Changing Jobs? An IRA Can Move With You

[MariP]

Jan 9, 2018 / By Honest Dollar by Goldman Sachs 

Many workers find themselves moving from company to company as they look to fast-track their careers or find just the right kind of work for them. Changing jobs can be a great way to gain experience and professional insight, but it can complicate saving for retirement. An Individual Retirement Account (IRA), a savings vehicle that is independent of your workplace, can really help.

 

Many job-hoppers lose out on company 401(k)s

 

Some companies, especially smaller ones, don’t offer a 401(k) retirement plan. And even if you join a company that has a 401(k), you may not get to participate right away. Indeed, you might need to be on the job for as long as one year before you can start putting money in. A one-year wait is the rule at 41% of small-company 401(k)s administered by one large retirement-plan provider.¹

 

An IRA provides a consistent and flexible way to save

 

With an IRA, you can quickly and easily get on the road to retirement saving. An IRA can keep your saving on track in the months before you are eligible for a new employer’s 401(k).

Once you set up an IRA, you can begin contributing right away and keep saving until you hit the maximum allowed for a calendar year. For example, for Traditional or Roth IRAs for 2017 and 2018, that maximum is generally $5,500, as long as you earn at least that much compensation; the figure is $6,500 if you are 50 or older.

You can put money into a Traditional or Roth IRA from January through December of that year and then on through the tax filing deadline in April of the following year. Get all the details on eligibility, maximum contributions, and deadlines in IRS Publication 590-A.

 

You can consolidate money from multiple old 401(k)s

 

If you had a number of past jobs at which you participated in a 401(k), you may have your retirement savings scattered across accounts at multiple financial firms. An IRA can be handy to consolidate those dollars in one place. That can make it easier to keep track of your money and be sure you are invested in an appropriate mix of assets.

 

Start saving for tomorrow

 

With Honest Dollar by Goldman Sachs, you can set up a low-cost, professionally managed IRA in minutes. And you get the flexibility to set dollars aside for retirement on your schedule, with one-time or recurring contributions from your bank account.

 

Get Started Now

 

¹https://pressroom.vanguard.com/nonindexed/How-America-Saves-SBE-2017.pdf

Honest Dollar does not provide accounting, tax or legal advice. Nothing communicated to you on this website, should be considered tax advice. You should consult an independent tax professional regarding your personal circumstances. This material is provided solely on the basis that it will not constitute investment advice and Honest Advisors is not a fiduciary with respect to any person or plan by reason of providing the material or content herein.

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[MARTINB]

I wish I would have known this information before my first job.  That way you are always prepare encase you need to switch jobs.  I had to ask a close family friend in what to do this situation.  I open an IRA & brokerage account immediately after our conversation.