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Reader Question: Should I Invest in My Non-Matching 401(k)?

This article was written by in Investing. 8 comments.


Occasionally, Consumerism Commentary readers send in questions about handling their finances. I am not a financial planner, so I have no certification claiming I’m qualified to give financial advice. I am not an investment adviser, so I certainly won’t be recommending stocks. I like the opportunity to address financial questions that other readers may be concerned about, and if I have an opinion or two on the matter, I’d be happy to share.

Readers may disagree with my opinion, or they may agree. Addressing these questions is also an opportunity to instigate discussions. As with any advice you may receive, it’s always good to check with a professional beforehand, particularly if the decision could have significant effects on your financial condition.

Here is a question I received from Steve:

I’m 24 years old and I haven’t started any retirement savings, but I know I need to start. My company offers a 401k benefit but does not offer any match. I was wondering, would this 401k’s tax benefits still be worth taking advantage of over other retirement investment vehicles? Would a Roth IRA be wiser? Or something else?

There are two primary tax benefits to investing in a 401(k) plan. You contributions and earnings grow tax-free until you retire, and your contributions can be deducted from your income for tax purposes if your income is low enough. I describe and explain the 401(k) contribution limits here.

Taxes are a distant second next to the best benefit of most 401(k) plans: matching contributions from your employer. Employers can structure the matching contributions in a variety of forms. One of the most common is for your employer to match 100% of your contribution up to a certain percent of your salary. For every dollar you take out of your paycheck to invest in your 401(k), your employer might also contribute a dollar of its own money. This is an immediate 100% return, much better than what you can expect from any of your investments. If your employer matches your contributions, find a way — any way — to contribute to your 401(k) at least enough to take advantage of the maximum matching benefit. Don’t turn down free money.

The choice to invest in a 401(k) gets more difficult when there is no matching contribution from your employer. At that point, your 401(k) becomes just another tax-advantaged investment account. Unless your 401(k) gives you access to low-cost investments, this account should no longer be a priority. Most 401(k) plans include fund choices that are not as inexpensive as choices you can find elsewhere, like at Vanguard or Fidelity. Low costs correlate to better investment results over long periods of time, and at age 24, this particular reader could be waiting many decades before accessing this money.

You can compare costs by reading the prospectuses for the investment choices in your 401(k) and comparing the expense ratios and other fees with similar funds managed by Vanguard.

Without an employer match, consider maximizing your IRA before contributing to your 401(k). A traditional IRA offers the same tax benefits as a 401(k), and a Roth IRA forgoes the tax deduction for your contributions today for a tax deduction in retirement. That’s a good choice if you expect that you’re in a lower tax bracket today than you will be in retirement. Considering the economy today, it’s probably a good bet that all taxes will be higher in thirty or forty years as the country struggles to pay its expenses, but you never know without a crystal ball.

While your investment choices in your 401(k) are limited, you can invest in almost anything in your IRA, depending on how you open the account. Your investments in IRAs are subject to an annual limit. If you have a strong enough cash flow to schedule your IRA investments throughout the year to the maximum and still have free cash flow, then you should consider investing what you can in a 401(k) without an employer’s matching contribution if your income isn’t above the maximum for taking advantage of the tax deduction. Otherwise, just invest using a taxable (regular, non-retirement) brokerage account. You can name the account “For Retirement” and leave it alone for forty years.

I wish I had been thinking like Steve when I was 24. I’m not sure I knew about the existence of 401(k) plans when I was that age. My employer didn’t offer a 403(b) plan — the non-profit version of the 401(k) — until the following year or two, and my cash flow was so tight, there was no matching contribution, and the investments were so expensive I just laughed. My only investment was in the form of a recently-converted UTMA or UGMA invested with what was probably savings bonds I received as gifts as a kid.

In reality, just making any choice for investing is better than making no choice. Whether you invest in a 401(k), IRA, or taxable account, just the act of putting money aside for retirement puts you ahead of half of all Americans in taking steps to ensure you have a stronger future.

Do you agree or disagree with the strategy outlined above? Share your thoughts on what you might do if your employer were not to offer a matching contribution on your 401(k).

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Bank Switch Kit and Checklist

This article was written by in Banking, Featured. 9 comments.

With Wells Fargo changing their policies to be less consumer-oriented this week, I’ve received several questions about the logistics switching banks. In previous decades, closing your account at one bank and opening an account at another was a simple process. All that was required was to walk into one branch, ask to close your account, provide some proof of your identity, take your cash or cashier’s check to a different location, and open a new account with your deposit.

With automated banking, direct deposits, and pre-authorized electronic withdrawals and online bill payments, taking your business from one bank to another can be a hassle. There is a financial risk involved; if you neglect to change your banking information with a vendor, your payment could bounce, and you could be subject to late fees, insufficient fund fees, and perhaps even cancellation of your services.

Broken piggy bankIf you’ve taken a modern approach to banking, with automated and electronic payments, you’ll need to start planning in advance. Here are the priorities, if you’ve already chosen your new bank. To compare banks, read through the reviews available here on Consumerism Commentary, but also consider your local community banks and credit unions.

Download the Consumerism Commentary Bank Switch Kit to help you organize the information you’ll need. The link is at the bottom of this article.

Step 1. Open the new account with appropriate minimums.

Before you can change the account information stored with companies that bill you, you’ll need to have your new bank’s routing (ABA) number and your new account number. For a short period of time, both your old bank account and your new bank account will be active. This ensures that all your payments go through and all your deposits are received during the transition period. Determine which types of accounts you need at your new bank, and have the minimum required to open the accounts ready to deposit.

If you had debit cards, ATM cards, check cards, deposit slips, or paper checks with your old account, don’t forget to order the same when you open your new account.

Download the Bank Switch Kit for a convenient way to keep track of your new banking information.

Step 2. Change your direct deposit information.

It could take as many as two pay periods for your new direct deposit instructions to take effect. It could take two to four weeks after requesting the change to your direct deposit before you receive a pay check at your new bank. Most employers have their own forms for submitting changes to direct deposit, but I’ve included a generic form in the Bank Switch Kit that most human resources should be able to accept. Many employers have the ability to accept direct deposit instructions online, so check with your employer as soon as possible.

This is the slowest aspect of moving from one bank to another, so start as soon as you’ve opened your new accounts.

Step 3. Adjust your automated bill payments.

If you’re living in the twenty-first century, you’ve likely configured many of your monthly financial obligations to withdraw money from your bank accounts. You’ll need to change this banking information one vendor at a time without missing any possible automated withdrawals. Review your past three or four banking statements to help your recollection of all the bills that are paid automatically. Here’s a list of some of the most common bills that allow automated payments from your bank accounts.

  • Your rent or mortgage.
  • Your power bills (electricity or gas).
  • Your telephone bills (land line and mobile phone).
  • Your water and sewer bills.
  • Your property taxes.
  • Your income taxes, if you have enrolled in the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) or your state’s electronic payment system.
  • Your car, home, and life insurance.
  • Your other insurance payments.
  • Your credit card bills.
  • Your payments to student loans.
  • Your payments to car loans.

The downloadable bank switch kit has a checklist where you can indicate the date you called to have your banking information changed. When you call, email, or complete this change online, make sure you know when the changes will take effect. Most of the time, the change is immediate, but if you have a payment already pending using your old bank account’s information, it might not be until the following month that the vendor applies the new banking information.

If you’ve opened your new bank account with just the minimum required to avoid fees, keep in mind that you may need to transfer more money from your to cover your bills.

Step 4. Update any linked bank accounts or investments.

The ability to begin investing using automated bank transfers has helped many people begin to save for retirement — or the future in general — without having a large sum to devote to the investment immediately. It’s easy to forget about these investments and transfers. I have had a weekly $15 transfer from my primary checking account to another bank’s savings account for years, and it would be easy to forget this without reviewing my transactions each month. Updating information regarding your linked accounts serves two purposes:

  • to ensure your accounts don’t try to send money to or withdraw money from the account you intend to close, and
  • to ensure you don’t miss any saving or investment opportunities as you rearrange your bank accounts.

First, as mentioned above, link the new bank account to your old bank account to ensure you can transfer money to your new account at will. This will ensure you have enough funds in the account to cover all the bills you’ve transitioned in the previous step. Keep in mind that savings accounts are limited to six on-demand withdrawals per month. If you exceed that number, the bank may charge you fees or close your account before you’re ready.

Pay attention to your automated investments to your IRA, transfers to your high-yield savings accounts, and investments to your kids’ education funds. Download the Bank Switch Kit for a complete list of possible linked accounts.

Step 5. Wait and close your old bank account.

After you’ve taken the time to ensure that your old bank account has been inactive and will not expect any new deposits or withdrawals, follow your bank’s process for closing your account. In most cases, you can walk into any branch with proper identification for closing your account, but in some cases, banks require you call a telephone number. If that is the case, they might want you to talk to a “retention specialist” who will do his or her best to keep you from closing your account, perhaps by offering you a better deal than you may be receiving. It’s best to ignore these offers and stick to your resolution.

If you are required to close your account by phone or by mail, the only way you may be able to receive your deposited money is through a check sent to the address your bank has on file for your account. This is an imperfect process; it would be much better to walk into a branch and walk out with your money. It would frighten me if I had to close a bank account with a significant sum of money and wait for a check for the amount to arrive in the mail.

Once you’ve received the check, make sure the bank has provided the full balance. Your balance at the end of the statement or online should be zero. Ensure you’ve received any accrued interest your account would have earned. In some cases, you may need to time the closing of your bank account to ensure you don’t miss on any substantial interest that might be due to you if your bank does not accrue interest on a daily basis.

The Consumerism Commentary Bank Switch Kit available for download includes a generic letter you may send to your bank in order to close your account.

Step 6. Destroy old forms.

Shred any debit cards and deposit slips associated with your old account once you receive confirmation that your old bank has closed your account. Get rid of your paper checks and any endorsement stamps that you may have that include your bank number.

With this step, you can celebrate the moment you are now free from a relationship you are better off without. Don’t forget to monitor your new account and your bills closely over the next few months to ensure you haven’t missed anything. If you find a problem quickly, you may be able to resolve it without needing to pay any penalties (or have penalties reversed if they are charged automatically).

Download the Bank Switch Kit and Checklist Here

Bank Switch Kit and ChecklistDownload the Consumerism Commentary Bank Switch Kit (version 1.0α, February 14, 2012). Adobe Reader or another program that displays and prints Portable Document Format (PDF) files is required.

This is a work in progress. Please feel free to share your feedback. I’ll continue to revise the Kit to improve it for more consumers who wish to leave one bank behind in favor of another financial institution, whether a national, regional, or community bank or a credit union.

Photo: Images_of_Money

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Year End Reminder: Fund Your IRA Now

This article was written by in Investing. 1 comment.

These last few weeks in December present a good time to prepare your finances for the coming year. My personal goal is to start January 1 on a good note, moving my life forward. In the grand scheme putting your finances in order takes a back seat to cleaning up your life as a whole, but it’s an important task because it can set you up for financial success. I’ve suggested changing your 401(k) contribution level early and donating to charity. It’s also a good time to fund your Roth (or traditional) IRA.

Usually, the reminder to fund your Roth IRA comes in March or April. The deadline isn’t until your tax return is due in the following year. For example, I have until April 16, 2012 to transfer money into my IRA and have the contribution count towards my 2011 limit. But why wait?

When investing for retirement, you can choose between two approaches. You can contribute to retirement accounts in a lump sum investment or you can use periodic investments (often called dollar-cost averaging) to spread your contribution over a longer period of time. You can also use a combination of the two approaches. For most savers, the choice comes down to cash flow.

Choose between lump-sum and periodic investments

Dollar-cost averaging, or using the same dollar amount to purchase a theoretically different amount of shares of investment regularly, can help smooth out the short-term volatility in stock prices. When compared to investing a lump sum, with periodic investments, you’ll sometimes invest when the prices of the stocks or funds are higher, and sometimes invest when the prices are lower. It’s one way to mitigate a small amount of risk. If your options are between dollar-cost averaging and saving up to invest in a lump sum later, thanks to the general long-term trend of an increasing overall value of stocks, you’ll generally be better off in the end using periodic investments.

That’s because it’s generally to invest what you can as early as you can. This is why many people choose periodic investments. Cash flow plays a large role in determining how a family or individual will invest. Unless you’re borrowing money to invest into retirement — a dangerous proposition — chances are good you won’t have $5,000, the IRA contribution limit for people under age 50, ready to go on January 1. The first day of the year is also the first day you can contribute to the new year’s IRA.

It can take a while to save up $5,000, so if you can spread the contribution over twelve months at $416.66 per month, now is a great time to configure your coming year’s investment strategy on your IRA plan’s website. If you don’t have an IRA yet, you can start one at any discount brokerage. I use Vanguard, but Fidelity is also good, and TIAA-Cref offers the benefit of very low investment minimums. All allow you to configure periodic electronic investments from your bank account.

If you haven’t invested in this year’s IRA yet and you don’t have the cash available to invest in one lump sum, create periodic investments that help you invest as much as you can budget for between now and the April deadline.

On the other hand, you might have cash available. If so, fund this year’s IRA up to the limit now, and prepare to fund next year’s IRA soon after December 31, both in lump sums. There’s a chance that you won’t get as good a price on your investment as you would the day before or the day after, but if you’re investing for the long-term, the difference between days should be much less influential on your financial success than market performance leading up to the day you begin withdrawing and the period of time to follow.

Choose between traditional and Roth IRAs

While the laws could change at any time, traditional and Roth IRAs have a few differences. In general, if you believe you’ll be in a lower tax bracket than you are now and you qualify for the tax deduction with the traditional IRA, that would be a better option. That’s particularly the case if you don’t have an employer-sponsored retirement plan such as a 401(k). On the other hand, if you’re already receiving the tax advantage of a 401(k), and you believe you could get a better tax advantage by taking a deduction in retirement because you expect to be in a higher tax bracket, the Roth IRA might be a better choice.

Of course, you can hedge your bets by splitting your contribution between the traditional and Roth IRAs. If, however, you earn enough money, you might not qualify for a Roth IRA.

You can use this IRA contribution wizard at Mint.com to determine which IRA is best for your particular situation.

Just do it

Keep in mind that with a long-term view, a lump sum investment is preferable, if you can invest that lump sum right away. If cash flow is a concern, set up a periodic investment to invest smaller amounts over time. Every major brokerage can support this hands-off, automated approach. Saving up to invest is a last resort. If you are not enamored with the idea of investing in the stock market right now, you can always choose a safer investment, even a money market fund or a certificate of deposit. Regardless, the sooner you get invested, the better for your future finances.

Don’t wait for the deadline; for the most part, people who consistently invest the maximum on the first day (January 1 of the coming year) will be better off than those who wait to invest the maximum on the last day (usually April 15 of the following year), because those who wait miss 15 and a half months of potential growth.

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8 Tips for Talking About Money With Your Significant Other

This article was written by in Family and Life. 12 comments.

About the author: Margaret is a recent college graduate who, with her boyfriend, plans to save up money to get married, pay off student loan debt and head to seminary.

Money is one of those things you’re not supposed to mention in polite conversation. But if you’re married or in a serious relationship, you have to talk about it.

My boyfriend is the spender; I’m the saver. He’s never had any guidance on how to manage money; my dad had me putting money in a savings account while I was still in the cradle. Coming from such different angles meant that starting the conversation about money wasn’t easy.

But it doesn’t have to be something you dread if you follow a few simple principles. Most importantly, pay attention to how your significant other views money, because that will help you learn how to best communicate what you’re thinking and feeling.

Start out slowly.

It would have done little to no good if I had immediately emphasized IRAs and CDs and how much money he can make in twenty years if he starts saving now. I started simply and slowly, not because he’s dumb, but because changing your views on money eventually transforms your entire life, and that kind of thing doesn’t happen overnight. I began the conversation by suggesting that he get on a budget. He was very positive toward this, so we sat down together and wrote up a plan. I also helped him set up an online high-interest savings account so that he could start building an emergency fund.

That said, it wasn’t all flowers and butterflies at the beginning. I helped him come up with a budget and gave him tools to track it, only to find out several months later that he hadn’t been tracking his spending at all, and often he had no idea how much money he had left in his checking account. At this point, I had to go back to square one. We revisited the budget and talked about why he hadn’t been able to keep track of his spending. I offered to keep track for him, if he would just give me his receipts.

It turned out that he really wanted to keep to the budget, but he got tired of keeping his receipts. I suggested he use his debit card for all his purchases so that he wouldn’t have to keep his receipts. That didn’t solve the problem completely — he still has trouble sticking to his budget sometimes — but by talking about it and being creative with solutions, we made the transition just a little bit easier.

One of the things I learned as a psychology minor is that it is more effective for you to come to a realization on your own rather than having someone try to persuade you. If your partner has outrageous spending habits, saying, “You should stop buying so many clothes” will not be welcomed. Choose instead to say, “Have you ever thought about keeping a budget? I’ve found it really helps me stay in control of my money.”

Even if they don’t stick to the budget the first few months, just tracking their spending will open their eyes to where their money is going. And that may lead them to address on their own their tendency to buy more clothes than they can afford.

Be patient and realistic in your expectations.

If you’re anything like me, it took you more than a few days to come to your current understanding of how to make wise decisions with money. Don’t expect your significant other to come to that point any more quickly. In fact, don’t expect them to ever feel exactly the same way you do about money. I’ve accepted the fact that my boyfriend will never, ever enjoy tracking every penny he spends, but that he can learn how the choices he makes today with money will impact his future. And so I focus on sharing personal stories I’ve read on blogs about how other people manage their money. This has actually made him more interested in personal finance, such that we listen to a podcast on personal finance together every week!

Don’t talk about money all the time.

If your finances are in trouble, then the last thing you need is for your talking about it to make it seem like money is the third member of your relationship. When my boyfriend told me that it sounded like I was getting a little obsessed with money, I knew it was time to step back. Now we pick a night each month to go out to eat and talk about his budget. Because I’m doing my best to avoid talking about money when we’re just hanging out, he actually looks forward talking about his budget once a month.

Only talk about money when you’re calm and composed.

If you just found out that your girlfriend maxed out her credit card, don’t start dialing her number. Wait. Money is a stressful enough topic on its own; add your own anxiety to the mix, and you won’t get very far. Of course, it’s most effective to talk about money before the stressful situations occur, but if you’re already in the thick of it, make sure you’re able to discuss any problems without being defensive or making broad generalizations. It’s amazing how quickly you can diffuse money-related tension by maintaining a calm presence of mind.

Stay in control of your own finances.

You are the best model for your significant other. If you’re telling him to save, save, save, but you consistently spend hundreds of dollars on clothes, then it will be hard for him to take you seriously. Even if you’re married and have joint finances, you can still manage your money in way that will keep you from being a hypocrite and also provide a very personal example of wise habits for your spouse.

By maintaining control of your finances, you say more about your philosophy with your actions that with your words.

See money as a means to an end.

You may be perfectly happy never going out to eat or buying new clothes, but that might not be the case for your significant other. Instead of letting it come between you, use money as a way to bring you closer together. Set a savings goal for a fun trip. When I helped my boyfriend make his budget, I made sure there was at least a small amount of what he calls his “fun money,” which he can spend anyway he wants. We also really enjoy cooking meals together, so we make sure we have a little extra money in the food budget for more exotic ingredients.

Earning and saving money is not a goal by itself. The power of money is not a big bank account, it’s what options you have with a big bank account. Money exists to be used rather than collected.

Choose your battles.

My boyfriend was fairly receptive to my suggestions, but you might be faced with a partner who isn’t so keen on making any changes with their finances. A few days ago, my boyfriend had about $40 left for food and eating out in his budget. He needed to buy groceries for the next week and have some money for food when traveling for Thanksgiving. I told him I wasn’t sure if he should go out to eat for lunch at work one day, but he went anyway and spent about $9. I was so tempted to get angry, but instead, I let it go. It wasn’t worth $9 for me to nag him and him to feel like I was completely oppressing him financially. That way, when a situation comes up where his choice about money really is important, he’ll know that I’m not just a Scrooge trying to take away all of his fun.

If all else fails, bring in a third party.

You can’t wait until your husband has hit rock bottom to address your finances. If your significant other feels like you’re nagging or doesn’t think that any of your ideas are appropriate or helpful, then bring another person into the equation who can speak into the situation. My boyfriend started talking to an older friend of his about money, and his talks with that man have done much more than many of my attempts. Seek out someone who your partner respects and ask them if they’d be willing to sit down and talk with you.

And encouragement is just around the corner. Just last week, my boyfriend was faced with car trouble. In the past, his parents had to loan him money to help him fix things like that. The cost for the repairs was almost $800, but he had been faithfully putting money in an emergency fund, and he had just enough money to pay for the expenses. He was so excited to tell his parents he wouldn’t need to use their money, and for the first time, I saw him taking pride in his control over his finances. All the pestering and obsessing I could have done would never have made him feel that way.

Above all, realize that change takes time. Celebrate staying within the budget, paying off credit card debt and finding more frugal ways to do things. Money has the power both to build up and to tear down, but by talking about money together in a positive way, you and your partner can stay in control of your relationship instead of letting money control you.

Photos: reebs*, crschmidt, gustavobando, Sabrina Campagna

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Financial Tips for Students Entering College

by Flexo

Seventeen years ago I was nervous about what was about to transpire. At this time, although I had been away from home for extended periods of time, I was about to leave for college. Honestly, I thought I might not have been able to handle the responsibilities and the new social environment. Rather than living ... Continue reading this article…

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Financial Tips for College Graduates

by Flexo
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

College graduation like when you beat Ganon, the resilient bad guy at the end of the classic video game, The Legend of Zelda, for the first time. You’ve been through many levels of challenges, perhaps even used a few “cheats” along the way, and did anything necessary to grow your knowledge and skills, many of ... Continue reading this article…

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Last Minute Tax Filing Tips

by Flexo
Tax

With one week before the deadline, many people are just starting to think about filing their tax return. The problem I’ve often encountered with waiting to the last minute is it’s easy to miss important items. Many years ago, I filed in the manual style: my only tools were a calculator and pencil. Although my ... Continue reading this article…

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Kiplinger’s New Money Rules Sound Familiar

by Flexo

In the September issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, the editors shared twelve “new rules” for your money, although most of them do not sound new at all. Fundamentals don’t change, but the general consensus point of view does. If there is anything new here, it’s that the a downturn in the economy has forced ... Continue reading this article…

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