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Friday, January 29, 2010

401k Rollover To An IRA Can Be A Simple Process

By Kevin Sleblewski

If ever you quit your job and look for another, you need to move out your 401k account or be penalized with multiple charges. In case, however, you don't get to have another job, then a private retirement savings would be a great way to keep your 401k.

There is a way to avoid fines and still rollover your 401k account into an IRA, and that is through a mediating brokerage firm. If leaving your job comes into mind, it would be wise to look for a private broker right away. You can choose among many alternatives like through the internet, banks, or other financial institutions present in your region.

Contact them and ask what types of IRA investments they offer and what their maintenance fees and return rates are. Once you have established which brokerage will offer you the best deal for your money you can begin the process of the rollover.

Rolling a 401k account into an IRA is quite simple, so long as you leave the transferring job to the brokers. Never even attempt to withdraw the money and then deposit with another financial firm. As far as the IRS is concerned, it is nothing less than "early withdrawal" of retirement savings and you will be penalized and taxed big time. Just let the financial institution do the transferring of account.

The moment you have chosen the company which will serve as your medium in managing your account, make a formal request to roll over your old 401k funds to a new IRA account. The company concerned will be responsible for all the paperwork, free of charge, after you have given them the authorization.

You can see this happening anywhere. Financial firms can handle your money and process everything before the deadline. You won't have to worry about paying taxes and other fees, and your previous employer won't have any grounds to charge you of fines for leaving your account behind after you left. - 23212

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Your Earnest Money and Contingencies

By Tara Millar

Many home buyers know that they need to have some money to put down on a home but don't seem to be sure how it factors in to that equation. To help you understand how it will be used in your transaction, in all probability, I have answered a number of the foremost commonly asked questions I've received from buyers.

Is it immediately cashed?

That actually depends on the contract and the directions it gives for a way your earnest cash is to be handled. Ideally your real estate broker should cash your earnest cash check immediately to make sure the interest of all parties is treated fairly. Some states permit a buyers broker to hold the check until the deal is accepted. This offers the clients a few additional days to iron out the source of the earnest money if they do not have that taken care of already.

What happens to it if I don't buy a house?

This all depends on how so far along you are within the transaction. If all of the contingencies are satisfied and you decide you do not want to buy the house, then you ought to forfeit it. However, if you're in the inspection stage or at any different point of contingency within the transaction and, for what ever reason, you choose not to buy the home, you ought to expect it to be released back to you.

Does my it go toward my down payment on my house?

You'll be able to have it go toward any fees in the transaction, including closing costs or a down payment on your principle. Normally it goes toward a partial payment of your buyers agent fees, if your broker holds your earnest cash check, in most states. Currently, if the transaction falls apart, part of that earnest cash may go to the seller, the sellers broker or your real estate broker, and you will see none of it.

Is there any method I can get it back?

Yes, you'll be able to have it refunded to you at the closing. You can additionally choose to possess it to pay for any other specific or general fee within the transaction.

Can it be used to pay other fees?

Most sensible real estate brokers can collect your earnest money right up front and might even insist it is considered a "retainer" if you choose not to purchase a house after they spent a specified amount of their time with you. You'll be asked to place down your earnest money before you even see a single home. This money is used for earnest money if you close on a home, but might even be used as a retainer fee for the broker or the real estate agent, if you select not to buy a home once getting some of their time. Either method, your earnest money serves its purpose of paying for your home purchase or paying for your real estate services.

Keep in mind that some of these laws and laws that govern real estate transactions in general do differ state by state, therefore make sure to talk over with a skilled realtor to determine specifically what happens in your state with your earnest money. - 23212

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Why You Should Transfer Your 401k To A IRA

By Kimberly Klark

Rolling over your 401k plan into a more flexible IRA plan allows you to continue putting off paying taxes on your 401k distribution. If, however, you choose to take your 401k distribution out, you can get it in one lump sum or get a check spread out over a specified time period or whatever options for payout your plan provides.

Sad thing happens when you lose your job and the need for money overpowers the need to plan for the future. You may take it out until you find another good job. Unfortunately, even if you deposit the money to a new IRA account, you have already lost considerable savings due to taxes and some penalties.

When you lose your job, the need for money may be more important than planning for the future until you can get a secure job position. However, if you have found a new job, your option to roll your 401k distribution into an IRA has some real hard savings of monies because of the tax situation in taking out a cash settlement of your 401k distribution monies.

The only time you can truly benefit from withdrawing a lump sum cash as far as income taxes are concerned is if you are at your retiring age when you decide to leave your job or got fired, for that matter. Under 55 years of age, you are immediately charged with 10% early withdrawal penalty, not to mention the income taxes you have to pay since your withdrawal will be declared as your income for that year.

It is rather safe to rollover your 401k into an IRA via another fund in case of a job change. Don't try to withdraw the money in your old account if you have no new job. At least the money will keep on earning interest and keeping tabs on the managers of your 401k plan.

If your take your 401k distribution directly from your fund and then redeposit it into a new job's IRA, you will save on the early withdrawal penalty but will have to pay 20% in tax withholding. That money for your taxes will come out of your distribution before you get a cash pay out into your new IRA plan.

When you have located a new account holder to manage your 401k contact their transfer department and have them roll your old account into their new one. Because the plan holder is taking care of this transaction you avoid all fees associated with the money and you avoid taxes and penalties because the money was never withdrawn, just rolled over into a new account.The most important things to remember is that you must transfer your 401k in the right time frame and that you let the managing companies complete the process. This saves you from facing fines or taxes and it allows you to keep saving for your retirement with little or no effort. - 23212

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What You Can Do With Your 401k When You Lose Your Job

By John Kalpinski

You may be wanting to look for another job for several personal reasons. If you do, you have to remember that you are entitled for 401k rollover.

Never take for granted your 401k if you change employment for any reasons. Yes, this even includes getting fired. You can make that 401k rollover and make some arrangements so you continue your retirement savings. You can also choose among many options what to do with your account.

The initial step you have to take is determine the distribution of monies in your 401k. Other way of stating this is, all the years that you have worked for your organization is compensated by your wage and 401k which is included in your salary package. The basis of the distribution of your 401k account is dependent on where the money comes from and the options available to you during a 401k rollover.

Some of the money in your plan was, of course, what you put into your plan from your earnings. However, the "vested", or unconditionally yours, amount of total cash came from your employer's matching deposits or whatever other contract responsibility you and your employer agreed to when you got hired. And, of course, your savings earned interest from being invested by the fund manager.

If you plan on changing jobs and making the 401k rollover, of simply withdraw you 401k for any reasons, be aware that you need to pay income taxes based on the money in your account.

Bottom line is, when you get to this situation where you no longer want to look for another job, you need to consult with a financial adviser or an accountant to make clear your options, and also to know how you will get about paying taxes or 401k rollover given the law governing your region.

If you are changing jobs, you might want to have the option of taking your money out in cash instead of a 401k rollover. But, if you are changing from one job into another you might want to have more access to your distribution without taking it out in cash until you are ready.

You can directly rollover your 401k distribution into another retirement plan when starting work with another company. You can rollover your 401k into an IRA or Individual Retirement Account. Your 401k goes from one fund to another and you are never in direct possession of your money. - 23212

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Is A Building Lot A Sound Investment Presently?

By Gavin J. King

Buying land used to be the most likely and preferred purchase that real estate investors made, but in recent years many have started to doubt the safety of land purchases. There are a few guidelines for investing in land and they are easy to remember and apply.

Getting a loan may make things easier on your wallet but involving the bank only costs you more money in the long run. In other words, using your cash will help keep your bottom line stable and secure, without putting your assets on the line. In times like these, being free of the bank is vital and offers the highest degree of freedom and stability. I realize this is not an option for most people, so maybe consider it as an ideal more than anything else. Putting all of your savings toward real estate is a great way to offset any taxable income on your net sheet at the end of the year as well.

Besides the fact that when you buy a home outright, you can always rent it and you will have a nice littler income generated from it. To use your income to buy real estate is a great way to put off tax liability you may be facing and to build a collection of performing assets that may fund your early retirement. If you use the tax laws in the most advantageous manner possible, you can simply take your pre-tax income and spend it on real estate, which will offset your tax liability on your net sheet. I do recommend sitting down with your accountant to outline the exact plan to do this as your first step.

Using your money in a way to acquire building lots is a lot less expensive, but does not provide you with any immediate money so it has to be weighed in the light of income versus investment over a specified time frame. You can get some very good deals on the building lot market, especially when buying REO lots in bulk. As long as your investment strategy does not involve making a profit in the immediate future, buying building lots is a good idea, but otherwise stay away from them for the foreseeable future.

Using a note from the original land owner works better than using a mortgage due to the fact that you are dealing with a person, not a corporation. There are other options for getting rentals from the land you own, like doing joint ventures with a local builder, so keep your eyes open and make sure to cover your own assets in all of your business dealings. - 23212

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