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As an investor, you have many different accounts that you can use to invest your money in and each of these different accounts has its own advantages and disadvantages…There is one account, however, that stands head and shoulders above the rest. It is your 401(k) plan.
The original article by Jon Dulin has been edited here for length (…) and clarity ([ ]) by munKNEE.com to provide a fast & easy read.
What makes your 401(k) plan the best place to invest your money for the long term? In this post I will show you all of the reasons why this type of investment account has the greatest impact on the growth of your money.
What Is A 401(k) Plan?
…A 401(k) plan…is a defined contribution plan that allows workers to save for their retirement. In order to invest in a 401(k) plan, you need to work for a company that offers this investment vehicle or you have to be self-employed and open one yourself.
A 401(k) plan typically works by having you instruct your employer to withhold a percent of your pay from your paycheck and invest it into your plan. In many cases, your employer will also match a portion of your contribution as well.
A typical match might be 50% on the first 3% you contribute so, if you save $100 per paycheck in your 401(k) plan, your employer will match this and put in $50.
The Many Benefits Of A 401(k) Plan
…Why exactly does a 401(k) plan outshine all other types of investment accounts? Here is the list of reasons why.
#1. Shield Money From Taxes
When you contribute to your 401(k) plan, the money you invest is taken out pre-tax. This means when you do get taxed, you are taxed on less income than you otherwise would be.
For example, if you make $50,000 and are in the 25% tax bracket, you are paying $12,500 a year in federal taxes but if you contribute $18,000 to your 401(k) plan, you taxable income is now $32,000 and you are in the 20% tax bracket. You end up paying $6,400 in federal taxes, saving yourself close to $6,000 in taxes.
#2. Free Money
In most cases, employers will match a portion of your contributions you make to your retirement plan. This is in essence free money for you. If you don’t save in your plan, then you don’t get the money. Therefore, it is critical that you save at least enough to get a full match.
How big of an impact is this?
- Let’s say you invest $1,500 annually into your plan, which is 3% of your salary. You do not get an employer match. In 30 years with an 8% growth rate, you end up with just over $183,000.
- Keeping everything the same but adding in a 50% employer match on the 3% you contribute and in 30 years you end up with just over $276,000. That is an additional $93,000 thanks to the employer match.
#3. Tax Deferred Events
When you get paid a dividend or capital gain in a taxable account, that income is taxed and you have to pay it that year. With a 401(k) plan,
- any income you earn in the account is tax deferred until you begin to withdraw the money. This allows any dividends and capital gains to grow tax free for many years.
- Additionally, you can freely buy and sell investments in your 401(k) plan without any tax consequence either.
#4. Automatic Savings
The best way to build long term wealth is to make saving money automatic. When you can put it on auto-pilot and not have to think about it, you end up with more money in the long run.
Why is this? Because you don’t have to remember to do it. Let’s face it, life gets busy and we forget and put things off all the time. The more we can automate, the better off we will be and investing is no exception. When you automate your investing, you always invest and thus are always growing your wealth.
By investing in a 401(k) plan, you have your employer take money from your paycheck automatically and invest it for you. No more thinking or remembering, it just happens and as a result, your wealth grows.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, your 401(k) plan is an excellent vehicle for building long term wealth. Given the various benefits, there is zero reason why you shouldn’t be putting as much money into this plan as possible. Doing so only improves your long term finances for the better.
…You now know that a 401(k) plan is a great account to put your money into, so don’t delay and get started saving by investing in this account today.
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