In an informal poll at work the other day I discovered that over a quarter of my coworkers don’t contribute to our companies’ 401k plan. We work in retail so we make low salaries compared to some people and that is the main reason that they gave: they can’t afford to contribute towards retirement. I understand this way of thinking because I used to think it, too.
Money is like a liquid — it will fill up any space you give it. That is why any pay raise you get seems to quickly disappear. In other words, it doesn’t feel like you make any more money than before the raise.
I didn’t want to get preachy with my coworkers, after all, they are just trying to get by. I did say to the ones without a 401k that they could ask me questions about it anytime. During my survey I realized that the rollover feature of the 401k plan is misunderstood. Misconceptions about 401k plans abound. One lady I spoke with has three 401k accounts because a 401k rollover seemed “too complicated.” The 401k rollovers feature of the plan sounds complex but it is not. It is assuredly worth the few minutes it will take to execute the rollover. You have a 401k plan. Rollover the whole amount to the plan at your new job. Done. With most plans, it is a single page form that authorizes moving funds from one account to another.
The money will stay in the 401k rollover account for a short time before landing in its new home. What makes a rollover such a good idea is that you can have all of your money working towards retirement. Imagine watering a tree using a half cup measuring cup. That is what you are doing if you have more than one 401k account. You can certainly use the job transition as an opportunity to fund a separate retirement account. People often do a 401k rollover to IRA account. This can be a financially smart mover because the rollover does not count towards the maximum amount allowed for IRA contributions in a year.
Making a move like a 401k rollover/IRA requires that you have your head around the basic concept of spending less than you make. Once you fund an IRA, you’ll want to make regular contributions to it. One idea is to put any bonuses you make during the year into the IRA.
