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elposter 
Alabama Fan
South Carolina
Member since Dec 2010
4750 posts
| Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/21/13 at 9:05 am)
I have about $50,000 in an old 401k (previous employer). It's just been sitting in 3 diversified mutual funds kind doing okay, not great. I'd like to do better.
I have a new 401k that has fairly limited options so I don't necessarily want to roll into that. So, I plan to roll into an independent IRA. If you were given $50,000 today from an old 401k what would you do with it? I want to be very aggressive with it - my current 401k is pretty conservative because of the options.
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Vols&Shaft83 
Tennessee Fan
Member since Dec 2012
3215 posts
 Online
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/21/13 at 9:10 am to elposter)
Vanguard 500 Index, Vanguard Total Stock Market, Fidelity Contra Fund, AMCAP. Fairly aggressive, but not stupid.
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Lsut81 
LSU Fan
Member since Jun 2005
54843 posts
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/21/13 at 9:21 am to Vols&Shaft83)
quote:
Vanguard
Been reading up for the past 2 weeks since y'all recommended them for rolling my 401k... Every review I have read is positive 
Still trying to decide on whether to roll it to a Roth or not...
Option 1: Rolling it to a Roth
Option 2: Roll it to an IRA and open a separate Roth to fund
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Lsut81
LSU Fan
Member since Jun 2005
54843 posts
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/21/13 at 9:50 am to Lsut81)
One thing I am reading about the implications of rolling it to a Roth...
Yes, the interest earned is tax free if you don't touch it until 59.5, but if you pull it out beforehand, you are subject to the 10% early withdrawal fee and you pay taxes on the interest earned.
So unless you're 100% positive that you won't need to touch it prior to age 60, it is a wash on net return.
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Tiger n Miami AU83 
Auburn Fan
Miami
Member since Oct 2007
25189 posts
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/21/13 at 10:30 am to elposter)
quote:
I want to be very aggressive with it
Strippers and blow. Immediate ROI.
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CoolHand 
USA Fan
Member since Dec 2011
1454 posts
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/21/13 at 11:19 am to Lsut81)
quote:
Yes, the interest earned is tax free if you don't touch it until 59.5, but if you pull it out beforehand, you are subject to the 10% early withdrawal fee and you pay taxes on the interest earned.
Just to clarify, your contributions can be removed without penalty. I think that's what you meant.
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foshizzle
LSU Fan
Member since Mar 2008
25116 posts
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/21/13 at 12:42 pm to Lsut81)
quote:
One thing I am reading about the implications of rolling it to a Roth...
quote:
the interest earned is tax free if you don't touch it until 59.5, but if you pull it out beforehand, you are subject to the 10% early withdrawal fee and you pay taxes on the interest earned.
For interest earned, this is correct. Of course, the contribution can be pulled out at any time because when you contribute to a Roth you have to pay taxes on that up front.
Going from a 401 to a Roth isn't actually a rollover, the technical term is "recharacterization" and you have to pay tax on the amount being recharacterized. You can rollover directly to a traditional IRA without paying taxes though, but of course you can't pull out the contribution early for those.
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Lsut81
LSU Fan
Member since Jun 2005
54843 posts
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/21/13 at 12:58 pm to foshizzle)
quote:
but of course you can't pull out the contribution early for those
You can, you would just pay the 10% penalty, like with a Roth, correct and the taxes on the amount?
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Vols&Shaft83
Tennessee Fan
Member since Dec 2012
3215 posts
Online
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/21/13 at 1:11 pm to Lsut81)
quote:
You can, you would just pay the 10% penalty, like with a Roth, correct and the taxes on the amount?
You can take the contributions (principal) out of the Roth without penalty, not the gains (unless it's a qualifying life event). You cannot take principal or gains from a 401K or Traditional IRA until age 59.5
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Lsut81
LSU Fan
Member since Jun 2005
54843 posts
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/21/13 at 1:20 pm to Vols&Shaft83)
quote:
You can take the contributions (principal) out of the Roth without penalty, not the gains (unless it's a qualifying life event). You cannot take principal or gains from a 401K or Traditional IRA until age 59.5
Ok, Im confused... Tell me where I'm wrong
401k - Pre Tax contribution, if you were to pull it out early you would pay Taxes on the amount plus 10% penalty
Roth - Post Tax contribution, if you were to pull it out early, you pay the 10% penalty.
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Vols&Shaft83
Tennessee Fan
Member since Dec 2012
3215 posts
Online
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/21/13 at 1:59 pm to Lsut81)
quote:
Ok, Im confused... Tell me where I'm wrong
You are wrong here:
quote:
Roth - Post Tax contribution, if you were to pull it out early, you pay the 10% penalty.
You can pull your contributions early without penalty or taxes because you've already paid taxes on that money, you cannot pull gains early without penalty (unless it's due to a qualifying life event like medical reasons, etc.)
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Lsut81
LSU Fan
Member since Jun 2005
54843 posts
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/21/13 at 2:14 pm to Vols&Shaft83)
quote:
You can pull your contributions early without penalty or taxes because you've already paid taxes on that money, you cannot pull gains early without penalty
Ok, gotcha
What are your feelings on rolling an old employer 401k worth about $26k over?
IRA or Roth?
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Vols&Shaft83
Tennessee Fan
Member since Dec 2012
3215 posts
Online
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/21/13 at 2:25 pm to Lsut81)
quote:
What are your feelings on rolling an old employer 401k worth about $26k over?
IRA or Roth?
Posted earlier by Foshizzle
quote:
Going from a 401 to a Roth isn't actually a rollover, the technical term is "recharacterization" and you have to pay tax on the amount being recharacterized. You can rollover directly to a traditional IRA without paying taxes though, but of course you can't pull out the contribution early for those.
Probably better to just move to a traditional ira, and start a Roth Separately.
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Lsut81
LSU Fan
Member since Jun 2005
54843 posts
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/21/13 at 2:29 pm to Vols&Shaft83)
quote:
Probably better to just move to a traditional ira, and start a Roth Separately.
Thats the way I was leaning... Someone did the math and over 30yrs theres a minimal difference between the two when you figure in gains/taxes.
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romereaux
LSU Fan
Member since Jan 2011
52 posts
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quote:
Strippers and blow
Aghhhhhhhhahahahahahah 
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Lsut81
LSU Fan
Member since Jun 2005
54843 posts
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/23/13 at 6:08 pm to Vols&Shaft83)
quote:
Probably better to just move to a traditional ira, and start a Roth Separately.
In the middle of processing the paperwork and I see that my old 401k has the option to withhold income tax from this rollover if I choose to move it to a Roth...
Would that change your mind? I'd have to get more details on how that happens, but it sounds like I wouldn't have to come out of pocket for the taxes 
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Lsut81
LSU Fan
Member since Jun 2005
54843 posts
| re: Old 401k - what to do with it? (Posted on 1/24/13 at 9:06 am to Lsut81)
quote:
has the option to withhold income tax from this rollover if I choose to move it to a Roth...
Nevermind, it was as I suspected, the $$$ that they withhold for taxes would be assessed a 10% penalty because it would be seen as a cash payout.
Guessing its better to stick with the original plan and roll it to an IRA and then open a separate Roth and fund it out of my savings/checking.
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