Pension Analysis
At your consultation, you will be provided with information that will tell you:
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At what age can I retire?
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What will my pension be when I retire?
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What are the new 403b/457 contribution limits for 2020?
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Can I receive a guaranteed income for life from my 403b?
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What recent changes to your State Pension, 403b, and 457 affect you?
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Which kids’ college saving accounts are available?
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Am I eligible to have free-living benefits like heart attack and cancer coverage?
Retirement Options
Retirement Planning
403b
What is a 403b plan?
A 403(b) plan (tax-sheltered annuity or TSA) is a retirement plan offered by public schools and tax-exempt organizations. Participants include teachers, school administrators, professors, government employees, nurses, doctors, and librarians. Religious ministers may also participate in these plans.
How does a 403b plan work?
Just as with a 401(k) plan, a 403(b) plan allows employees to defer some of their salaries, payroll deducted, into individual accounts. The deferred salary is generally not subject to federal or state income tax until it is distributed. As with all pre-tax contribution retirement plans, contributions lower the adjusted gross income of the participant. The advantages of a 403(b) compared to a 401(k) can include faster vesting of your funds and the ability to make additional catch-up contributions.
457 Plan
What is a 457 plan?
A 457 plan is a tax-advantaged, deferred compensation retirement plan offered by state governments, local governments, and some nonprofit employers. 457 plans are similar in nature to 401(k) plans, only rather than being offered to employees at for-profit companies, they cater to state and local public workers, together with highly paid executives at certain nonprofit organizations, such as school districts and charities.
How does a 457 plan work?
Participants of this defined contribution plan set aside a percentage of their salary, payroll deducted, for retirement. Participants are allowed to contribute up to 100% of their salary, provided it does not exceed the applicable dollar limit for the year. These funds are transferred to the retirement account where they grow in value without being taxed until withdrawn.
(401k)
What is a 401(k) plan?
A 401(k) plan is a tax-advantaged, defined-contribution retirement account offered by many employers to their employees. These plans are offered by private-sector small business employers and large corporations. There are a few types of 401(k) plans—Traditional, Safe Harbor, Roth, and Profit-Sharing.
How does a 401(k) plan work?
Workers can make contributions to their 401(k) accounts through automatic payroll withholding, and their employers can match a portion or all of those contributions. The investment earnings in a traditional 401(k) plan are not taxed until the employee withdraws that money, typically after retirement.
Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
What is an IRA?
An Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is a tax-advantaged investing tool that individuals use to earmark funds for retirement savings. Depending on the individual's employment status, IRAs can be of various types and have different tax liabilities. There are several types of IRAs – Traditional, ROTH, SEP, SIMPLE. There are income limitations for contributing to Roth IRAs and deducting contributions to traditional IRAs. Rules regarding maximum contributions and income limits for IRAs change each year.
How does an IRA work?
Investments held in an IRA can encompass a range of financial products, including stocks, bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds. A self-directed IRA can be a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA. A self-directed IRA allows investors to make all the decisions and have access to a broader selection of investments, including real estate, private placements, and annuities. If you withdraw money from an IRA before age 59½, you are usually subject to an early withdrawal penalty of 10%.
Roth Account IRA
What is a Roth account?
A Roth status account (Roth IRA, Roth 403b, Roth 457, Roth 401k, etc.) allows qualified withdrawals on a tax-free basis provided certain conditions are satisfied.
How does a Roth work?
The main difference between traditional retirement accounts and Roth accounts is that Roths are funded with after-tax dollars; the contributions are not tax-deductible. Once you start withdrawing funds, the money is tax-free. Roth's are best when you think your taxes will be higher in retirement than they are right now. You cannot contribute to certain Roth accounts if you make too much money. The amount you can contribute changes periodically.
Whether you are a Classified, Teacher, Administrator, or Business Owner finding the right plan type, investment options, and strategies are important to building a comprehensive financial plan to achieve your retirement goals.
Life Insurance and
Living Benefits
Asset Protection
LIFE INSURANCE
Permanent Life Insurance
Permanent Life Insurance plans have no expiration date and are designed to ensure your family will receive the death benefit regardless of when you pass with a savings component. Permanent Life Insurance policies enjoy favorable tax treatment.
The two primary types of Permanent Life Insurance are Whole Life and Universal Life. Whole Life Insurance offers coverage for the full lifetime of the insured, and its savings can grow at a guaranteed rate. Universal Life Insurance also offers a savings element in addition to a death benefit, but it features different types of premium structures and earns based on market performance.
Temporary (Term) Life
Term Life Insurance, also known as pure life insurance, is a type of life insurance that guarantees payment of a stated death benefit if the covered person dies during a specified term. Once the term expires, the policyholder can either renew it for another term, convert the policy to permanent coverage, or allow the policy to terminate. Many refer this to as "renting insurance."
Living Benefits
Are your retirement accounts, home equity, and other assets protected?
What if there's an illness or injury that happens, and your income is affected, will you have to liquidate your assets to pay your mortgage or other bills?
Our financial professionals have plans that can help protect your money and other assets due to the following:
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Disability
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Terminal Illness
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Critical Illness (Cancer, Heart Attack, Stroke, ALS disease, Organ Transplant, Blindness)
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Chronic Illness (Long-term Care, In-home Care)
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Critical Injury
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No one ever likes discussing or planning for sickness, injury, or death. Part of comprehensive financial planning is to ensure that you are properly protected while your retirement assets are growing. One of the main reasons why individuals cannot afford to retire, other than proper savings, is medical expenses and liquidating assets prior to retirement due to unexpected life events.
Our financial professionals can help you personalize a life insurance plan that not only safeguards your family's future but also empowers you to enjoy life more today.