William Sweet, the chief financial officer at Ritholtz Wealth Management, recently joined the hosts of the Compound's Portfolio Rescue podcast for a lively discussion of topics ranging from utilizing leverage in real estate portfolios to understanding why the yield curve is inverted.
During the discussion, Sweet took time to respond to a number of audience questions focused on how to make efficient withdrawals from 401(k) accounts and how to tactically offset capital gains as part of an overall retirement planning strategy. According to Sweet, many investors significantly underestimate how much their overall tax burdens and lifetime wealth accumulation are affected by their decisions about when and how to draw income from untaxed investment accounts.
As such, Sweet noted, by keeping a few key principles and concepts in mind, investors can significantly boost their retirement outlook and ensure their hard-earned dollars are available when they are needed.
1. Mind the Rule of 55
As Sweet explained, clients leaving their employer at age 55 or older often fail to realize they can utilize a fairly obscure element in the tax code known as "the rule of 55." This rule allows people to withdraw funds from their current 401(k) or 403(b) penalty-free (but not tax-free), so long as the plan has elected to offer this option.
Notably, the rule can only be utilized with respect to the client's current plan at the time they leave the employer, meaning retirement plans at prior employers and private individual retirement accounts are not eligible. Furthermore, some public safety workers may be able to take advantage of this option as early as age 50.
Sweet pointed out that this ability to avoid the 10% excise tax that would otherwise apply to such withdrawals can make the early retiree's current 401(k) plan a more attractive potential source of bridge income, especially for those who want to wait until 65 or 70 claim Social Security.
2. Consider 401(k)-to-HSA Transfers
During the podcast, one audience member who plans to leverage the rule of 55 raised the idea of taking the early 401(k) distributions and then depositing the maximum allowed into their family's health savings account.
Generally speaking, Sweet said, this is indeed a potentially useful strategy.
"If you time the 401(k) plan withdrawals and the HSA contributions in the same tax years, the tax implications will effectively net out to zero," Sweet explained. "And then in the future, assuming you will use the money for qualified medical expenses, there will be no taxes on those amounts in the future. This is a neat idea and a good thing for people to consider if it fits their circumstances."
That said, Sweet suggested that this individual should probably get in touch with a certified financial planner or certified public accountant to cover their unique situational details. Tax issues, as Sweet noted, can get very complex very quickly, and a general rule of thumb that applies broadly may not always help a given individual in a given tax year.
