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Disturbing Trend -- and Worse to Come [Hardship withdrawals from 401(k)'s at record high]
American Thinker ^ | August 21, 2010 | Eileen F. Toplansky

Posted on 08/21/2010 5:22:10 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

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To: zigmeisterxiv; All
If my memory is correct it is called SEPP, Substantially Equal Periotic payments, another term to learn is 72t.....

Go here: http://72t.net/Home

And here: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sepp.asp

On the SEPP click down below on the rules....

101 posted on 08/22/2010 6:14:16 AM PDT by taildragger ((Palin / Mulally 2012 ))
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To: Ben Chad; All
Well....

If you leave a job sooner, the 410k can be rolled into an IRA regardless of your age, but you can withdraw from an IRA, @ 59 & 1/2.

Little known rule some employers have...

It is called "Inservice Withdrawal (Class)".

When your employer established their 410k they allowed this in the rules, then it can be done. What is does is allow you take up to a percentage of your contributions and Roll them over to an IRA, one employer I know of allows up to 80%.

This in "normal" times allowed many to go outside of family of funds within their 401k and go to larger platforms for greater diversification.

Go here: http://www.advisorworld.com/2009/04/17/a-little-known-irs-secret-the-in-service-401k-withdrawal

102 posted on 08/22/2010 6:30:27 AM PDT by taildragger ((Palin / Mulally 2012 ))
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To: taildragger
,...the 410k can be rolled,...

I think you mean 401k, not 410k. ;)

103 posted on 08/22/2010 7:18:06 AM PDT by meyer (Our own government has become our enemy,...)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I wonder who will introduce legislation to allow withdrawls from retirement plans without penalties.

Being as concerened as they are about the economy and all.

Crickets...

104 posted on 08/22/2010 7:19:35 AM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal The 16th Amendment!)
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To: suijuris

I don’t know for certain but refer to IRS Pub 560, which does seem to have this same exception for SEP accounts, though you should check with an accountant or directly with the IRS.

Just don’t let your accountant blow off these exceptions ... make them look into it!


105 posted on 08/22/2010 7:20:23 AM PDT by zigmeisterxiv
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To: TopQuark
Not always.

After many years of trying, I had high risk pregnancies back to back. Used ALL my time through my emplower (plus nearly 3 weeks of unused vacation time that had rolled over) keeping my son inside. When my daughter came along, there was no time left.

We had plenty of money saved and next to nothing on credit cards. I went part-time to increase her chances of survival, since we had enough saved to make up the difference until I could get back on my feet. Then a series of disasters hit. My husband was injured at work and needed surgery, then my son needed surgery, and then my daughter was two months premature. By the time she was born, our bank account was nearly cleared out. We had 4 nest eggs when another $67K in bills landed in our lap.

Breaking those nest eggs was definitely a hardship withdrawal. We took those hits because we had no choice. We've been laboring under years of debt because additional medical bills just kept coming. I'm not complaining, I'm just pointing out that it's very possible that gainfully employed, frugal folks can still be struggling through no fault of their own.

Over two years ago, a friend of mine lost his job of 27 years as a top level IT exec at a bank. He sent out nearly 700 resumes, all across the country, looking for work. They, too, were frugal folks who saved, saved, saved. His wife went back to work full time, but after months of struggling to maintain their house, cars, kids in private school, life had to change. They cut every corner, hopeful that a new job for John was just around the corner. When he finally got a job, it was making $12 an hour, not the $120K they were used to, but it came with benefits.

The company decided to nix the project his group was working on because the market is so soft. He's back to unemployment again. And there went a nest egg while they hang on.

My husband and I have, collectively, about $180K in retirement savings. We no longer have anything set aside for college for our kids, definitely not enough to retire on, and less than $2K in our bank account. We pay out debts, take care of our babies, and don't ask anyone (especially the government) for anything. And we will be working until the day we die.

The first wave of foreclosures in 2008 were the folks who had little or nothing saved for a rainy day. The second wave - and it is coming - will be people who used up all their rainy day savings and their storms dragged them under.

106 posted on 08/22/2010 7:51:18 AM PDT by TheWriterTX (Buy Ammo Often)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
People are going to be in huge trouble when they come to retire. I believe most just won't retire. People are spending their 401K’s, there are no more pensions for most people and Social Security will be mostly nonexistent. I certainly am not trying to be negative guy here but it does seem that we all have a dire future....
107 posted on 08/22/2010 7:57:10 AM PDT by napscoordinator
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To: MrsPatriot

That is fine but I just hope that you are over 591/2 so that you don’t have to pay that 10 percent penalty.


108 posted on 08/22/2010 8:00:43 AM PDT by napscoordinator
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To: napscoordinator
Dear Naps,

See my post just above yours. My husband and I are now in the category of "never being able to retire."

I will be working until the day I die. Heck, my great grandfather worked until his death at 96, tending the fields of his farm in Germany.

And with the creatures in the White House doing their best to tear everything down, we may radically change our lifestyle even more. November 2010 will be the telling point for many, I believe.

109 posted on 08/22/2010 8:05:44 AM PDT by TheWriterTX (Buy Ammo Often)
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To: JPG
You scream, I scream, we all scream because of who is the president.

++++++++

You scream, I scream, we all scream at the sight of the Arrogant One and the Queen of Spain on vacation, EATING ICE CREAM !!

110 posted on 08/22/2010 8:40:36 AM PDT by W-Girl
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To: Grams A

>>> Cavuto was interviewing a guy about this same issue this week and Cavuto doesn’t agree totally with your premise. I believe he said something to the effect that perhaps they don’t trust the future or that the money will be available later when they really do need it. He also raised the issue of the amount of tax these people are going to have to pay if they are under 59 1/2 which is substantial and makes little sense unless you are really in a bind financially. I wonder if they are concerned about the future why they don’t just stop further contributions if such is possible. <<<

The problem, Grams A, is that if someone is really in a financial bind, taking money out of a 401(k) is one of the WORST things you can do because if you lose your house, go into bankruptcy, and find that you have nothing, a lot of judges are very, VERY hesitant to smash the retirement account protection wall. In most cases, with few exceptions (such as student loan debt and the new income rules), you will get your debt discharged and get to keep almost everything tucked away in 401(k)’s, IRAs, SEPs, etc.

That means that if things are going downhill, the smartest strategy is to continue making the maximum contribution possible. If and when someone does pull the nuclear switch, it ensures they could have potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars left in retirement assets but still have their debts discharged.

Instead, people hang on too long, thinking they will get work soon. They let their fixed costs eat up their savings, then they dip into retirement, and then they lose everything. When it’s time to start over they are 10 years behind where they would have been had they just pulled the trigger faster and protected their retirement money.

(As for the ethics of it, you will have to answer that yourself. I’ll just say that lenders are fully aware of the rules and the low probability of getting retirement money so this is priced into default rates indirectly.)


111 posted on 08/22/2010 9:21:35 AM PDT by WallStreetCapitalist
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I’m a loan originator, so you can imagine what my days are like.

I'm curious to know whether loans to yourself from your 401K ever show up on a person's credit report, and if they do how they affect their credit score. Also do you take these type of loans into account while figuring out the debt to income ratio of prospective borrowers?

112 posted on 08/22/2010 10:12:37 AM PDT by mac_truck ( Aide toi et dieu t aidera)
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To: gonzo
Feels like that nagging 'Wiemar' thing again ................ FRegards

Understood. A lot depends on where you are financially, your age and your net worth. I've just seen a lot of suggestions of doomsday scenarios since I've been around here and most never materialized.

When my employment was certain and the company was doing well, putting money into the 401(k) and watching them match it dollar-for-dollar was just the fastest way to grow a secure retirement. But there have been some big bumps in the road since then and, like you, I have fears it will all blow up and leave us with nothing.

I'm going to hold my water until after the election. By then, I'll know if I'm keeping my job and if the Dems are going to still be in a position to destroy America. If my worst fears are realized, I'll be right behind you liquidating my 401(k) before it's too late.

113 posted on 08/22/2010 12:34:41 PM PDT by OrangeHoof (Washington, we Texans want a divorce!)
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To: mac_truck
I don't know the answer except to tell you that the payments back to the 401k are set up as payroll deductions so if you don't lose your job you have no choice but to pay it off promptly so I don't know if it factors into your credit history/score at all because the only way you could default is to lose your job or the company to go out of business.

Therefore, I'm not sure it is a good indicator of one's credit worthiness since paying it late or not paying at all has been pretty much removed from your hands.

114 posted on 08/22/2010 12:53:41 PM PDT by OrangeHoof (Washington, we Texans want a divorce!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Zero has created lost of disturbing trends. This may be mean, but I hope independents and others who voted for him are hurting.

McCain may be a Rino but would he have pulled this monstrous failed stimulus-bailout-healthcare crap? No!


115 posted on 08/22/2010 1:44:59 PM PDT by Rennes Templar (They shall not pass!)
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To: OrangeHoof
Borrowers with damaged credit would benefit from having their 401k loan repayments counted on their credit reports. As you mentioned earlier, the relatively low interest rates on these loans make using them to pay off higher interest bank debt attractive.

I'm just curious to know how these type of loans are looked at by mortgage lenders going forward.

116 posted on 08/22/2010 1:54:17 PM PDT by mac_truck ( Aide toi et dieu t aidera)
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To: mac_truck

I don’t believe they do, but double-check with your HR department or fund administrator.


117 posted on 08/22/2010 2:04:38 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (I don't need a newspaper to know the world's been shaved by a drunken barber.)
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To: GnuHere

Consider buying a large safe.


118 posted on 08/22/2010 2:45:52 PM PDT by Disambiguator
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To: Roccus
Here ya go. Our old friend, economist Teresa Ghilarducci of the New School is in here too.

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/20/2970854/dont-blame-pension-woes-on-unions.html

Thanks. I bet we see more and more of these support pieces for this crap.

119 posted on 08/22/2010 2:56:24 PM PDT by raybbr (Someone who invades another country is NOT an immigrant - illegal or otherwise.)
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To: OrangeHoof

Good idea; I’m going to take out my 401K and hubby is going to cash in his IRA. We’d rather take the tax hit now than have Obama take the whole thing and give it to the NY deadbeats.


120 posted on 08/22/2010 5:17:10 PM PDT by AbolishCSEU
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