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You Can
Save Faster with Tax-deductible Qualified Plans in 3 Ways
by Shane Flait
If you're trying to beef-up your retirement savings in just a few
years, use tax-deductible qualified plans (including IRAs) to do so. In this
article I outline why they can give you the most benefit for your contribution
efforts.
The company you work for has qualified plans you can contribute to - like a
401(k). And you always can make contributions to your own IRA. Both of these
qualified plans have a tax-deductible contribution version and a non
tax-deductible contribution version - often called a Roth plan. Choose the
tax-deductible contribution version. Here's why.
Making tax-deductible contributions to both your IRA and 401(k) at work can
benefit you in at least three ways:
1. The tax-deductable contributions help you put more of your working income
into savings,
2. Your employer may match some of your 401(k) contributions
3. You can profit when you withdraw your money at a lower tax bracket than
you contributed - even without a growth in earnings.
The tax-deductable contribution helps you put more of your working income
into savings:
With normal savings or even nontax-deductible retirement plans you can only
contribute your working income after it's been taxed. But by choosing a
tax-deducible 401(k) and IRA, the deduction you get for contributing a $1,000
not only puts $1,000 into your savings but reduces your income tax according to
your tax bracket.
At the same time, you save $250 (= 25% x $1,000) in taxes if your
contribution would have been taxed at 25% because of the tax-deduction of your
contribution. That means that if you hadn't made that tax-deductible
contribution, you'd have had to pay $250 more in taxes - and therefore had only
$750 left to save. If you're in the 33% bracket the corresponding figure would
be $333 (= 33% x $1,000) with only $667 left to save.
Also, if you're having trouble finding working income to save with, your can
pick up a part-time job. Your tax-deductible contribution (perhaps for you IRA)
will shelter the extra taxation that part-time income is taxed at.
Your employer may match some of your 401(k) contributions:
Employers sometime match some amount of your contributions to your 401(k).
That means you've immediately made a 100% profit on those matched contributions.
It's crazy not to find some income to contribute - at least - to maximize these
company-matched funds for your account.
You can profit when you withdraw your money at a lower tax bracket than you
contributed:
One disbenefit of using tax-deductible plans to save is that your
withdrawals are taxed at ordinary income tax rates. But this can turn out to be
a bonus if you can arrange to have your withdrawals taxed at a lower tax rate
than when you contributed. And that's not hard when you retire - or stop making
a lot of income. Here's how it works.
If you make a $1,000 contribution under your working income that lowers your
taxable income within the 28% tax bracket, you've reduced your taxes by $280. So
that $1,000 cost you only $720 of your after tax take-home pay - as mentioned
above. But then, if you retired a year later, and withdrew that money so that it
added income to you at only the 10% tax bracket, then you'd owe $100 for taking
out your $1,000. So you'd have $900 of after tax money - if your investment
neither grew nor lessened!
So, by using the tax-deductible plan for saving $1,000, you've converted
what would have been $720 in your pocket to $900 in your pocket just one year
later! Whether you wait a year or 5 years until you make a withdrawal, you'll
still get the 'tax profit' benefit - aside from your investment growth.
Shane Flait gives you workable strategies to accomplish your
goals in financial, legal, tax, retirement and protection issues. . Get
his FREE report on Managing Your Retirement =>
http://www.easyretirementknowhow.com/FreeReportandSignUp.htm Read his
ebook: 'Wise Way to Financial Independence' =>
http://www.easyretirementknowhow.com/WiseWayGate.htm |
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