
A Roth 401(k) with Fidelity can be a game-changer for your retirement savings. Fidelity Investments, a well-established financial services company, offers a Roth 401(k) option that allows you to contribute a portion of your income on a pre-tax basis, but pay taxes on the withdrawals in retirement.
Fidelity's Roth 401(k) plan is designed to help you save for retirement with tax-free growth and withdrawals. This means you can invest your contributions in a variety of assets, such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, without worrying about taxes eating into your returns.
One of the key benefits of a Fidelity Roth 401(k) is that it allows you to contribute up to $19,500 in 2022, with an additional $6,500 if you're 50 or older. This can provide a significant boost to your retirement savings over time.
By contributing to a Roth 401(k) with Fidelity, you can take advantage of the company's low fees and investment options, making it easier to grow your nest egg.
What is a Roth 401(k)?
A Roth 401(k) is a type of retirement savings plan that allows you to contribute after-tax dollars, which means you've already paid income tax on the money.
You can contribute up to $19,500 in 2022, with an additional $6,500 if you're 50 or older.
How It Works
A Roth 401(k) is a type of retirement account that allows you to contribute after-tax dollars, which means you've already paid income tax on the money. This is different from a traditional 401(k), where contributions are made pre-tax.
The key to understanding how a Roth 401(k) works is to know that it tracks source balances separately, which means it keeps track of how much of your contributions are after-tax and how much is pre-tax earnings. This is important because it allows you to withdraw from your after-tax source balance only.
Let's consider an example to illustrate this. Andrew has a 401(k) with $1 million, of which $800,000 is pre-tax and $200,000 is after-tax contributions. Part of the pre-tax balances are earnings attributable to the after-tax contributions, which is $100,000.
Here's a breakdown of Andrew's 401(k) balance:
- $800,000 in pre-tax balances
- $200,000 in after-tax contributions
- $100,000 in pre-tax earnings attributable to after-tax contributions
If Andrew wants to make a withdrawal, he can withdraw from his after-tax source balance only. This means he can withdraw from the $200,000 in after-tax contributions, which is 66.6% after-tax and 33.3% pre-tax.
What's a 401(k)?
A 401(k) is a type of retirement savings plan offered by many employers. Contributions are made pre-tax, reducing your taxable income for the year.
You can contribute up to $23,000 pre-tax to your 401(k) in 2024. If you're over 50, you can also make a catch-up contribution of $7,500 pre-tax.
This means you can save a significant amount of money for retirement through your employer's 401(k) plan.
401(k) Basics
You can consider your employer's retirement plan rules when deciding to change your 401(k) elections, as the timing of the change will depend on these rules.
You can consult with a financial professional or tax advisor to see how your financial situation might be affected by your 401(k) choices.
There's no right or wrong answer when deciding between a traditional 401(k) and a Roth 401(k), it's all about what works best for your situation.
You can change your 401(k) elections if you want to experiment or don't like how things are going.
Benefits and Features
With a Fidelity Roth 401(k), you can contribute up to $19,500 in 2022, plus an additional $6,500 if you're 50 or older, making it a great option for those looking to save for retirement.
The Roth 401(k) allows you to contribute after-tax dollars, which means you've already paid income tax on the money, so you won't have to pay taxes on withdrawals in retirement.
By contributing to a Roth 401(k) through Fidelity, you can potentially reduce your taxable income, which can be especially beneficial for those in higher tax brackets.
Fidelity's Roth 401(k) offers a range of investment options, including stock and bond funds, as well as target date funds that automatically adjust their asset allocation based on your retirement date.
You can also take advantage of Fidelity's low fees, with some investment options having expense ratios as low as 0.03%.
The Roth 401(k) is a great option for those who expect to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement, as you'll pay taxes now and avoid them later.
Fidelity's online platform makes it easy to manage your account, check your balance, and make changes to your investment portfolio.
With a Fidelity Roth 401(k), you can also take advantage of catch-up contributions, which allow you to contribute an additional $6,500 in 2022 if you're 50 or older.
Contributing to Your 401(k)
You can contribute to your 401(k) account through deductions from your paycheck, and you may change your contribution preferences at any time through Fidelity NetBenefits.
You can contribute pre-tax dollars, Roth post-tax dollars, or a combination of both to your 401(k) account. You may contribute as little as 1% and as much as 95% of your salary (within federally prescribed limits) after amounts for Social Security and Medicare taxes and health and dental insurance have been subtracted.
Federal law limits the amount of your pay each year that may be recognized for determining your allowable contribution, which is $345,000 in 2024.
Here are the contribution limits for 2024:
- Participants under age 50: up to $23,000 annually
- Participants age 50 and over: up to $30,500 annually
You can start, stop, or change your deferral or investment elections at any time, and your contributions (both pre-tax and Roth) are sent to Fidelity Investments at the end of each pay period.
Taxes and Rollovers
You can roll over after-tax money from a traditional 401(k) or 403(b) to a Roth IRA without paying taxes, as long as certain rules are met. This can be a smart move, especially if you're expecting to be in a higher tax bracket in retirement.
The IRS allows you to roll pre-tax money to a traditional IRA and after-tax money to a Roth IRA, avoiding taxable income. However, it's crucial to consult a tax advisor to ensure this is the right move for you.
You can roll over the entire account balance out of the workplace plan and direct the after-tax contributions to a Roth IRA and pre-tax contributions and earnings to a traditional IRA. This is the most straightforward scenario, but not all plans may allow it.
Your plan may allow partial withdrawals, but it's not obligated to permit source-specific withdrawals. If it does, you can take a rollover of just the after-tax source balance, which includes both the after-tax contributions and associated earnings.
In this scenario, you can roll out only a portion of the after-tax balance, but a proportional amount of associated earnings must also be rolled over. This is a key consideration to keep in mind when planning your rollover.
Planning and Management
To qualify for tax-free and penalty-free distributions, you must satisfy the 5-year aging requirement and meet one of the specified conditions.
You can also use this time to review your investment strategy and make adjustments as needed.
The 5-year aging requirement applies to distributions from a Roth 401(k), Roth 403(b), and Roth 457(b).
It's essential to keep track of the aging requirement to avoid penalties.
A distribution is considered qualified if you meet the 5-year aging requirement and are age 59½ or older, or if you meet one of the exemptions, such as disability or death.
Here are the conditions that exempt you from the 5-year aging requirement:
- Age 59½
- Disability
- Death
- Qualified first-time home purchase
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a downside to a Roth 401k?
Yes, there is a downside to a Roth 401(k): you're limited to contributing only what you earn at your company, and you may face penalties if you withdraw funds before retirement age.
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