How to Use Your 401k in Your 50s and 60s

The following is an excerpt from How to Use Your 401k in Your 50s and 60s:

If you’re like most working Americans, chances are good that you’ve had access to a workplace retirement plan such as a 401k for decades. Hopefully, you’ve been faithfully contributing over the years and, by now, you have a decent-sized, tax-deferred nest egg.

But if you’re in the 50s or 60s, retirement is getting closer by the day, and the way you think about your 401k should be evolving. Yes, it’s still the same tax-sheltered, nest-egg-accumulating vehicle it always was.

But it’s also a distribution vehicle. And how you handle your distributions can potentially save you a small fortune in taxes.

Using Your 401k: The Basics

Before we get to that, let’s start with the contribution basics. In tax year 2017, you can contribute up to $18,000 to a 401k plan via salary deferral. The IRS hasn’t officially announced the 2018 limits, but it’s safe to assume it will be something in the ballpark of $18,500.

Of course, if you’re 50 or older, you can contribute an extra $6,000, bringing your total to $24,000 in 2017 and — presumably — $24,500 in 2018.

And remember, this is just your contribution and it doesn’t include any employer matching or profit sharing. Depending on your salary and your employer’s generosity, that can add thousands in additional contributions.

To read the rest of the article, see How to Use Your 401k in Your 50s and 60s

This article first appeared on Sizemore Insights as How to Use Your 401k in Your 50s and 60s