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In the United States, a 401(k) plan is an employer-sponsored, defined-contribution, personal pension (savings) account, as defined in subsection 401(k) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. [1] Periodic employee contributions come directly out of their paychecks, and may be matched by the employer .
Retirement plans are classified as either defined benefit plans or defined contribution plans, depending on how benefits are determined.. In a defined benefit (or pension) plan, benefits are calculated using a fixed formula that typically factors in final pay and service with an employer, and payments are made from a trust fund specifically dedicated to the plan.
Defined benefit (DB) pension plan is a type of pension plan in which an employer/sponsor promises a specified pension payment, lump-sum, or combination thereof on retirement that depends on an employee's earnings history, tenure of service and age, rather than depending directly on individual investment returns. Traditionally, many governmental ...
A Roth 401(k) also offers tax benefits, but you’ll contribute money on an after-tax basis and enjoy tax-free withdrawals in retirement. Matching contributions Many employers offer free matching ...
A pay-as-you-go pension plan (also called a "pre-funded pension plan") is a retirement scheme in which a contributor can either have a regular contribution deducted from each paycheck or make a lump-sum contribution to a retirement fund. [1] With such a plan, the contributor decides how much to contribute to the fund and chooses how it is invested.
Defined benefit pensions tend to be less portable than defined contribution plans, even if the plan allows a lump sum cash benefit at termination. Most plans, however, pay their benefits as an annuity, so retirees do not bear the risk of low investment returns on contributions or of outliving their retirement income.
Benefits can be taken at any time after age 55 if the plan rules allow, or earlier in the case of ill health. In the past, legislation required benefits to be taken before age 75, and many plans still contain this restriction. Part of the fund (usually 25%) may be taken as a tax-free lump sum at retirement.
However, withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. 401(k) vs. pension plan. Both 401(k) plans and pension plans offer workers income in retirement. But unlike pensions, which put the onus of saving ...