial)
- Maximum annual contribution lesser of 100% of salary or 58k
- Can have 401k provisions
- SIMPLE 401k exempt from creditors
Section 401(k) Plan
Qualified profit sharing or stock bonus plan that allows plan participants to defer salary into the plan
- Max 19,500$ deferral for participants under 50 (subject to FICA)
- additional 6,500$ catch up for age 50 and over
Section 415 Annual additions limit
- Lesser of 100% of compensation or 58k
- includes employer contributions, employee salary reductions and plan forfeitures
Safe Harbor Nondiscrimination
a safe harbor 401k 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 stationary contribution using a match is 1$/1$ on the first 3% employee deferral and .50/$1 on the next 2% employee deferral. If the employer choses to use the nonelective deferral method , the employer must contribtute 3% of all eligible employees compensation regardless of whether the employee is differing 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 58k
- 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 extra 30,000 of extra gain is either STCG or LTCG depending on the holding period after distributed at retirement
Keogh Contribtuion
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