401(k) Decisions - You Can Take it with You   

If you are preparing to change jobs, do you know what your choices are for managing the money in your current employer's retirement plan? Although many people choose to take a cash distribution, there are other options that may benefit you more.

• Leave the money in your former employer's plan. Your former employer must allow you to leave the money where it is as long as the balance exceeds $5,000. You'll no longer be able to contribute to the account, but you'll still decide how the existing assets are invested.
• Roll over the money to your new employer's plan. By "rolling" the money directly to your new plan, you'll avoid the taxes that could eat away at a cash distribution. You'll also only have one set of investments to monitor. Even if you're not immediately eligible to contribute to the plan at your new job, you may still be able to roll over the money right away.
• Roll over the money to an IRA. If your new employer doesn't offer a retirement plan or you aren't yet eligible to participate, you can roll over the money directly to a traditional IRA. Again, you'll avoid taxes that you'd incur if you took a cash distribution and still enjoy the potential benefits of tax deferral. Experts advise against commingling your retirement plan assets with other IRAs you may have set up. Instead, open a separate IRA account, known as a "conduit IRA," which may allow you to move the funds to a new employer's retirement plan at a later date.

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