Most employer 401(k) plans allow mid-year changes to the deferral election percentage. Before the bonus pay period, raise the deferral rate high enough to funnel as much of the bonus as possible into the 401(k), up to the annual limit.
U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer stated that the proposed rule aims to fulfill President Trump's promise for a new golden age by fostering a retirement system that allows more Americans to retire with dignity.
Thanks to a provision in the Secure 2.0 retirement legislation, high-income earners (with $150,000 or more in FICA income in the prior year) who are over 50 and investing in 401(k) or other company retirement plans must make catch-up contributions to their plans' Roth option, rather than traditional tax-deferred contributions, starting this year.
The age when you must start withdrawing from your 401(k) has shifted upward twice in recent years. What was once 72 became 73 in 2023, and will rise again to 75 in 2033 for younger savers. Each additional year of deferral allows your balance to compound tax-free longer, potentially adding tens of thousands in growth for workers with substantial savings.
For decades, retirement planning has assumed inflation would average around 2-2.5% annually, and financial planners built withdrawal strategies, income projections, and spending budgets around this number. Then 2021 happened, then 2022 happened, and suddenly the world saw inflation numbers hovering around 7%, 8%, and even 9% depending on where and how it was measured. Thankfully, inflation has cooled off from those levels, and today it's hovering right around 3%, rather than even higher, even though the Fed did promise a 2% inflationary number.
Most of us would like to pay the IRS as little money as possible each year. And that's where tax credits and deductions come in. A tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your tax liability, while a tax deduction allows you to exempt a portion of your income from taxes. If you're in a high tax bracket, claiming the right deductions could result in a huge amount of savings.
What gets glossed over in most of these conversations is taxes, as everyone focuses on the accumulation phase by maxing out your 401(k), funneling money into accounts like the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund, and watching your net worth compound. However, when you retire early and need your portfolio to generate income, the tax bill can be significantly higher than you planned for, particularly if most of your money is in tax-deferred accounts or you've accumulated large unrealized gains in taxable accounts.
