Retirement Fact Sheet and Why do you Need a Will and Some Changes Are Coming for 401(k)s
by rwilczek on Jan 22, 2019
Hope this finds you well and enjoying the holiday season!
If you are a parent, please read the first attachment “Why do you Need a Will.”
If you sponsor a retirement plan please read the second attachment.
Thanks and be well.
Rita
Why Do You Need a Will?
It may not sound enticing, but creating a will puts power in your hands.
Provided by Rita Wilczek
According to the global analytics firm Gallup, only about 44% of Americans have created a will. This finding may not surprise you. After all, no one wants to be reminded of their mortality or dwell on what might happen upon their death, so writing a last will and testament is seldom prioritized on the to-do list of a Millennial or Gen Xer. What may surprise you, though, is the statistic cited by personal finance website The Balance: around 35% of Americans aged 65 and older lack wills.1,2
A will is an instrument of power. By creating one, you gain control over the distribution of your assets. If you die without one, the state decides what becomes of your property, with no regard to your priorities.
A will is a legal document by which an individual or a couple (known as “testator”) identifies their wishes regarding the distribution of their assets after death. A will can typically be broken down into four parts:
*Executors: Most wills begin by naming an executor. Executors are responsible for carrying out the wishes outlined in a will. This involves assessing the value of the estate, gathering the assets, paying inheritance tax and other debts (if necessary), and distributing assets among beneficiaries. It is recommended that you name an alternate executor in case your first choice is unable to fulfill the obligation. Some families name multiple children as co-executors, with the intention of thwarting sibling discord, but this can introduce a logistical headache, as all the executors must act unanimously.2,3
*Guardians: A will allows you to designate a guardian for your minor children. The designated guardian you appoint must be able to assume the responsibility. For many people, this is the most important part of a will. If you die without naming a guardian, the courts will decide who takes care of your children.
*Gifts: This section enables you to identify people or organizations to whom you wish to give gifts of money or specific possessions, such as jewelry or a car. You can also specify conditional gifts, such as a sum of money to a young daughter, but only when she reaches a certain age.
*Estate: Your estate encompasses everything you own, including real property, financial investments, cash, and personal possessions. Once you have identified specific gifts you would like to distribute, you can apportion the rest of your estate in equal shares among your heirs, or you can split it into percentages. For example, you may decide to give 45% each to two children and the remaining 10% to your sibling.
A do-it-yourself will may be acceptable, but it may not be advisable. The law does not require a will to be drawn up by a professional, so you could create your own will, with or without using a template. If you make a mistake, however, you will not be around to correct it. When you draft a will, consider enlisting the help of a legal, tax, or financial professional who could offer you additional insight, especially if you have a large estate or a complex family situation.
Remember, a will puts power in your hands. You have worked hard to create a legacy for your loved ones. You deserve to decide how that legacy is sustained.
Rita Wilczek may be reached at 952-542-8911 or rwilczek@hirep.net
www.ritawilczek.com
This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for the purpose of avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.
Citations.
1 - https://news.gallup.com/poll/191651/majority-not.aspx [4/24/18]
2 - https://www.thebalance.com/wills-4073967 [4/24/18]
3 - https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/naming-more-one-executor.html [12/3/18]
Some Changes Are Coming for 401(k)s
Take note of them for 2019.
Provided by Rita Wilczek
Some notable developments are about to impact 401(k) plans. They follow a major change that became effective in 2018. Thanks to the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, workers who borrow from 401(k) accounts and leave their jobs now have until October of the following year to repay plan loans.1
The Internal Revenue Service has eased the rules on 401(k) hardship distributions. Plan participants who arranged such withdrawals in 2018 (and years prior) paid an opportunity cost. The Internal Revenue Code barred these employees from making periodic contributions to their 401(k) accounts for six months after the withdrawal, and it also prevented them from exercising any stock options for that length of time.2
In 2019, some flexibility enters the picture. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (passed in February) allows plan sponsors to remove both of those restrictions in 2019, if they wish.2
Some fine print worth noting: the BBA also permits plan sponsors to give employees more sources for hardship withdrawals. In 2019, plan participants may take hardship distributions from their 401(k) account earnings, qualified non-elective employer contributions (QNECs), and qualified matching contributions (QMACs) in addition to elective deferral contributions, discretionary employer profit-sharing contributions, regular matching contributions, and earnings on contributions made before December 31, 1988.2
In 2018 and years prior, a plan participant could only take a hardship distribution after taking a loan from his or her 401(k) account. Next year, plan sponsors can waive this requirement, if they choose, and let their employees take hardship withdrawals from 401(k)s without a loan first.2
In addition, plan sponsors may let victims of California wildfires make special hardship withdrawals. An individual who suffered economic losses due to the massive fires in the Golden State (and whose principal residence is in a California wildfire disaster area) may take qualified wildfire distributions of up to $100,000 from a 401(k) through December 31, 2018. The money withdrawn is fully taxable, but the withdrawal is not subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty. The amount withdrawn can also be recontributed to the plan within three years of the distribution. This type of hardship withdrawal may be permitted immediately; the plan sponsor has until the last day of the first plan year, beginning on or after January 1, 2019, to revise the plan documents to denote the new terms.2
What do these rule changes mean for companies sponsoring 401(k) plans? The message is clear. Review your plan documents and hardship withdrawal guidelines before 2019 begins, and decide whether you want to include these provisions.
Lastly, annual contribution limits for 401(k) accounts are rising. An employee can put up to $19,000 into a 401(k) in 2019, up from $18,500 in 2018. The annual limit on “catch-up” contributions, allowed for plan participants aged 50 or older, remains at $6,000.3
Rita Wilczek may be reached at 952-542-8911 or rwilczek@hirep.net
www.ritawilczek.com
This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.
Citations.
1 - forbes.com/sites/ashleaebeling/2018/01/16/new-tax-law-liberalizes-401k-loan-repayment-rules/ [1/16/18]
2 - pillsburylaw.com/en/news-and-insights/recent-and-upcoming-changes-to-401k-plans.html [3/8/18]
3 - nytimes.com/2018/11/09/your-money/401k-contribution-limits-raised-irs.html [11/9/18]
A Retirement Fact Sheet
Some specifics about the “second act.”
Provided by Rita Wilczek
Does your vision of retirement align with the facts? Here are some noteworthy financial and lifestyle facts about life after 50 that might surprise you.
Up to 85% of a retiree’s Social Security income can be taxed. Some retirees are taken aback when they discover this. In addition to the Internal Revenue Service, 13 states levy taxes on some or all Social Security retirement benefits: Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia. (It is worth mentioning that the I.R.S. offers free tax advice to people 60 and older through its Tax Counseling for the Elderly program.)1
Retirees get a slightly larger standard deduction on their federal taxes. Actually, this is true for all taxpayers aged 65 and older, whether they are retired or not. Right now, the standard deduction for an individual taxpayer in this age bracket is $13,600, compared to $12,000 for those 64 or younger.2
Retirees can still use IRAs to save for retirement. There is no age limit for contributing to a Roth IRA, just an inflation-adjusted income limit. So, a retiree can keep directing money into a Roth IRA for life, provided they are not earning too much. In fact, a senior can potentially contribute to a traditional IRA until the year they turn 70½.1
A significant percentage of retirees are carrying education and mortgage debt. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau says that throughout the U.S., the population of borrowers aged 60 and older who have outstanding student loans grew by at least 20% in every state between 2012 and 2017. In more than half of the 50 states, the increase was 45% or greater. Generations ago, seniors who lived in a home often owned it, free and clear; in this decade, that has not always been so. The Federal Reserve’s recent Survey of Consumer Finance found that more than a third of those aged 65-74 have outstanding home loans; nearly a quarter of Americans who are 75 and older are in the same situation.1
As retirement continues, seniors become less credit dependent. GoBankingRates says that only slightly more than a quarter of Americans over age 75 have any credit card debt, compared to 42% of those aged 65-74.1
About one in three seniors who live independently also live alone. In fact, the Institute on Aging notes that nearly half of women older than age 75 are on their own. Compared to male seniors, female seniors are nearly twice as likely to live without a spouse, partner, family member, or roommate.1
Around 64% of women say that they have no “Plan B” if forced to retire early. That is, they would have to completely readjust and reassess their vision of retirement, and redetermine their sources of retirement income. The Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies learned this from its latest survey of more than 6,300 U.S. workers.3
Few older Americans budget for travel expenses. While retirees certainly love to travel, Merril Lynch found that roughly two-thirds of people aged 50 and older admitted that they had never earmarked funds for their trips, and only 10% said they had planned their vacations extensively.1
What financial facts should you consider as you retire? What monetary realities might you need to acknowledge as your retirement progresses from one phase to the next? The reality of retirement may surprise you. If you have not met with a financial professional about your retirement savings and income needs, you may wish to do so. When it comes to retirement, the more information you have, the better.
Rita Wilczek may be reached at 952-542-8911 or rwilczek@hirep.net
www.ritawilczek.com
This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Please note - investing involves risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If assistance is needed, the reader is advised to engage the services of a competent professional. This information should not be construed as investment, tax or legal advice and may not be relied on for avoiding any Federal tax penalty. This is neither a solicitation nor recommendation to purchase or sell any investment or insurance product or service, and should not be relied upon as such. All indices are unmanaged and are not illustrative of any particular investment.
Citations.
1 - gobankingrates.com/retirement/planning/weird-things-about-retiring/ [8/6/18]
2 - fool.com/taxes/2018/04/15/2018-standard-deduction-how-much-it-is-and-why-you.aspx [4/15/18]
3 - thestreet.com/retirement/18-facts-about-womens-retirement-14558073 [4/17/18]