As mentioned above, you generally won't have to pay any taxes on your 401(k)-to-IRA rollover. The only time you'll have to deal with taxes is if you have a traditional IRA and want to roll over to a Roth IRA. One other tax consideration: You can choose to do a direct or indirect rollover.
Disadvantages of rolling over to an IRA
In case of bankruptcy: If you roll over your funds into an IRA, you lose the level of legal protection against creditors that a 401(k) offers. In a 401(k), your retirement funds are protected from all forms of creditor judgments.
Yes, you can rollover your 401k to an IRA without penalty and you should because the IRA will have more investment options and lower fees.
If you roll over your funds into an IRA or a 401(k) plan sponsored by your new employer, you should do it directly from one plan to the other without ever handling the money to avoid potential taxes and fees.
Deferring Social Security payments, rolling over old 401(k)s, setting up IRAs to avoid the mandatory 20% federal income tax, and keeping your capital gains taxes low are among the best strategies for reducing taxes on your 401(k) withdrawal.
If you're transitioning to a new job or heading into retirement, rolling over your 401(k) to a Roth IRA can help you continue to save for retirement while letting any earnings grow tax-free. You can roll Roth 401(k) contributions and earnings directly into a Roth IRA tax-free.
If you have a traditional 401(k) or 403(b), you can roll over your money into a Roth IRA. However, this would be considered a "Roth conversion," so you'd have to report the money as income at tax time and pay ordinary income tax on it.
As a general rule, if you withdraw funds before age 59 ½, you'll trigger an IRS tax penalty of 10%. The good news is that there's a way to take your distributions a few years early without incurring this penalty. This is known as the rule of 55.
Key Takeaways. There is usually no transfer fee for rolling over your 401(k) into a new tax-advantaged retirement account. Account fees for your new account might be higher than the ones for your old account. Rolling over a 401(k) to an individual retirement account (IRA) is often the way to go to reduce fees.
For most people, rolling over a 401(k) (or a 403(b) for those in the public or nonprofit sector) to an IRA is the best choice. That's because a rollover to an IRA offers: More control over your portfolio and more personalized investment choices. Easier to get up-to-date information about changes.
You can shift money into a Roth IRA from a traditional IRA or 401(k) by doing a Roth IRA conversion. The amount you convert is added to your gross income for the tax year in which you make the switch. Tax rates in 2025 range from 10% to 37%, and the conversion amount could push you into a higher tax bracket.
A rollover is when you move funds from a company plan, such as a 401(k) or 403(b) to an IRA. Rollovers and transfers do not count toward maximum contribution limits.
401(k) Rollover
The easiest way to borrow from your 401(k) without owing any taxes is to roll over the funds into a new retirement account. You may do this when, for instance, you leave a job and are moving funds from your former employer's 401(k) plan into one sponsored by your new employer.
If you have $400,000 in the bank you can retire early at age 62, but it will be tight. The good news is that if you can keep working for just five more years, you are on track for a potentially quite comfortable retirement by full retirement age.
The $1,000 per month rule is designed to help you estimate the amount of savings required to generate a steady monthly income during retirement. According to this rule, for every $240,000 you save, you can withdraw $1,000 per month if you stick to a 5% annual withdrawal rate.
Just 16% of retirees say they have more than $1 million saved, including all personal savings and assets, according to the recent CNBC Your Money retirement survey conducted with SurveyMonkey. In fact, among those currently saving for retirement, 57% say the amount they're hoping to save is less than $1 million.
You can roll over money from a 401(k) to an IRA without penalty but must deposit your 401(k) funds within 60 days. However, there will be tax consequences if you roll over money from a traditional 401(k) to a Roth IRA.
"One of the most important reasons not to roll over your 401(k) to an IRA is to have access to your funds before age 59½," says Marguerita Cheng, CFP®, CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth in Louisville, Kentucky. "They can be accessed as early as age 55, versus having to pay a 10% early withdrawal penalty in an IRA."
If you have money in a designated Roth 401(k), you can roll it directly into a Roth IRA without incurring any tax penalties. However, if the 401(k) funds are pre-tax, then converting to a Roth IRA will be a taxable event.
Given their similar tax benefits, both 401(k) plans and IRAs can help you reach your financial goals. A 401(k) is usually better if you have an employer match, plan loans, and discounted investment options. The 401(k) plans are also better for high earners because they don't restrict the tax benefits.
While there is no legal time limit on how long an employer or a former employer can freeze your 401(k) account, companies usually try to rectify these situations as soon as possible. Keep in mind that even during the blackout period, your money stays invested, and your account can continue to grow.
You can avoid paying taxes on the rollover if your pension is going to a traditional IRA. You only pay taxes when you make a withdrawal if the withdrawal is going to the traditional IRA. This is different for a Roth IRA. If you set up a Roth IRA, you pay taxes when the pension is rolled over.