401ks: are they safe? How to Rollover Your IRA or 401K the Right Way | The Best Gold IRA Rollover Guide

How to Rollover Your IRA or 401K

An IRA, or Individual Retirement Account, is a method of saving that allows people to put money away for the future and enjoy the benefits of tax-free growth. Taxes on an IRA aren’t paid until the savings are actually withdrawn and this saves a lot of hassle of having to deal with financial issues until you need the money. Many people have different IRA accounts are wonder whether or not it’s possible to move them all into one account. This is possible and is called an IRA rollover. It’s the process of moving the funds of one IRA or workplace retirement account into another IRA. This makes the funds easier to manage and will result in less taxes being paid when the money is needed in the future.

How to do a 401k Rollover

There are a few steps that need to be followed if you’re wondering how to roll over your IRA or 401k. The first step is the easiest and simply requires that you contact the bank or custodian of your account. An IRA rollover form needs to be properly filled out with any relevant information and the financial institution that manages your IRA will have these forms readily available. If you’re utilizing a workplace retirement account you will have to contact the financial advisor or accountant of your employer and they will have the relevant forms you require. Your HR department also needs to be contacted in order to keep them aware of any changes you’re making. For private individuals this is the easiest step in the IRA rollover process but one of the most important. Without the proper forms it will be unable to proceed from here.

Filling out the 401k Rollover Forms

The second step involved in the IRA or 401k-rollover process is to ensure the forms are properly filled out. There are many different options and routes which can be pursued that are detailed on the forms and it’s difficult to know which ones are the best for you and your financial future. There are a variety of distribution options and you need to choose “rollover” as your method of distribution. If you fail to choose this option there is a possibility that the money in your IRA or 401k will be taxed and then come directly to you, causing you to lose out on all the benefits that building your IRA had provided. Additionally, an early distribution penalty could be incurred if you fail to choose the proper option and do not fill out the forms correctly.

60 Day 401k Rollover Penalty

The third step of the IRA rollover process is to ensure that you’re properly monitoring the progress and quickly dealing with any issues that arise along the way. The funds in the IRA, which you plan to rollover, will be sent to you through the mail in form of a cheque. The funds can also be sent directly to the financial institution that’s the custodian of the IRA you wish to add the funds to. This is a better option as there’s always the possibility that a cheque can get lost in the mail or you could forget to bring it in. The bank has a lot of experience dealing with IRA and rollovers and knows how to ensure a streamlined and efficient process. Make sure the money’s out of one account and into the other within 60 days.

The final step of the IRA rollover process is to invest the money you received from your original or previous IRA. All the investments made in your previous IRA or 401k will be converted into cash and sent to you. It’s important that you have a plan on what you’re going to be doing with the money you received. Contacting the bank and informing them of your current situation will allow them to reinvest your money back into a single IRA and complete the rollover process. There are many investment options available through your IRA and you can complete the research on your own regarding the benefits and cost effectiveness of these options or you could simply let your consultant at the bank handle everything. A mixture of both research and dealing with the bank is the most effective way to move forward and have your money invested properly.

Following these steps will ensure the IRA or 401k-rollover process you participate in is straightforward and done in a timely fashion. Being aware of these steps will enable you to tackle any issues before they arise and allow you to be completely informed of what’s necessary for your IRA rollover to occur. There are many benefits to keeping your IRA in one place. A single IRA is safer when it comes to securing your finances and is easier to manage with everything in one place. If you want to save money in the long run or you just want to make sure your finances are easy to deal with as you age than you should put a lot of consideration into rolling over your 401k or IRA into a single account. You can even roll over into a business startup if you want to!